First out of town business trip since sober
 

Hello:

I am on my way to an out of town conference with my coworkers and boss. We'll be staying at a hotel 250 miles away from home for two nights. These events have always been a bit problematic for me. Most of the people I am traveling with drink to excess. I have a month sober and am cravings free. I haven't had a real *desire to drink for about two or three weeks now. There still are fleeting thoughts which after being recognized and allowed to just be, dissipate on their own.

I have already informed the group I am traveling with that I will not be catching rides with them to go to dinner. There are a couple of restaurants within walking distance from the hotel and I will go to these for my three lunches *and two dinners. The hotel offers free breakfast.

I don't foresee becoming weak and drinking. I am very happy with my month's sobriety and feel very *secure in it, but just wanted to share and send the message out there that I will not be drinking during my out of town business trip no matter what.

I'll be checking in often to read the amazing stories of hope and victory you guys write here.

Natalie

Good luck Natalie. Sounds like you have a great plan to stay sober during your trip!

Natalie,

good job on giving a heads up to your coworkers you won't be joining them. Take plenty of recovery stuff with you. write out your plan when not committed to work events. This used to help me a lot. My own agenda, not alcohol or addictive voice!

If there's someone to call if it gets rough, get their number on speed dial! you might call ahead and see if there's a mini bar in your room that can be locked or emptied before your arrival. This is Not an uncommon request and while it's never happened to me, I hear some hotels charge for this.

If the hotel has wifi in the room, it might be worth paying for it for at least 24'hours. Some hotels have business centers with free wifi.

Let us know how your trip goes!

Love from Lenina

It's so important to get yourself mentally prepared for these things, isn't it? The fact that you've thought this out and shared it with us here shows how committed you are. Keep us posted, okay?

Thank you guys for your replies and helpful suggestions.
The thought of drinking keeps popping up and I keep dismissing it.
I have so many reasons not to drink.
Low batteries
Check in soon
Thanks

Natalie,

you might give the AVRT thread in Secular Connections a read. See about getting the Rational Recovery books to read. I really recommend some "assigned" reading recovery materials every day but especially on the road. Also, I generally get fruit or snacks for my room too. it helps to have stuff to munch on, I think. kinda removes the temptation to call room service and get drinks. get a few bottles of water or juice too.

Love from Lenina

We're all behind you Natalie :)

D

Enjoying a juicy rib eye steak sandwich with a delicious diet coke.
Liooking forward to returning to my room to read a little from the RR book before going to bed. I feel sooooooo good about this diet coke.

Business trips were always dangerous times for me. It's good to have a plan. One of the things I've done is check out an AA meeting in the town I'm staying in, always interesting seeing how other groups operate.

Good for you Natalie...Don't give up that month!...Hang on to it tight!! Just don't have the first one and you'll be OK.

Awesome Natalie,

I've dealt with two work related out of town get aways, most recently, last month. Granted, I have over a year sobriety, but one can never become complacent in sobriety.

You're doing great. I knew going that NOTHING would make me pick up a drink. The dinners were intimate groups of 13 people and I didn't miss drinking one bit. I stayed true to myself, enjoyed my food and participated in the conversation, and then I was more than happy to go back to my room, hop in to bed and read a little on SR.

That's what makes me happy now Natalie. Still participating in life but putting my well being first, always.

You had the right thinking in just verbalizing how you felt going.

By the way, I was bright as a button the next morning at this beautiful serene resort, and the others...well not so bright ;)

I miss nothing about it :)

Big hugs

Thank you thank you thank you all. I am safely tucked in bed feeling like a million bucks.
Sobriety is sweet. I didn't blow my month. I didn't want to but these thoughts kept popping up. One night down one more to go.
Got a text from a coworker that the designated driver had 5 beers and drove back from the restaurant to the hotel with a van full of people. She was a little tipsy herself but aware enough. I am grateful I put myself first.

Thank you all again

Natalie

Good for you Natalie! Sweet dreams!

love from Lenina

Hi Natalie!
This exact scenario happened with me this past weekend. I was actually carpooling to a business event with a colleague that is a self professed " functioning alcoholic" ( could not be avoided, but at least I was driving, and he knew not to even think of drinking in the car). A comment was made about those of us that didn't drink not being any "fun". I said I had much more fun now that I didn't drink. I'm over a year sober, but I still have a game plan in place if things get uncomfortable in any situation. In this case, I opted out of the business dinner I was invited to. Too tired to deal with any "triggers" that evening.

Nice...Glad you got to miss that too.

Well done

This is something I've yet to face. I know it's going to happen though, I'm going to have to go away with colleagues at some point. xx

How inspirational. I am on a 2 month business trip and have all the freedom in the world to drink, but no freedom from my addiction! I am on Day 1 today- I don't want to drink today. That is how I am loving myself today. I will meditate for a half hour and then walk for another half hour. Your post inspire me.

Thank you guys for your continuing posts of encouragement.
Ttbp I've read here that failing to plan is planning to fail. That really spoke to me. When your business trip nears, research the hotel, location and nearby restaurants. Have plans A, B and C in place. I've had to improvise a little today since its raining cats and dogs and I won't be able to walk the block to the resturant outside the hotel, so I will be having dinner at the hotel's restAurant with the one coworker who is not much of a drinker. She doesn't want to be driven around by our boss after he has 5 or 6 beers.

I must confess I am secretly enjoying the few eyebrows my boss and coworkers are raising with their drunken behavior at the hotel's bar. I am aware this is not a noble feeling but it is what it is and I accept that I feel this way at the present moment.

I will be having dinner in about an hour and my plan is to stay away from the bar like I did last might and come right back to the room to log on to this wonderful site.

Sandra put yourself first. Deciding to go to our room early instead of Joining our business associates at the bar is something we can definetly control. It gets a lot harder to control once we find ourselves at the bar just before we order that first drink. I am so glad sharing my experience is helping you.

I will check back later.

I am a stay at home mom now but when I was still working business trips were just drunk feasts. A couple of times we barely made it out of bed the next morning. I'm so glad I don't have those obstacles right now.

Congrats!! :c011:

Finally out of danger. Second night is over. I am packing to return home tomorrow. Thanks for the help. This forum is trully amazing.