Water441

I have spent every vacation for the last 6 years drinking. Not bingeging like I have a tendency to do at home, but certainly drinking at meals, beers by the beach, a private glass of wine in the morning before anyone wakes up.

I have a vacation to Mexico coming up in April. We canceled the all inclusive because it would be too tempting for me, but I am wondering specifically about other people's strategies while on vacation when the non-alcoholics around you tend to drink more than usual. I know it will be a major challenge to be on the beach and not think "I can have just a beer or two" (as I've never had beer really start a binge).
I think the best idea is to cancel completely until I'm further into my process of recovery. At day 2 now.

However, for discussion sake - what do you do on vacation when tempted?

doggonecarl

Same thing I did when I wasn't on vacation and tempted--I didn't drink.

I support your decision to cancel. You are already wondering how you are going to get through without drinking and it's three month away. You get a year of sobriety under your belt and you won't be asking what to do on vacation...you'll know.

Stay strong.

biminiblue

Yeah, there is nothing or no location or person who can make me drink. That's on me.

You may be a lot stronger by April. Who knows? That's quite some time away from today. One thing I try not to do is panic about something that hasn't happened yet.

Coldfusion

Look up AA meetings where you are going!

nova84

Hi Water...I am on day 8 and have a weekend city break booked for February and during the last week anytime I started thinking about it I'd experience a sense of fear and panic...so I can only imagine how you are feeling about a holiday in the sun. However I was on holiday in the sun in December and remember watching people going for runs along the beach looking healthy and focused...and whilst I sat there with my alcohol I felt so envious of them. On my next holiday in the sun I want to be one of those healthy focused people...who I would hazard a guess were getting so much more out of life than I was getting from alcohol.

Wishing you all the best x

Soberwolf

Your showing good wisdom coming here & discussing this, I'm in agreement of you not going because its too soon I know you already know that though

If I was going to go on vacation I'd try & find some local meetings, have exit plans in advance of any situations and obvs check out the reviews of where I'm staying

Things like that, congrats on day 2 & coming here to talk about it

FarToGo

Wanting to stay sober on a big holiday was the reason I joined this site (I got so much more than that). What some very wise and more experienced folk said to me.......
"Your holiday is way off, focus on staying sober right now"
"Have a plan for when you get tempted on holiday"
"Visualise in detail what you will do instead of drinking and how you will manage through temptation. Include in this exercise what a sober holiday will be like"
ALL great support and advice, for which I am continually grateful. I hope some of this is useful to you as well.
xx
My sober holiday was great BTW

sg1970

Perhaps you could change location to somewhere less drinking oriented. I could not have done the beach that early but I did go to the mountains at about a month sober. It was awesome. I was about a year sober before I worked up the nerve to hit the beach and by that point it was awesome as well. I couldn't believe how much fun sober vacations are.