Thanks guys! To add on, some of my sober highlights were:
- Enjoying the food! I'd always been too buzzed by dinner to care about eating, but this time I was ready to enjoy all the delicious food they had (and it WAS delicious!)
- Dancing without making a fool of myself. Even though I think I look better dancing when I'm drunk, I realize that is almost definitely not the case and I can't say I've never fallen while dancing at a wedding before. Not this time!
- Being present. Besides a few little photo shoots, I kept my phone away and was really able to be present with the event and my family who I hadn't seen in a while.
- Leaving at a reasonable time. We didn't leave early, but we didn't stay until the wee hours either. Based on the photos I saw, we didn't miss anything I needed to be a part of!
So for anyone else struggling with upcoming social engagements sober, hang in there. The first few times without booze can be awkward, but keep a seltzer in your hand, leave early if you're feeling uneasy and know that you'll have many, MANY more opportunities to really enjoy your sober partying! It does get easier with practice and you get learn what you actually enjoy at these events when it's not all masked with alcohol.