Learning How to Have Fun Sober
When people are first faced with the challenge of getting sober they often find themselves wondering, “What am I going to do for fun now?” It may seem like an odd question to someone who has never struggled with substance abuse, but addiction has a tendency to influence every area of a person’s life and to become the main focus of their daily activities.
When I took my first step towards long term sobriety I was 25 years old. Everyone I hung out with drank and I didn’t really have much interest in hanging out with people who didn’t. I had the misconception that people who were sober were boring; little did I know at the time that I was very wrong.
One of the things that living a sober lifestyle has caused me to realize is that there is a big world outside of the bar/club scene and living room couch. After rehab, I began to do things that I never had the energy to do when I was drinking and smoking pot every day. Because I had more energy I was able to start living a more active lifestyle.
I was able to regain my interest in outdoor activities like hiking, skiing, and fishing. Over the past summer, I was able to reach the summit of my first two fourteeners (a mountain that is at least 14,000 feet high) Grays Peak and Torreys Peak. The feeling of reaching the top after all of the hard work it took to get there was one of the most beautiful “natural highs” I have ever felt. After reaching these accomplishments I decided to make it one of my life long goals to hike all 53 of Colorado’s beautiful Fourteeners. This is something I would never have thought about doing while I was drinking all the time because let’s be honest, who really wants to go hiking when they're hung over or stoned? (Here’s a hint: not this girl!)
Sobriety also gave me the confidence and extra money to go out and try new things. I have lived in Colorado for most of my life and have never really taken full advantage of all the mountains have to offer until I became sober.
I realized two summers ago that I really love white water rafting; my mom doesn’t really like that I love it and gets a little worried every time I go, but I found out that it is a blast! Trying out this new hobby has inspired me to try canoeing and kayaking.
I have been able to go fishing with my dad more often, which I was unsure about doing while sober, but it turns out that fishing is still fun without the use of alcohol. I was able to be more present and fully enjoy the experience and opportunity of spending time with my dad. While fishing sober I noticed that I was able to pay more attention to nature and conversations than drinking. The best part of being sober is that I am now actually able to fully remember the times I have been able to spend with my family.
On Friday nights I now go out to a nice dinner with my husband and see a movie, play, go to an art gallery, etc. It may seem like a simple life, but I love waking up in the mornings without a hangover and being able to remember everything about the night before, including where I left my wallet.
