Hey NP!! Welcome!! Congratulations on your 5 days sober!
Everyone here has fantastic advice, and I respect you for reaching out and getting involved here. I'm on Day 37. Like you, I was in a bar already on Day 4 . . . because I work in one. It's doable. Oddly enough, being in the bar is the last place I feel susceptible to drinking even though it would be quite easy to drink on the job with no consequences other than personal ones. Also, I had to go on vacation on Days 8-17 . . . to visit family/friends as well. People who drink daily and include the activity as a cornerstone in their lives. Staying in homes with complete access to a wide array of whatever kind of liquor I could ever want . . . I made it. It can be done. I had everything and anything pushed at me (alcohol-related and emotionally), but I did not drink. Trust me, part of me really wanted to slip many times during vacation, but it is possible not to take that drink. Your desire to be sober must outweigh your desire to continue down the same old path that brought you here . . .
Look at this like a brand new adventure. I haven't seen the world through completely sober eyes in nearly 17 years, and everyday is an opportunity to experience something new. To build a new arsenal of coping mechanisms in addition to grand experiences. The universe has given you a second chance. Do something great with it. (The universe has given me more chances to survive than I can count . . . I finally took advantage! You can do the same.)
Stay sane and sober. Much peace and wellness to you on your journey!
