Sober Vacation
Welcome to TUL’s guest blog series, featured every Friday. These articles serve as a platform for guests to share their personal journeys, revealing how they embrace an unwasted life. Read on to be inspired by Saz Cartin’s sober adventures.
‘Sober vacation’ – I couldn’t think of anything worse.
Holidays for me were always centred around drinking. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that it wasn’t one without it. From that post-work glass of wine, to the airport pints to the happy hour mocktails, I felt that I wasn’t on vacation unless I had booze in my hand. The thought of not drinking when on your holidays felt like a complete waste o time – what would be the point? It was one of those times where your drinking is completely normalized & blends in with everyone else’s. You can justify those morning mimosas & afternoon beers, because everyone else is doing it too. But, over the years, it started to slide from carefree to quiet chaos, as I struggled to bounce back from the heavy days and late nights of drinking. Destinations became less important, hangovers took up more time & vacations became scattered with soiled bedsheets, arguments & hospital visits. I was coming home more exhausted than I left & was starting to feel like it was safer for me to opt out altogether, than risk the free bars & all-inclusive resorts, because I just didn’t trust myself anymore.
When I became sober-curious, I became aware of how much I relied on alcohol to enjoy myself, relax & socialize. It was the only way I knew how to take the edge off & make the most of my free time. So, I started experimenting on what it would be like to do things without it. If I even could! It started with a weekend away, then a national holiday and eventually built up to a sunny trip, that fell during one of my 100 days AF. I’d been back and forth about the idea of ‘depriving’ myself on vacation and considered, using it as a ‘pass’ to drink. But, my gut stood firm & I surprised myself by giving it a go.
My solo trip to Mexico was the first time in my adult life where I went abroad and did not consume one sip of alcohol. I went into it quite defeated, struggling with the idea of being robbed of a ‘real’ holiday experience. However, travelling on my own, I knew staying sober was the safest option for me, going by previous holiday memories (or lack thereof), which really helped me to stick with it.
Through my sobriety, I created a safe space in myself, which allows me to go explore the world and appreciate every little moment I would’ve missed had I still been drinking.
Despite my deepest culturally-ingrained fears, by being on holiday alcohol-free, I was not depriving myself in the slightest. In fact, I was low-key giving myself the best possible opportunity to make the most of my first time on a solo trip in an incredible country with no injuries, fear, embarrassment, lost items, blackouts, hostel evictions or headaches. Instead, I was able to immerse myself fully in some of the things I have never before nor ever would have been able to if intoxicated: Getting up pre-8am, experimenting with gorgeous Mexican food, cycling in the sun, smoothies, being kind and patient to bartenders, morning exercise, day tours, thriller novels, swimming in cenotes, making buses and catching flights, peeping wildlife, protecting my skin from the sun, fresh fruit, taking beautiful photos and ticking off EVERY thing on my to do list!!
This was my first solo trip and of course, I had a few little wobbles. Familiar aches of loneliness and social anxiety, usually dulled by drinking, flared up at times, but they didn’t stop me. Sure, when the hostel group were sharing beers or the tour was getting stuck into tequila tasting, I got a fleeting pang of missing out (made particularly difficult by the Mexican guide shouting ‘hey Irish girls drink crazy’ and slapping me on the back), but that didn’t last. Those feelings never do.
Sobriety is a gift that you can give to yourself and one that will keep on giving. Feeling the fear and doing it anyway is something far more exhilarating and empowering than sinking a bottle of Dutch courage ever will be. Not drinking on occasions or in places where you’d ordinarily be ‘expected’ to is a skill that you have to practice but over time, will become second nature. It has taken me many years to rethink how it is I’m really treating myself and learning to practice abstinence as a form of self-care. I’m just over 21 months alcohol-free and have just come home from a solo-trip around Central & South America. Through my sobriety, I created a safe space in myself, which allows me to go explore the world and appreciate every little moment I would’ve missed had I still been drinking.
If you’ve always thought about taking a break from alcohol, I would strongly encourage you to do it. Give sobriety the chance you’ve given drinking a million times. Give yourself the opportunity to get out of your comfort zone, experience new things & get to know yourself, without that boozy barrier dulling your sparkle. A whole world of fresh mornings, chill beach days, beautiful food, authentic connections, delicious mocktails and peace of mind awaits you. Where’s the harm in trying?
Holidays now make me feel peaceful, powerful and present. I’m very blessed to have found the courage to level up my life, the confidence to be my authentic self and the freedom to live intentionally. I never thought I’d ever quit drinking, let alone be a solo, sober traveller, but here I am, doing my thing and making younger Saz so very proud.
Join Saz on her sober adventures over on Instagram at @sackedthesauce.