My husband and I went on a cruise to celebrate my 500th day sober. Traveling without drinking has gotten easier over time.
It's been more than 520 days since I last had an alcoholic beverage. It feels like quite an accomplishment, considering in my pre-sobriety days, I'd been known to polish off an entire bottle of wine in one evening or skip my early-morning gym workout due to a hangover. Since I'd hit the legal drinking age, my vacations had been synonymous with cocktails by the pool and rosé on the patio, so one of my biggest worries in my early days of sobriety was what travel would look like when I wasn't drinking.
Soon after I stopped drinking alcohol, I traveled on an expedition cruise, whale-watching in Mexico through National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions. I remember being thrilled for the experience, but also nervous about the all-inclusive alcohol on the ship.
Staying sober on vacation was easier than I thought, but it was a struggle to watch other passengers, including my husband, throw back a few glasses of wine at dinner or sip craft cocktails at the ship's bar.
I've often been told sobriety is a muscle, and the more you exercise it, the easier it gets to pass up booze. It's true: Since my first sober vacation, I've visited an all-inclusive resort in St. Vincent, stayed alcohol-free during a solo trip to London, and even faced my fears at some of my favorite Florida theme park Halloween events without liquid courage. So when my husband and I talked about taking a trip together to celebrate making it to 500 days sober — this time, an expedition cruise around Portugal's Azores islands — I didn't worry at all.
An expedition cruise felt like the perfect vacation for celebrating my sobriety wins
On our cruise around the Azores, we stopped at seven islands and spent our days hiking, walking, and exploring. We learned about Azorean history and culture, ate some incredible local dishes, saw breathtaking views, and hit lots of cafés and shops in quaint Azorean towns. In the evenings, we sat at communal dinner tables with other guests and had great conversations late into the night. The trip was unique and special, and being sober throughout every moment of it felt like the perfect way to enjoy it.
I'm more physically able to enjoy my travels
Expedition cruises are among the most physically demanding trips I've ever taken. Not only are there full days of hiking and walking around towns, but there are lots of stairs aboard the ship and activities like early-morning stretch classes. Most days begin with an early-morning wake-up call around 6 or 7 a.m., followed by a mad dash to get ready, eat breakfast, and disembark the ship for adventure.
Had I been staying up late drinking and waking up hungover, I'd never have enjoyed these activities as much as I did. What's more, I was overwhelmed with pride each time I succeeded at completing a difficult hike, since in my drinking days, my physical health wasn't as good as it is now.
I make more memories now
When I traveled and drank alcohol, there were always parts of my vacation that were a blur. Too many Aperol spritzes in Italy, and I can only remember a day we spent in Florence through photos. Bottles of wine poolside on a Caribbean cruise? There are blocks of that day I barely recall. Traveling sober has allowed me to remember more of my vacations, like when we were picked to sleep overnight in one of the heated igloos on our ship's upper deck.
Where I previously would have had several cocktails and fallen asleep, I'll now remember having a candle-lit sleepover with my husband in a glass igloo as we looked at the stars and watched movies on my iPad. In fact, all of my memories of the trip, from hiking to the top of a volcano to watching dolphins swim alongside our ship, are permanent fixtures in my booze-free brain.
Sobriety has only made travel better
Looking back at the expedition cruise we took last year, when I was only a few months sober, I wish I could tell that version of myself how much better travel would continue to get without alcohol. My biggest focus during travel used to be my next drink, and now I spend vacations breathing in the fresh ocean air, proving how strong my body is through hiking, and appreciating local cuisine, which tastes way better when not drowned in alcoholic drinks.
I'm more present, more relaxed, more energetic, and more ready to enjoy everything I do and see on my trip. Travel has only gotten better in more than 500 days of sobriety, and I've been able to enjoy every moment in every destination.
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Miami Herald
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