Sober Vegas
I’m about three weeks into a 100 day sober experiment and I just I spent the week in Las Vegas. Fortunately, I with my family in a house in the suburbs - it wasn’t a bachelorette part on the strip or anything wild - but it was probably my first vacation in adulthood without alcohol. And it wasn’t easy!! There was one moment when I walked through the MGM Grand and saw everyone drinking (and smoking? In my mind they were smoking cigarettes too but I’m thinking back on it now and wondering if they could possibly allow smoking indoors?!) That was the one moment I had a true craving for alcohol (and - fine, I admit it - a cigarette!) That was day 2 of the trip and I suddenly worried that I wasn’t going to make it through the rest of the trip and stick to my goal of being alcohol-free. But I did it!! Here are some the highs and lows worth sharing:
Pros:
-No hangovers. This is the most obvious difference between this vacation (particularly one in Vegas) and others. And I don’t just mean I avoided a true hangover with the dreaded headaches and nausea (ugh never again please!) I also avoided feeling bloated and puffy with dark circles under my eyes due to drinking (does this happen to anyone else when they even drink a little?) I also didn’t have to rely on caffeine (or consume more alcohol) to motivate for late day activities that I would have been too tired to enjoy. In fact, I slept relatively well (I mean, with 3 kids so my standards are low) without alcohol in the mix.
-Saved money. I not only saved money from not buying wine for the house or drinks out when we went to the strip, I also saved money on fine dining because I was less motivated to go have a nice dinner when I knew it wouldn’t be paired with wine. I am a little obsessive about food-wine pairing so maybe other people wouldn’t have this experience but, for me, an elegant meal without wine is just not how I want to live my life. So I managed with the normal kid-friendly fare I make at home (pasta, pizza, etc.) and that surely saved us a bundle.
-Pride. It feels kind of amazing to stick with a goal, even when it’s hard. And it wasn’t hard in the sense that I was biting my nails craving alcohol the whole time (though that one moment in the MGM was no joke.) But even before leaving home, when I made the decision not to drink, I wondered if I would stick it out while in Vegas. And then seeing people everywhere imbibing all hours of the day, clutching drinks like kids with sippy cups… it was definitely a lot of reminders of alcohol, even if most of them passed me by without triggering any craving. Thanks to my sober curious group, I felt some accountability to stick to my goal (thanks ladies!) and that evolved into a sense of pride that kept me going.
-No “need a vacation from my vacation” experience. Do you come home from vacations and need 3 days to recover? I often do. I always plan my travel with buffer days because it takes me time to reconnect with myself and the rhythms of home. This is especially true if it’s a girls weekend or another trip that involves excessive alcohol. This time, I came home and felt basically the same as I did when I left. Except upped on Vitamin D (hoorah!) And perhaps a bit more relaxed. It was still nice to have a couple days to unpack and recuperate, but instead of dragging myself through that process, I felt rather energized. In fact, as I write this, my bathroom is freshly decluttered and cleaned, something I have been meaning to do for a couple weeks (gross, I know.) So cheers to that!
Cons
-Kind of boring? I’m not gonna lie: not drinking left me feeling a bit meh about everything. I did some fun things - saw a show, went for a hike, indulged in a spa day - and I enjoyed each thing… but in a very tepid way. I don’t know if that’s a reflection of the stage of my sober journey - perhaps I’m a bit depleted of dopamine still - but I can say for sure this vacation felt a lot like being at home but in another house. I had a few moments of real enjoyment watching my kids delight in the pool and some moments of genuine relaxation (at an awesome spa) and I am glad we went, but it was less euphoric and exciting than most other vacations I’ve been on. I guess I imagined my non-hungover self waking before dawn to climb mountains and meditate before my kids woke and feeling amazing and zen and energetic and inspired… yeah, not so much. I felt like the same tired mom I am at home. I did wake up to do my morning pages every day though!
-No fine dining. Even though this was also on my pro list and it helped me save money, if I had to do it again I would force myself to get over my OCD (I use the term loosely here) about food and wine pairing. So many special meals were missed because of my being rigid about not wanting to crave wine. Maybe this was a smart strategy since I’m so early into my 100 days, but next time I will just deal with the craving and treat myself to some special meals.
Overall, I have no regrets about not drinking. I know I am on the right path with this 100 day experiment and I would be sorry now if I had given in and drank simply because I felt like a trip to Las Vegas without booze wasn’t doable. It’s very doable!! And I hope next time I will have a few more adventures to recommend for others avoiding alcohol while in sin city.
