Congratulations!!
30 days is a milestone to be proud of!
I relate to these comments:
When I have been in social situations, or just around people in general, I have felt quiet and shy again, not as chatty without wine. In the last month I have been so aware of how everything seems to revolve around alcohol. In my neighborhood subdivision its cocktails on the deck, festivals are all about beer tents and wine tasting, restaurants push their drink specials on you, no event with my circle of friends and family is without alcohol, ever. That is really no excuse for me though; I drank at home, alone, every night, as well as with others. It didn’t matter.[/QUOTE]
I think as we gain more confidence in ourselves without alcohol, that we will project that quiet assurance to others. We may learn to be present and really attend to what is going on in a social setting. I read somewhere that shy ppl aren't "good listeners" really, they're too preoccupied with a negative loop of inner thought to be able to pay attention in a conversation. I know I began to use alcohol to quell that inner convo.
Like you, I ended up being a nightly solitary drinker.
Well done, so happy your kids are proud of you!