For me, it was when my car broke down on a major highway while (now-X)ABF was in rehab, that I realized how much better I was feeling.
I actually made a night of it, made a friend in the AAA guy, got a ride from him to the train station after dropping off my car at the mechanic, snagged a sandwich in a major train station while waiting for my second train, arrived home at 11pm and felt I had a good night... Then did the same in reverse the next day to pick up my car, paid for the repairs in full, and drove back and parked just before a major snowstorm hit. (My mechanic is an hour away from where I live now - but I trust him that much.)
No alcoholic ranting and raving how I had ruined his night, about how I should get rid of my car, about how this is why he drives me everywhere, about how I made him drink, about what would I do without him if he wasn't here to bail me out and drive me home, about how I'm going to upset his "90-year-old mother" when he tells her what happened and that I need money from her...
I managed the whole night, the whole next day, and paid for the repairs to my car.
That really was the first night of the rest of my life.