Jsbodhi

Hi Team,

I've booked an apartment in old town Havana Cuba, and I am staying with a Cuban family in varadero, have a hike planned. I'm all set except I need some tips for not drinking while travelling alone, might not have much internet access either, so can't come on here all the time

Dee74

I can't lie: going to a foreign country alone, with a few days sobriety, and intermittent internet is not a great scenario.
but I guess asking you to reconsider this trip is pretty futile, js.?

If, for whatever reason, you feel you have to go, my advice is to find an English speaking AA meeting, even if you're not AA.
Get all the support you can, and use it.

http://www.rockinsober.com/x-History-aaCuba-Site.html

If you really want to stay sober, I think you do what it takes - but the more support you can muster up, the easier it will be

D

Soberwolf

Hi Js i agree with D try and find some meetings in that area

Good luck my friend

MelindaFlowers

I went out of town recently to a fancy wedding weekend and the booze was flowing. I didn't know if I could do but I went and did not drink. I'll keep this simple, what helped me.

1. Tell your friends/hosts sweetly but firmly that you won't be drinking on the trip.. A lot of us imagine this will be met with shock, dismay, or cajoling to drink but I have found the opposite. 98% drink one or two when they drink. Alcohol doesn't mean much to them any more than ice cream or strawberries. I say tell them sweetly but firmly so they get the point. People can tell when we mean it. This won't out you as an alcoholic in any way, shape, or form unless you want to tell them why, which is fine too. I will repeat: people can tell when we mean it. Oh, and that wedding? The bride drank one glass of wine at the reception over about four hours. Yes, I was watching. Don't we all do that? Lol. Nobody asked her to drink more.

2. Drink soda every chance you get. At dinner, at the beach, on the plane. Fizzy cold soda.

MelindaFlowers

Your vacation will be so much better without hangovers. Tropical sunny places are the worst for hangovers because they are so darn sunny all the time. Enjoy the bright sun feeling good!

Thepatman

Dee is bang on.

If you go, Perhaps bring recovery books to fill the down time, paper and pen to write some notes.

ubntubnt

For me the key would be to get up really early and be active all day, thereby exhausted by dinner time, then eat and little desire to drink all night. Days something like this:
Up at sunrise for walk/run, then long shower and breakfast. Then off to see the sites etc for the rest of the afternoon. Lots of coffee shops and bumming around. Back to house/hotel for dinner time, change. Small or no lunch, build appetite and then big dinner. After back to hotel for email and Internet and then bed.
For me:
Big lunch = alcohol and once I drink on holidays it will turn into a bender
Walk around city at night = guaranteed bender
Chat up pretty girl during the day = ok
Chat up pretty girl at night = bender
Eat healthy and stay active = positive frame of mind and don't want to ruin it
Spoil myself too much or eat badly = bender