bigsombrero

I couldn't. My advice would to start moving away from what "normal people my age do" and start doing "what non-drinkers my age do". For years, bars meant "fun" to me. My first day out of rehab I went to a bar for lunch to prove to myself that I could still hang out in places like that. I didn't want my life to be devoid of FUN forever. Alas, the longer I sat on that barstool, the longer I suffered. It really wasn't that fun drinking seltzer in that bar..... in fact it was downright depressing.

Many of us have found that taking our lives down a different lifestyle path was the way to go. Taking bars out of the equation almost entirely made staying sober long-term easier in my experience. That doesn't mean living a boring life of a spinster or old maid. It just means transforming what "fun" means in your head and brain.

As for Colorado being the CRAFT BREW capital of XYZ, we sympathize. That said, alcoholics in Milwaukee, Dublin, Miami, Sydney, New York, Chicago, Belfast, Seattle, Boston, London and Los Angeles can also provide you stories on why THEIR town is the worst place to be an alcoholic and they all have pretty convincing cases too.

Now for the good part about being in Colorado. It's of the most heralded outdoor recreational spots in the world. People flock there from all corners of the earth to ski, hike, mountain bike, etc. There are huge communities of runners, health nuts, cyclists, and skiers. Not to mention all those earthy folk who grow their own alfalfa and enjoy the sunrise from their mountain homes with fresh coffee and whole-grain toast. There are careers for tour guides, explorers, mountaineers and ranchers. The options are endless! Do any of those activities appeal to you at all? Have you ever wanted to try something and said "nah, some other time"? Make NOW your time! Find a cause that really grabs your heart and soul and do it. If you want to get out of the region, what's wrong with traveling?

There's so much more to life than a barstool. Don't let yourself get distracted about feeling uncomfortable in a place that doesn't enhance your life and doesn't deserve your company. Pick yourself up, brush yourself off, and start livin'.