7 Pieces Of Advice For Your First Weeks of Sobriety

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7 Pieces Of Advice For Your First Weeks of Sobriety

When my readers message me or leave me comments, the most frequent question I am asked is: I am starting my sobriety journey, do you have any advice for me? Or, I'm thinking of going sober, what advice do you have for me?

It's hard for me to answer this because it's SUCH a loaded question and I feel like I could go on for hours about it. It makes it difficult to write back to you guys that ask me this because the space allowed in a Facebook message or tweet is minimal and it would take me hours to write it all down. In an effort to answer this question and not write a book, I've outlined what I consider to be the most useful pieces of advice you need to know when starting your sobriety journey.

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10 Tips To Get You Through the Holidays Sober

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10 Tips To Get You Through the Holidays Sober

Woohoo, it's Christmas Eve Eve and the holiday season is in full swing. For those of you who are newly sober, already have some sober years under your belt, or are still on the fence about trying sobriety, this list is for you. The holidays should be a wonderful and joyous time for serenity, gratefulness, and being with your family and friends. This means you can still have a great time without getting wasted and here's how:

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5 Things That Are Cooler Than Drinking During The Holidays

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5 Things That Are Cooler Than Drinking During The Holidays

ANYTHING is cooler. Ok, just kidding, that wouldn't make for a very practical list now would it?

The holidays are a lovely time for being grateful, giving back, and spending time with your family and friends. Of course we all know what else the holidays are good for, and that's drinking. Even though the holidays might get you nostalgic for the drink, you should know there are tons of other cooler things you could be doing. I'm here to remind you of the multitude of things that are cooler than drinking during the holidays.

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5 Things I Learned When My Sister Got Married

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5 Things I Learned When My Sister Got Married

Over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, my only sister and very best friend got married. I was her maid of honor and had to give a public speech in front of about 100 people aka my worst nightmare. There is a reason I prefer writing, not speaking. Haha. This joyous occasion not only marked a new chapter in the lives of my sister and her new husband, but in my life as well.

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7 Reasons to Be Thankful You're Sober on Thanksgiving

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7 Reasons to Be Thankful You're Sober on Thanksgiving

This year is my second sober Thanksgiving and my first one living in the United States in quite a few years. Last year I was working on Thanksgiving because obviously it's not a holiday in Mexico. Although we aren't doing the normal huge turkey dinner this year because we are busy prepping for my sister's wedding this weekend, I still get to be with my family and enjoy this special day. Thanksgiving is a day when you are meant to reflect on what you are grateful for and the one thing that tops my list is my sobriety. Some sober people and a lot of normies probably think it's the pits to be sober on Thanksgiving, but it's actually pretty amazing. That's why I am taking the time today to write down reasons to be thankful you're sober on Thanksgiving.

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7 Reasons To Come Out Of the Addiction Closet

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7 Reasons To Come Out Of the Addiction Closet

I guess it's not any secret that I am not anonymous when it comes to talking about my addiction and paths I've taken to recovery. Sometimes it's not all sunshine and rainbows and putting yourself out there can invite hurtful comments or questions. Despite this, I'm a big advocate for breaking the stigma of addiction, living your truth, and coming out of the addiction closet. I am loud and proud about my struggles and it has given me freedom. Below is a list of 7 reasons why you may want to break your anonymity and come out of the addiction closet.

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Alcoholism, A Spiritual Sickness

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Alcoholism, A Spiritual Sickness

Lately I've been thinking a lot about my spirituality. The concept of spirituality is new to me. I didn't grow up in any type of church or religion and most of the time I consider myself to be borderline atheist. I guess I always associate religion with God and those two things have caused so much fighting and heartache in the world, I never understood people's deep connection to it. Spirituality wasn't something I ever thought about in the past or even considered for myself. I assumed it wasn't for me.

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Should You Drink Non-Alcoholic Beers?

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Should You Drink Non-Alcoholic Beers?

Lately I've been thinking a lot about my spirituality. The concept of spirituality is new to me. I didn't grow up in any type of church or religion and most of the time I consider myself to be borderline atheist. I guess I always associate religion with God and those two things have caused so much fighting and heartache in the world, I never understood people's deep connection to it. Spirituality wasn't something I ever thought about in the past or even considered for myself. I assumed it wasn't for me.

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This Halloween Take Off Your Mask

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This Halloween Take Off Your Mask

Yesterday I read a beautiful and moving Huffington Post article by a woman named Mary Moss about her struggle with online dating as a woman with an obvious physical disability and as a single mother to a transgender teen. You can read her article here. It touched on many different aspects of this woman's life, most notably removing your 'personal mask' while dating - putting your baggage on the table for the other person to see.

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My First Face-To-Face AA Meeting

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My First Face-To-Face AA Meeting

No hell didn't freeze over!! but... Last night, I finally - after 1 year, 5 months, and 14 days sober - attended my first face-to-face AA meeting. It hasn't been a secret that my thoughts about AA have been a bit wishy-washy. When I first got sober I attended some online AA meetings and I just felt really out of touch. People in the online rooms always told me that I wouldn't get or stay sober if I didn't go to f-2-f meetings, believe in a higher power, work the steps, or get a sponsor. I didn't want to be told what to do or how to do it and I left the online meetings and email chains and never looked back. I have to admit I had a bad taste in my mouth about AA. I also consider myself agnostic and couldn't relate to the faith based mentions of God in AA, as well as surrendering yourself to being powerless against alcohol. Naturally, I avoided AA. I had friends and family tell me I should go and in the back of my mind I thought maybe I will one day, but until yesterday I had never made time for it.

