I went to a friends Xmas party tonight. These are friends I've known for 30 years or more, but most are heavy drinkers, and I usually did my share at this party in years past. I considered the danger in going, and I don't plan to put myself in situations like this often. But many of these friends I only see at this event, so I decided to go. I stopped and picked up plenty of NA drinks (Arizona tea, vitamin water, etc), and had absolutely no inclination to drink the 4 hours I stayed.
I actually really enjoyed myself, and felt like I was more focused on the conversations I had. More into actually catching up with people rather than sharing the experience of getting hammered with them. It was actually refreshing, and made me feel pretty good about my growth and my new ability to socialize while sober. I also told anyone who asked why my (EX)GF wasn't there, and why I wasn't drinking... My drunken behavior f'ed things up between us, and I've quit drinking. Every single person I mentioned it to respected my decision and ability to do so. And of course, I get to wake up fairly early tomorrow with no hangover!