Calm and peace were real strangers to me at first, I was more accustomed to anger, and regret, self-loathing, sadness, anxiety, shame and guilt. The first thing I noticed, before the calm and peace, was the relief that the misery was over, and I didn't need to drink anymore. Once that knowledge got settled, and I started to steel myself for the 'ordeal' of sobriety, this self respect that I had known as a child came back to me. And I knew that since I apparently had the badassery to be sober and face the mess I had made, I could really accomplish all sorts of things. All I needed to do was get started and never look back.
Some of us state that the quitting is easy, it is finding a new way of living that is hard. I dunno, for me the void left by alcohol was so easy to fill. I had that drinking money now, and time, and motivation, I started resuming hobbies I had abandoned, and tried new ones. I started to feel good about myself again, that I was a good person again.
I know you can find your way forward too, FoolsGold. BTW, did you know that Saturday was International Talk Like a Pyrite Day?