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Why Must I Feel Feelings?

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Why Must I Feel Feelings?

I have to admit one of the hardest parts about sobriety is feeling feelings. I think a lot of addicts, myself included, are trying to numb something when they drink or use drugs. They are trying to numb pain or just trying to not feel anything at all. I didn't even realize I was doing this until I stopped drinking. All of the sudden I was hit with all these emotions and no tools to deal with them.

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9 Thoughts A Sober Girl Has At The Club

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9 Thoughts A Sober Girl Has At The Club

This past weekend I was in Atlantic City, NJ (the Vegas of the east coast) for my sister's bachelorette party. Because I am the maid of honor, it was up to me to plan the best shindig possible for my bestie. I knew we would be hitting the club and dropping it like it's hot to some sweet house music because I know that's what my sis likes. There wasn't much mental preparation for me going into this sober because I am getting used to the fact that I will never be drinking again. I was excited to get dressed up, hear good music, dance, and have a great time with my sister. We went to a few different clubs and bars, and I had quite a few funny thoughts along the way. From these thoughts I complied a list of 9 thoughts a sober girl has at the club.

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My First Marketing Conference Ever - Inbound 2014

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My First Marketing Conference Ever - Inbound 2014

If you follow along with my Facebook page, you probably saw that this week was a crazy one for me because I was in Boston at a marketing conference for work. I've already touched on the fact that I have been loving my new job and how happy I am to be learning about inbound marketing. Well this conference just took it to another level.

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Am I an Alcoholic?

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Am I an Alcoholic?

Dun dun dun.... the dreaded question. Well I know it's not so dreaded for some of you. Some of you already know that you are alcoholics or addicts and have become empowered by accepting this fact.Me on the other hand, I am still struggling with these labels. Maybe it's because I don't attend AA and I'm not forced to get in front of a group and say out loud every day, "My name is Kelly and I'm an alcoholic" or maybe I'm still in denial.

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National Recovery Month September 2014

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National Recovery Month September 2014

I happily stumbled upon a Facebook post last week that told me September is National Recovery Month. I clicked on the website and read about this wonderful month of awareness and immediately started promoting it. What's not to love? A whole month dedicated to raising awareness about recovery from drug and alcohol addictions and another platform to be vocal about being sober. To continue this awareness I'm going to outline what recovery month is and what it means to me.

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Latino Food in Southwest Florida

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Latino Food in Southwest Florida

So I haven't written about food in awhile and we all know how much I love FOOD! This post is dedicated to Latino food in Southwest Florida. Obviously, because Fer is addicted to tacos and anything Mexican or similar, and I get a hankering for a pastor taco here and there, we have been on the hunt for a great Mexican place here in Cape Coral. We've tried a couple places and here's what we think:

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Sober Paranoia

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Sober Paranoia

I've noticed since I got sober there has been this small inner sense of paranoia that comes and goes frequently. Paranoia about what? About touching alcohol or being seen with it, near it, etc. When I'm out at restaurants or bars and I order a non-alcoholic drink, virgin daiquiri, or whatever, I always abnormally fear that they will accidentally put the alcohol in! I overcompensate by saying WITHOUT alcohol, or make sure I am speaking exceptionally loud so that the waiter will hear me correctly. Is this fear irrational? I think so, but I can't make it go away! haha.

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Having a Partner Who Drinks

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Having a Partner Who Drinks

My boyfriend Fernando is a drinker and I am not. Most of you know this already from other posts and photos. I've received many questions asking me what it's like to be with a partner who drinks and if it is ever a problem for me.Fer and I met in the party scene. He is a DJ by trade and has worked in nightclubs for years. When we met, we both partied and drank a lot and at the beginning that's what our relationship was based on. Our relationship started out rocky and any time we had an argument, alcohol was involved. In the beginning I tried to push him away and I treated him badly. I was an emotional and alcohol addicted mess. I couldn't really figure out why he wanted to date me in the first place, and I tried my best not to let it happen.

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Life in Florida Update

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Life in Florida Update

Life has been traveling at light speed over here in our new town of Cape Coral! I was so busy last week that I didn't have time to publish a blog.  I apologize! I wanted to write a life update for everyone since life has been hectic and GREAT since moving to Florida. I continued to work for Sunset World (the hotel group in Cancun) from home for the months of June and July, as well as picked up a few freelance projects to keep me busy.  I continued to job search and I actually heard back from one of the first jobs I applied to in the southwest Florida area.  I went in for an interview on July 24 and the next day they offered me the position!  I am happy to announce I am the new Inbound Marketing Consultant for Impulse Creative in Fort Myers! I actually started right away and finished up my first week on Friday (hence my super busy last week).  I was sad to finally hand over my Cancun social media accounts and blogs to my former co-workers and it was like we had to say goodbye all over again. I will miss writing about the city I lived in for 5 years and all its beauty.

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