Getting Sober Was Hard
My Path
I did not get sober because it was in style. I swore off drinking countless times throughout my life. When I finally got serious about quitting, it still took several years and many setbacks before I got it right.
Finding Peace in Puerto Vallarta
I was living in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico the first time I made it a year without drinking. Divorced and adrift, I had moved a thousand miles south of the US border and started a new life. I surrounded myself among other sober expats and locals.
- I spent my days in cafes, drinking coffee, reading, and taking long walks along the coast.
- I was confident that I would never drink again.
Temptations
It was always late at night when I would be walking home. My pace would increase as I passed outdoor bars where tourists were drinking margaritas beneath palm trees and listening to local bands.
- It is not wise to spend excessive amounts of time alone when you are new in sobriety.
- My high end camera, tripod, and bag of lenses often drew attention, and bar patrons would often try to entice me by offering to buy me a drink.
Setting Up For Failure
- I would refuse most of the time, but now and again I would oblige, engage in conversation, and drink Pellegrino with a lime.
- Before long, I was making regular stops at several bars on my way home but still sticking with Pellegrino with a lime.
Old Habits
- I started drinking responsibly at first, limiting myself to a few beers at each place on my way home.
- When I started purchasing alcohol for home, it wasn’t long before I was out clubbing all night seven days a week.
A Funeral and a Wake Up Call
After almost a year of living this way, I knew that I was well on my way to an early grave. I tried to quit after a retired naval intelligence teams leader I had become friends with did not wake up one morning.
- He had a solid reputation as the hardest partier in town.
- When he died, I swore off drinking yet again and almost died, laying in bed, drenched in sweat with delirium tremors and hallucinations.
Decision Time
- Some of my new friend’s team members came to Puerto Vallarta for his funeral, and I drank with them.
- Soon after, I had a decision to make. I could continue until my own death or travel back to the states and get help.
A New Beginning
I am now almost five years sober and have no desire at all to drink. My ex-wife and I remarried about two years ago, and life is good. I am looking forward to vacationing in Puerto Vallarta next winter. This time I will be taking my wife, and she will meet some of the amazing friends I made a thousand miles south of the US border.
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