Great thread! I will have 2 years on Feb 21 and have plenty of differences to note between year one and year two (and am curious and excited about year three!).
I spent the first 3-4 mo of year one healing. Physically. I was SO sick when I quit. I started AA right away and it was probably around 100 days that my mind began to clear enough to grasp what I had been taking in during that early time.
Physically, it was about 10 mo before exercise began to enter the picture for real and in 2017 my now husband and I ran a 5K each month. By Sep 2017 I added what is now an amazing, 5-6 days a week yoga practice and yesterday, I ran a 15K. My body is probably as strong as it was in my 20s (I am 41). I am beyond grateful after getting to the point in Feb 2016 where my liver dr gave me a year, 18 mo if i kept going as I was.
Mentally things continued to clear- looking back I can see the truisms of the BB at play. "Things that used to baffle me"- the right decisions becoming (more) intuitive....removing alcohol let my "real" issues develop - such as, I do have anxiety and now I can deal with it.
Emotionally, I continued to grow in year two and I hope to always keep that intentional focus. My recovery hasn't been 100% pink clouds, but darn close. I work really hard at my program and it is the most important thing in my life- it lets me have everything else that is good. Learning how to take care of myself in all ways, and to be in a strong partnership, and on and on....crucial to forward progress.
My husband says I told him on our first date that "everything is better sober." He says he didn't quite believe me, but he wanted to know more. He soon agreed with me. All these months later, while still young in the path of sobriety, we both believe that's true.