The Sober Curator was recently featured on a local TV station in Seattle. Being featured on KING 5′s local show Evening (formerly known as Evening magazine) was a dream come true. This show has been around for over 30 years and I grew up watching it from my hometown Centralia, WA.
You can take the girl out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the girl. Earlier this summer, amidst the global pandemic, “Home” was exactly where I went to build out the plan for The Sober Curator. My parents secretly love it when I show up with laptops, extra monitors, my dogs, a case of diet coke, and a bag of laundry.
The idea for the site had been rolling around in my head since last fall after watching an episode of This is Us. I have always applauded how this show has tackled alcoholism head-on. There was a scene that depicted a beautiful example of how real relationships are formed in 12 step programs.
Personally, I’ve met some of the coolest people in my life from 12 step meetings in musty church basements. Watching this episode I started to wonder “Where can I find all cool things related to sober living?” And then, I started to google: (yes, google is a verb)
- Google: “websites for sober people” (this one will land you on sober dating websites)
- If you Google: “sober living magazines” (this one will either take you to recovery websites that are mostly clinical or to blogs that haven’t been updated in years)
- “Sober lifestyle” (this will direct you to SAMSA, articles on how to get sober, or treatment facilities)
- “Sober bloggers” (this will take you to some great sights on how to get sober, but what if I’m already in recovery and just want the sober girl pop culture fix?)
Can a sober girl just get a website like GOOP or a magazine like O that’s catered to sober people? Just because I’m sober doesn’t mean I’m boring. Move on over Gwyneth and Oprah, Alysse B. is here and she’s ready to drop the sober mic.
I called my Dallas bestie, Ms. Lisa C., and said “Hey, remember that website we talked about building last fall? I’m going for it. You still in?” Eagerly she agreed and the rest is now sober history. Our launch date was planned for October 1st, 2020. Our plans for making alcohol-free lemonade out of this global pandemic were finally in place.
Then I accidentally published the site earlier than planned and didn’t know how to undo it. And by “earlier than planned”, I think it was maybe day three of the week-long vacation I took to build out the site. At that point, I knew there was no looking back. Lisa C. is having a good time trying to keep me in line. But the two of us together? An unbeatable sober team.
Less than two months later, we have a total of seven curators contributing to the site from all over the country, three of which I have never met in person. My kitchen counters are overflowing with non-alcoholic beverages and my sober swag collection is growing. What’s next? I don’t know but we are figuring it out, one day at a time.
As seen on KING 5 Evening
It was a real gift to be featured on KING 5 Evening on Monday, September 14th, 2020, which was also National Sober Day. Funny fact, but I didn’t even know there was a National Sober Day until this year. For me, every day is National Sober Day. You can read the full article here or watch the clip below.
Resources are available if and when you need them!
Resources Are Available
If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties surrounding alcoholism, addiction, or mental illness, please reach out and ask for help. People everywhere can and want to help; you just have to know where to look. And continue to look until you find what works for you. Click here for a list of regional and national resources.
