RapidMan

I was in two minds whether to post this or not, since on some level it sounds a little trivial, but in my mind this was a major accomplishment.

I'm approaching my 3 month sober mark (80 days today) and I've been traveling this week. So whenever I have visited here in the past I've always treated myself to lunch at this really nice restaurant, and accompanied that with one or two glasses of wine. This was never some major drinking experience, just a nice lunch with a glass of wine.

I wasn't sure whether to even go or not, just not even be presented with the temptation, but after a couple of days took the plunge and went.

This has always been my downfall, the idea that I 'could' just have a social drink, with a meal and get away with it, so for me, this was a huge mental deal.

it was odd, I felt like some teenager about to buy condoms, pacing around outside before I plucked up the courage and went in.

Strangely enough, when I sat down, looked at the menu it all seemed so normal. i ordered my food and some sparkling water.

The food was great, I ordered more, and as I walked out of that place I felt like I'd just run a marathon, discovered the cure for cancer, I was so damm pleased with myself.

I decided to share the experience, mainly because probably all of these 'trivial' battles that as alcoholics we fight that are the most testing. The in your face challenges we know, but these little things are subtle, insidious, they get in your head and are often the ones that trip you up

Dee74

Things like that may be small, but not trivial - especially when you look back on them. Great going RapidMan - congrats

D

SoberAlkie

That's truly awesome that you didn't drink there!

leviathan

Good deal!

Treerat66

Fantastic

biminiblue

Well done.

thomas11

I personally think those "trivial" victories are really important to living a good, alcohol free life. Good job. Not trivial at all in the grand scheme of things.

SoberCAH

Congrats on 80 days.

I drink a lot of sparkling water all day and evening.

I would be very careful in trying to see what you can do without drinking.

It's like trying to see how far your car will go on a tank of gas.

The only way to find out is to run out of gas.

I nurture and protect my sobriety but I try not to test it because doing so would be a life and death test I cannot afford to fail.

There are things that I will not do even now that I have been around and sober for a while.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

We're glad you're here with us.

Refunded

Good job!! Yeah, you may have been tempting fate. Only you know. You knew when you walked in the door that you weren't gonna drink is what it sounds like to me. So many 'firsts' when you're sober. Going to someplace where you have almost a nostalgic or romantic idea of the alcohol you used to have can be dicey but sounds like your resolve is on a good foundation. On to more 'firsts' as you go along your journey!

PhoenixJ

courage2

Thanks RapidMan and congratulations! Some people call that a 'sober reference.' When you have that kind of challenge again, you can look back and know that you can do it sober. And as you grow in sobriety, you can look back and mark how far you've come.

RapidMan

Thanks for all your comments and encouragement.

I knew I was pushing it, but I also knew it was something I had to do at some point.

Always before I've been too cocky, especially at a couple of months in, convincing myself I was 'cured' and never concerned myself about the one drink with dinner. Of course that never ended well.

This time, I was scared, maybe that was the difference and it was a rubicon I needed to cross .

This one was important, cant remember which of you mentioned it, but it did have a nostalgic element to it, and perhaps in my head I needed that nostalgia to be replaced by something new before I could move on.

Still early days and there are a bunch more of these experiences to go though, but this has been a good couple of days for me.

PhoenixJ

good post, keep posting, well done.

Fitcher

Well done. Each time something like this happens, it pounds one more nail into the coffin of the notion that alcohol is needed to enjoy life.