Day 3: Alcohol Free
On Monday, while flying back from a business conference in Belgium, I decided it was time to take a month long hiatus from drinking. It was something I'd been considering doing for some time, but the timing never seemed right. As happens with many of the decisions I make, I arbitrarily decided on Monday that the time is now. In the interest of full disclosure I should note that it will really only be 25 days, because that's when I'm going to Vegas for the weekend, and being sober in Vegas would be about as much fun as... well, as being anywhere sober. Ok, so that's a joke. I'm not quite that bad off, but I do have an alcohol dependence. Not quite an addiction, but an undeniable habit. And that's why I'm doing this. I'd like to know how far that dependence extends, and the only way to find out is by cutting myself off. Will I feel physical effects from being a teetotaler? What are the situations in which turning down a drink will be most difficult? Can I still enjoy myself during those times? This month long experiment will hopefully answer those questions. Wednesday night I had my first test of will. It was Gene's birthday party and everyone showed up at dinner with a slight buzz from pre-dinner margaritas. I felt myself longing for a beer or a mixed drink more than once, but I still had a good time at dinner. Not surprisingly, it was obvious to everyone that something was up. They were generally supportive after I explained my situation, although Scott questioned my choice of timing. A real test will come when I'm with someone who pushes the issue and won't accept "no" as an answer. I trust myself to stand strong in the face of peer pressure, despite being thought of as lame. I will post updates as the next 22 days unfold. The next hurdle will be a weekend without drinking, which also happens to be my birthday weekend. Maybe Scott was right about bad timing.