Gottalife

A farewell party where booze will be the focus? Sounds like your departing friend is just being used as an excuse for a booze up. They might apprectiate a more genuine and direct farewell from you.

At least you stilll get invited to things. My last years of drinking saw me get only one kind of invitation, an invitation to leave. I even got thanked for not coming on one occasion. Not a nice place to be. Try to do the right thing by your friend and it will all work out,.

Delilah1

Volunteering is always good. There are always lots of professional learning opportunities offered for teachers over the summer. If you are on Twitter you can do some research.

You may also want to take a class for fun, join a hiking, or running group, start taking yoga, head to the beach... lots to do..

I would skip the party, let her know you're sorry you can't make it, and then make alternate plans so you're not tempted.

MidnightBlue

Lizajane, as I see it it's the case of:

"Easy choices - hard life, hard choices - easy life".

To go there and hope that your newly born sobriety go through this ordeal would be an easy choice. But it can give you a hard life later. Though this event seems to be of ultimate importance at the moment, it puts in danger the bigger picture of living a healthy sober life and enjoying hundreds of events later without putting your sobriety in jeopardy.

It's for you to decide, of course. But from my own experience I can tell that no event is big and important enough to jeopardize the overall quality of your life.

Nine days is great but way too early to run it through a tough test.

Keep in mind that sitting in front of computer and and being in environment when everyone is drinking and having fun are two totally different things. Emotions will get under your skin. It will take a split second for a thought "Eff it, it's just one drink. I will start over tomorrow" to trigger avalanche of drinking and remorse.

Tough choices, easy life.

Lizajane

The party is tomorrow and not only am I not going, but I am not even tempted. For some reason, the whole event that felt so important to me last week has just fizzled for me. I would rather stay home with my family tomorrow evening than go to the horse racing park and watch some of my colleagues get loaded. Not all of them would be drinking to excess, but enough of them. I just don't want to be around that. A mental 180 without even thinking about it. Thanks for chiming in with wisdom!

least

Glad you're staying home, safe and sound. I'd be miserable if it were me at a booze fest. I'd rather stay home too.

Zebra1275

I can relate to what Anna said

I tried something very similar with a neighbourhood block party in the early days of my recovery. I actually got through the evening without drinking, but it was miserable. All I could think of was drinking. And, the next morning, I rushed out to buy wine. That was a lesson for me. After that, I stayed away from places where alcohol was being served for months.

I was very good at playing the sober role in public.

Later, anywhere from a few hours to a few days, I would be quite drunk all by myself.

August252015

Glad you are not going tonight! Perhaps making plans with the fam- something kinda special, dinner out and a movie, whatever- that occupies your time and is specifically actionable, would be a great idea.

Let us know how you are doing tomorrow!

tekink

I find it awful to be around people catching a buzz, it was far worse in early sobriety. Being in situations like this did lead to me relapsing a couple times. I'd make it through the event OK but then end up drinking shortly after.

Dee74

I'm glad you didn't go Lizajane

D