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Class of February 2013 Part 9 |
Love and hello to all ♥ Thinking of you wehav ~ on the way, and safe from the bars....just ignore those attendants and their drink carts. V xx |
Yeah! New thread! In Ireland - really like it, although the rain has continued for going on 3 weeks now. More farmers markets, flowers, etc that make the rainy days more enjoyable and easier. Scotland was much more remote and travel logistics were more challenging. Now to catch up with all your happenings! Hope to post again if I can keep my eyes open - sending good thoughts. |
Venus - SO glad that you're getting better and that you went to the hospital when you did (and that you quit when you did too!) Wow, what a surprise - wish I would have checked in during that period with some encouragement and warm thoughts. We care about you so much! Liss & MV - Congrats on 6 months! Fantail - glad your home. Similarly, thanks for posting an update. Really looking forward to how you work through this next stage and what insights come forward. Wehav - UK! What a great way to celebrate the 6mo! This time will be different - sounds like you've got your vigilance radar dialed in and are making smart choices. Mel - glad that you didn't drink. My update - I've notice that several of us have taken trips, are taking trips, or are otherwise changing our environments - and having that be a challenge to sobriety. Just wanted to add that I experienced similar, and it was eye opening. My good news of the week - I finally feel comfortable driving on the left UK style. I also spend 4 days solo driving while listening to books on tape. My mind can absorb so much more now than 6 months ago! Ok, I'm dozing off as a type. Sweet dreams everyone! |
How absolutely wonderful Serene. Smiling at you! Have a great time :) Love V xx |
Still on my trip. In the hamptons right now was in Brooklyn last night and back to Boston tomorrow. Too tired to write but just wanted to check in. V very worried about you. Sorry I've been absent for your illness hope you're feeling better. All for now, M. |
Thanks Mel ♥♥ Just doing my best to get better; it's going to be a bit of a climb. I have to take it very easy, one step at a time. I've watched the whole first season of Elementary; that was fun! :) Hope you are having a good trip. Looking forward to hearing the details. Love you lots!!!! And love to all, V xx |
Lost my cat she's only 9 mths old always inside one night only one night and she's gone got out a door I didn't close been everywhere all day looking I'm so depressed and been thinking about drinking I'm not going to I'm so sad she's my baby girl :( |
I hope she makes her way back Liss :) D |
OH NO liss!!!! So wish I could come and help you look for her... I hope maybe your family and neighbours can give you a hand. Praying she gets home safely. Know you won't drink....you need a clear head to keep looking for her. Love you!!!!! V xx |
I think it's good you're not there V - you need to rest :tapping D |
V - glad to hear that you've found a silver lining! lots of love back at you! Mel - thanks for checking in! Last day in Dublin - I have 10 days in London starting Monday, then head back to the US to see family, then school starts (will be hectic!) Highlights from 1.5 month traveling - Breaking the mental cost travel barrier by learning how to travel on budget and enjoy myself. Previously I told myself that I couldn't do Europe because it was too expensive. - Traveling with my sisters for a week, and no fights despite challenging travel logistics. - Sea, sun, and a diet of fresh fruit of the croatian adriatic coast made me feel wonderfully healthy. - Realizing that I really enjoy traveling solo. Frequently I would get comments 'I could never do that' followed by a really warm exchange and people going the extra mile with our interaction as I encouraged them that they too could. You guys were also a HUGE help in not feeling isolated - thank you! - Picked up photography as a hobby again. Realized that I enjoy painting and other activities that involve high levels of observation bc they focus my thoughts just on the present - and it feels great! And now I understand why that works for me! - Discovered the joy of audio books (particularly self development books) and reflecting while I enjoyed the visual scenery on the long bus rides. Being in motion plus getting new thoughts seems to turn my brain on differently so that things are stickier. Being solo also afforded me the opportunity to reflect on the self development topic. - Learning to drive on the left! Having to go back to the basics on something that is an automatic habit (and feeling how weird and tough it was) and then develop the skills to get comfortable again was a good experiential metaphor for recovery. Again, driving was a huge fear and source of anxiety, and one step at a time, got over it. - Diet Coke and I have developed a balanced relationship on the road (surprising!). With traveling, there were 'diet coke' moments (think low energy and wanting something familiar, or 4am and I'm rushing to catch the bus). Learning to be more relaxed, take inventory of each situation and 'what is really needed' and viewing it as a choice has been a great practice tool for me to build up skills in moderation and self management (which were previously lacking) - currently feeling the opposite of white knuckling, and in fact I'm choosing diet coke less as I find that I don't really want it. Expect consumption to reduce once home. Thanks for listening! I'm off to start my day - hope you all have a wonderful start to your week. |
Wow, what a wonderful post serene♥♥ You write so beautifully; the visual is awesome. So happy that this has been such a fantastic time for you, and how amazing to spend that time with your sisters. I did the same thing with my sisters many years back, and I think it was the best time the three of us have ever had together. Great memories.... Would so love to see some of your photographs, and I hope you get a chance to keep up the painting as well. I laugh every time you talk about the driving on the left thing. It is what we do here in Oz, but I do remember how weird it was when I had to drive in Europe. Well done you!!!! Enjoy the rest of your trip. Still completely jealous!!!! And Dee ~ mwaaaaa!!!! Love V xx |
Thanks Venus u r beautiful much love xxxx |
Serene, I'm so happy to hear about your trip! Solo travel is one of the most transformative things in the world and it's so wonderful that you're doing it sober. I still look forward to my first sober trip. :) Dunno if you're driving standard or automatic, but if standard, do you find yourself hitting the door with your hand all the time? :) |
What about your amazing cycling adventure fantail? That was inspiring!!! And how are you? Love V xx |
I have a little human-kindness story I wanted to share. I'm still sober and such but very much struggling. Weird existential stuff, I think it has as much to do with turning 30 as it does to do with being sober. Anyway... last night I went to the corner store and bought some whiskey. Don't worry I didn't drink it. But I was feeling really lost and kind of like, why not? Why not just drink? Now this is the store a block away from my house. I see the guy there every day, or maybe every other day at the outside. He's older, married, we don't have a close relationship other than being friendly when I buy my cereal or my coffee. And of course up until 6 months ago when I bought beer or wine every other day (since I staggered my stores). I asked him for the whiskey and he got it for me, and then he reached out and grabbed my hand and held it for a couple seconds. And I threw out the whiskey in the public trash can on the way home. It was terrifyingly embarrassing, the whole thing, but it was also amazing. I think right now I'm going through a very intense crisis of "why", and although this instance doesn't solve that by any means, it did show me that people are rooting for me. |
Oh you're right! I guess I've had my first sober trip. :) Looking forward to continuing the trend. |
Yes lovely fantail, people are rooting for you. All of us are...and we have faith in you. And after doing the belly-button birthday list a while back, I am going to have to go back and find it, because I don't remember the dates!!!! :gaah Love V xx |
I think I never really imagined my life past 30 :) Silly to admit but it's true. Lots of people use their twenties to find their partners, get ready for having kids, all that? My mindset was always to travel as much as possible and not worry at all about the future. So I think it's unreasonably a bit of a turning point for me, realizing that I'm still here and I'm going to have some kind of plan for what I want my life to be. |
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