Hey, Fellow Sober Travel Lovers! The Sober Curator Co-Founder, Lisa here. Having just hit CANCEL on my trip to Costa Rica, I long for the unique soul feeding journey that only exploring new cultures and countries can provide. However, the new CDC requirements make it tough to fly the friendly skies. BUT, sober travel will come back. And when it does, I will be first in line. While we are literally grounded, we can dream, plan and prepare.
Enter The Sober Curator Contributor Meena @thesoberbuddhist. Her Traveling Sober post is full of incredible insights for 12 Steppers, ways to stay connected and practical advice we can all live by no matter where in the world we are. This thought-provoking excerpt has some 5-star nuggets you’ll want to add to your permanent packing list.
Don’t get in the way of your destiny
Traveling sober is one of the most rewarding experiences one can have. If we stay in pure gratitude for the simple fact of being alive and having the opportunity to see the world, we then allow the Universe to take us on its journey. Don’t get in the way of your destiny. Your destiny is to be guided into new experiences and new feelings, smells, tastes, and memories that you get to keep forever! Don’t let a drink rob you of that experience. Don’t let a drink take you off your path of your true destiny.
Here are some things to consider when traveling sober:
1. Gratitude Is Key
We need to stay grateful for this opportunity. When we are in pure gratitude that means we are grateful for what we have and know that it is enough. We don’t need anything more to enhance our experience. Before sobriety we would hop off the plane, rush to the closest bar and get a drink. But why? Why is arriving and being in a new place not enough? Why does a drink make that experience feel better?
Nothing about the place you are at changes when you have that drink.
Everything externally remains the same. The hotel will still look the same, the same clubs will remain open, the same restaurants will still offer the same amazing food. It’s you that has made yourself believe that all those things will magically become more fun after you drink. If your mind tells you this come back to gratitude. Be grateful for this new opportunity and realize that this new experience is enough. You don’t need a drink to enhance an already amazing experience.
2. Keep Your Memories
This one is by far my favorite. Believe me, I’ve done a shit ton of stuff drunk and on drugs. I’ve been on many vacations and had what I thought was “good times” when honestly, I didn’t remember any of it. If I was vacationing for 7 days, I spent at least 2-3 of the days in bed trying to recover from my hangover. When we travel sober and start to experience new things and learn more about ourselves along the way we get to keep all of those memories and lessons.
All my senses were connected and paying attention to what was right in front of me
I remember I went to Oahu with my partner when I was still drinking and I planned everything we did around drinking without even knowing it. Where we ate, how long our hikes were, what we did was all planned around making sure there were drinks in that mix at least every couple of hours. Even while we hiked, I would be thinking about when we could have our next drink. I wasn’t truly even connected.
When we went back to Oahu about a year after and I was sober I remember getting in the water without any alcohol on my mind and it was as if I was feeling and experiencing the water for the first time. I was not thinking about a drink and so I actually had to capacity to think about what the water truly felt like. All my senses were connected and paying attention to what was right in front of me. I was present. I floated around and I even got emotional … How beautiful this world is around us and we never even open our eyes to see it because we are so distracted by the thought of a drink.
3. Stay connected with your Higher Power
What this looks like for me is I wake up and I simply have a conversation. It’s super casual and I always stay as vulnerable as I can. Even in Greece when my faith in a Higher Power was very little, I practiced this. I actually started to do it more since I was alone and it made me feel less alone. The more I say in my conversation the more I am providing my Higher Power an opportunity to come into those areas and work in those areas. If I’m not talking about certain areas I need help in how can I expect any change? Heres an example of that.
Consider these two different types of conversations with your Higher Power:
Conversation 1: “Universe, I am grateful for you. Thank you for my life.”
Conversation 2: “Universe, I am so grateful for you. Thank you for this opportunity to travel and be in this beautiful place. I know that today, like all days, will present me with challenges. There will be times when my patience is being tested and things aren’t going my way. Please remind me in those moments to be loving, kind and tolerant. Please show me signs of you today whether it be in the trees, or if you present yourself through other people. I look forward to staying in connection with you all day.”
Conversation #2 is connecting on a deeper level
It’s more likely that when you find yourself frustrated with your husband you will remember your words from the morning and you will remember to be loving, kind, and tolerant. Then you can shift your attitude and your actions. Instead of being frustrated you might even ask your husband how you can help him. All of a sudden you will start to see your entire experience with this frustrating situation start to simply disappear. Now you have a little nugget of faith in knowing that connecting with your Higher Power in the morning does in fact come into play later in your day and save you.
Those small little moments make a big difference. Staying connected with your Higher Power every day in your vacation is vital! It can turn a potential 10-minute argument with your spouse into just a 2-minute moment of turbulence.
4. Stay connected with your sober community from home
Reach out to at least 3 of your sober buddies daily. And no, I don’t mean text them and tell them about how awesome your travels are and “look at me.” No, text them and ask them how they are doing. Check in on them. This is a form of “getting out of self” and also keeps us connected with our home community.
5. Find A.A Meetings
There are A.A meetings all over the world. I’ve been to some in Athens, Mykonos, Maui, and Oahu. Attending meetings in different places is honestly so cool. I remember one time in Oahu I sat in a circle on the beach with 10 different alcoholics and literally right in front of us was a family of spinner dolphins swimming in the ocean. You’ll hear the message of A.A in a brand-new way. A.A is everywhere, and we can get connected at any time if we are serious about our sobriety.
6. The shitty situations are just opportunities for growth
Traveling sometimes can be a pain in the ass. Especially if you’re traveling abroad, have a long layover, and a long flight. You’re going to start to feel anxious, annoyed, and agitated. View all these moments as opportunities to practice a more loving and tolerate pattern of thinking. When we push through discomfort and stay calm and tolerant, we are practicing a spiritual way of life. This is what we should be seeking in every moment, traveling or not. So, when these moments do pop up while traveling just look at them as practice. The Universe is giving you opportunities to practice your spiritual way of life.
7. Keep a journal
I’ve kept a travel journal ever since I got sober. It’s awesome to look back and read all of the fears I had about going on trips and how I was actually able to experience so much more than I ever imagined I would. It’s always awesome going back and reading these entries. Anytime I am in fear about anything I always go back and read my entries about Greece. It reminds me that I was able to conquer that trip sober and it gives me the strength to push through whatever anxiety and discomfort I am in.
To read the full post and for more thoughts on life in sobriety, check out The Sober Buddhist. If you’d like to connect with Meena, please email her at thesoberbuddhist@gmail.com.
If you are someone you know is struggling with addiction, please ask for help.
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.
