shanman422

hello... I have been sober for 7 months tomorrow. we left for vacation yesterday - flew down to tampa, to get on the cruise today. i am already struggling with being around the alcohol. I am with family and fanother married couple that are great friends, they are on vacation too... so i don't expect them to not enjoy themselves for the sake of me. I am not in any way tempted to TAKE a drink. But the thoughts of wishing I could constantly runs throw my mind. I hope once I get on the ship today I will be much better in the sense I'll have places to escape to... if anything I have heard that there are AA meetings on the boat and i've read up on how to find them.

i guess I didn't anticipate it to be this hard so quickly... i mean we just left yesterday. but the last month i have been put in two incidences where I couldn't escape and it was very difficult (my surprise birthday party being one, and my childs birthday party we had at our home with relatives)...

I WILL STAY SOBER TODAY, one day at a time right! I am going to continue to get on SR as much as possible this week.

Thanks for letting me share!!!!

XOXO

Shannon

Taking5

Look up "friends of Bill W" meetings on the boat if they have any. These will be AA meetings but may not be called as such.

Missymae737

Hi Shannon,

Believe in yourself, you can do this...

You have seven months of sobriety behind you, and that is a plus...

Keep posting here, we are here for you...

Anna

Yes, there are likely other people onboard looking for meetings too.

I found lots of things to do on a cruise that didn't involve drinking. There is nothing that compares to being out on the deck alone at night. It really helped me to keep my problems in perspective when you are on a ship in the middle of the ocean and gazing up at thousands of stars. Enjoy yourself!

You can also go online on a cruise, so keep in touch.

Mark75

I am seven months last week.

If I were where you are, I would probably be feeling exactly the way you are now. Get through it. It may be tough, but look at it as experience and growth.

Plus, Hey! You are on a cruise... Things could be worse, lots worse... Have fun, enjoy the company, food, sun... whatever. You can come home with no regrets, how cool will that be!

Mark

shanman422

Thanks all!!

I just had a deep conversation with one of my bff's that is here with us... we were walking just checking Ybor, a very cool little town near where we are getting on the boat. I was telling her how frustrating it is for me to be wanting the drink... i have never really went this deep with her about how the struggles of alcoholism has been for me. I am with people that never really felt like a had a problem... so i don't really talk about it with them either, since they really don't understand! it felt SO good to tell her... she is such a great friend, but i was always scared to really tell her how hard it was for me before and how hard the tempation can be sometimes.

I feel much better!!! and i'm now really really looking forward to getting on the boat. i will DEFINITELY be checking into SR daily, if not hourly... LOL...

Lator gators,

Shannon

coffeenut

Sounds like you are well aware of how to take care of yourself on vacation....a plan in place, so to speak. I think that's awesome.

You don't have to drink to have a good time, you already know that. Now it's just a matter of not feeling entitled to a drink....right?

Glad you let us know what is going on....keep us updated. And have an awesome sober vacation...you're gonna feel Terrific when you do this sober.

Edited to say I just read your latest post...I do think being able to start sharing our story is part of the healing process. Good for you!

Rowan

Thanks for checking in Shannon , and for recognizing the potentially dangerous place you are in. It sounds like you are using all your recovery tools and that's great. Enjoy your vacation, get some sun, and be good to YOU - you deserve it.
I look forward to hearing from you again soon.

jsml1234

Good for you!
Enjoy your cruise.

Maggot4Life

Enjoy the cruise, I hope you have a fantastic time.

laurie6781

Fastest, quickest way to find out if there are an AA meetings on board is to ask.

Or

Put a note on the bulletin board, something like:

"Would like to meet any friends of Bill W. Leave a message at room ****."

Used to get lots of replies that way, when I would go on a cruise, long time ago. Now they even have "Sober Cruises", lol

Keep checking in, start enjoying each moment, focusing on the NOW and it will take a lot of those thoughts away or rather push them away.

Oh and ........................................ HAVE FUN!!!

Love and hugs,

acer67

Hey Shannon!

Awesome on 7 months! I, too, am going on a cruise in August and already feeling a tad deprived as I won't be partaking in any of the exotic drinks and such. But I will continue to play my last drunk through to the end - that is always a good reminder to keep on the path.

Have a wonderful cruise.

sfgirl

I'm on vacation right now too and have found that being really physical has been so helpful. I am sure there are probably different types of fitness classes on the boat to take advantage of. Being in the body and not in the mind will probably help a lot and it might put you around others who aren't so into the extreme self-indulgence or better put self-indulgence of a different kind.

Philly

Thanks for the thread Shannon. I hope you are able to enjoy yourself. I am following this thread and keep us posted. I am going to Vegas for the first time since I got sober almost 9 months ago. I am only going for 5 nights but it will be a test to see if I can still have a good time. I always loved Vegas for more than the booze but the booze was a big part of it. I am a little anxious to see how I will handle it. Keep us updated how you handle it through the week. Thanks

Live

Ybor is a fun place, eh?

Jealous....I am almost hearing the sounds of the ocean!
My favorite discovery on a cruise was snorkeling.
One of the gals with us missed out on all those activities because she was either drunk or hungover.
I hope you enjoy every moment of your adventure!!!!

Jayne2

Good for you! Stay strong and just think of how proud you'll be to put a sober cruise on your list of accomplishments!

Jayne

shanman422

hi all...

I'm doing ok... the drink is still constantly on my mind which is really really annoying, but i'm staying strong. i had dinner last night and instead of going out after to gamble and play around, i came back to my room and relaxed and went to bed early. This morning, i did a 45 minute walk around the boat. these ships are amazing... we are still at sea but i really look forward to docking tomorrow in cozumel!!

i think what is the hardest part about this is that i feel like i'm alone a lot... and missing out on things. my SIL and friend jen, seem to always be roaming around together... fortunately being alone and working out feels really good... but i keep thinking, man am i ever going to be able to go on vacation with people that like to slug all day? i can't expect my family and closest friends to change their life for me... that in turn i feel would just make them avoid me because they don't want to tempt me.

there was a meeting at 1130 in the chapel today, but it was the first day at sea and i wanted to sit by the pool and soak up the sun... i wish it had been an earlier meeting!

I'll be in touch.... thanks again for helping me through this... I appreciate all of you soo sooo much!!!!

Love,
Shannon

acer67

Keep strong Shannon! You are really inspiring me for my own cruise in August.

shanman422

checking in... doing great. it's getting better with each passing day. the last two nights after dinner i was able to go gamble and went to the midnight comedy shows.
i can't deny that the drink is still not constantly on my mind.... the wishing i was a normie and wonder how others are able to do it. but i've accepted my fate and i am choosing not to drink. i am me and i am okay. we are docked in belize right now... heading out to belize city shortly. i'll keep you posted!

thanks again everyone for your support and help through this! knowing i can get on at any moment to share my thoughts with you is very helpful!

love,
shannon

Mark75

Awesome