happy canada day soberversary (part 3)

or should i say, year 3. holy god. i remember when i had quit drinking for 17 days and i was so proud of myself. i was like, who quits drinking for 17 days? no one. never.

and today it’s (apparently) day 1096. no one quits drinking for 3 years, do they? no. i said to my husband this morning “this can’t be true. i’m a girl who drinks, i’m a girl who spends a lot of money on expensive wine. i collect wine glasses. i’m not a girl who quits drinking for 3 years.”

and yet. day by day. here i am. year 1. year 2. today is the first day of Dry July. It doesn’t seem like 3 years. it seems like yesterday. and then it seems like light years away. and then it seems like about a month ago. time is weird like that. the days are long but the years are short.

today we’re celebrating. it’s canada day. I’ve always loved july 1st. i’ve moved twice on july 1st – once across the country once across the pond. i quit drinking on july 1st as my day 1. And since it’s a holiday back home, i’m off from Job #1. it’s gigantically hot here (38C). going to find a new fancy fish and chips place being run by imported brits. homemade tartar sauce apparently.

lunch photo later if you’re on the Everything List.

and if you’re not, and you’re here for the sober advice, then let me say this: the further away from day 1 you get, the better you feel. you stop facing ‘the old you back there’ and you turn and face ‘the new you over here’.

Go you.

Belle

I want to put this online, to hold myself accountable. I want to document the noise in my head. I'm tired of thinking about drinking. date of last drink: june 30, 2012

  • Huge if belated congratulations on your three years! And thank you as ever for your continual inspiration and example (and for the occasional kick in the rear!) xxx

  • I’m new to this sober thing. God, day 1, actually. I feel really scared and confused. Just writing this is a big step..my drinking is getting way out of control.

  • I am on day 10 – double digits. It’s hard and it’s easy – two truths. Thanks for being a voice I can turn to when even these few days seem too much. I’m heading for 11.