I used to love a good layover. Even a delayed flight.
I always had a special place in my heart for airports back when I was drinking. It seemed like everyone was on the same drinking schedule as I was when they were at the airport, which gave me a sense of normalcy.
And by drinking schedule, I mean it didn’t matter the time of day because everyone was happy to be sipping an overpriced cocktail at the airport bar. And by everyone, I mean the only people at the airport I was paying attention to- which again, were all the people sipping overpriced cocktails at the airport bar.
Thankfully, my days of getting trashed preflight and waking up hungover with drool all over me are a thing of the past. And as un-glamourous as that sounds, sometimes I find airports are still a trigger for me. I miss kicking off a good vacation with a drink at the bar.
Side note: Sadly for me, it was never ‘a’ drink. At times, my husband would tell me later he was worried they weren’t going to let us on the flight- so not a great way to start a trip with your loved ones. But still, I miss it. What can I say? I’m a recovering alcoholic.
So what do are you going to do? Not travel?
I’ll be honest- for about the first year of sobriety that was my plan. I’d never travel again. Sober vacations seemed like a crazy and horrible idea to me.
Then after about a year, and few long weekend getaways under my belt, I went on my first sober vacation. It was a trip with my husband and step kids back East to visit my extended family.
I’m not going to lie, it was tough.
But that’s just because like anything in life, traveling sober takes some getting used to.
For many people, not just alcoholics, drinking is a big part of vacations. So cut yourself some slack if you struggle at times. For me, the more I traveled, the easier it got. But I do still get RSFs at times.
RSF- Random Sober Fits
Sometimes I’m be super happy at the pool with my book and my sparkling water. And sometimes I want to throw that same book at someone when they tell how relaxing the trip is as they sip on their margarita.
But that doesn’t mean that I actually throw the book. It’s far better to just change from a suspenseful novel to something a little more chill- like an US Weekly. Or maybe I take a nap. Or I speed walk to the ice cream shop and get 3 scoops of whatever I freaking want.
But no matter what I do- I don’t drink. And really that’s the point.
The RSF will pass, the craving will pass, but a relapse is something you have to deal with long after the tan fades.
The same is true for waiting in airports. Sure, sometimes I still look at the people in the bar with a jealous glare, but I also notice all the other things around me. I pick a lunch spot for the food, not the bar.
I get to the gate in time because I’m not throwing down “one more drink”. I crack open my new book, or check out Instagram, or I don’t know- even just talk to my husband about the exciting trip we are about to go on.
