alcohol free | La Rosilla Lifestyle

Milestones, challenges, resolutions, all points in time that make me stop and think, re-evaluate. As some of you may know, I love a good personal challenge, walking, losing weight, writing, growing my business La Rosilla to name a few. Challenges give me something to focus on, give me a view of life from a different perspective, they suit my all or nothing, addictive personality. Some challenges I continue, some go on the back burner and get relit frequently, others are fads that get the been there done that t-shirt 😉

By far the biggest challenge that I have continued is my Walk 1000 Mile challenge, I’m on year 3 and on target. Walking has changed my outlook on life, made me physically and mentally fitter has helped me avoid Spinal surgery (for the time being), allowed me to stand and stare, climb to the highest heights, I would have never have climbed before due to my minds limitations. There are days when I think, really, do I have to? No, of course, I don’t, but I know I’ll feel so much better after I have. There are days when I really wish I had more time, maybe to take weeks off and explore new Caminos or famous pilgrim routes. Those days will come and I will tick them off my bucket list.

I’m grateful I live in a location so breathtakingly beautiful, with forever changing flora and fauna throughout the seasons. I’m grateful for the hills and mountains, honestly, I am, my knees may not agree.

I am so chuffed this year my husband has decided to join me on my walking adventures and we can share the sense of achievement together. One extra challenge for me, I thought I was a quick walker, but oh my his pace and long legs push me to the max. I’m fine if I concentrate and walk mirroring his pace, but as I daydream, the next thing I know I’m walking in his shadow.

So why the 99 Days header?

Never thought I’d or should I say we’d get to 99 days, well actually I knew we would, set our minds to it and do it, that’s our motto! But as I sit here and type ‘we have not drunk alcohol for 99 days’ I am immensely proud of us both, our goal of 100 days is soon upon us, and I felt I needed to write my thoughts down for purely personal reasons. We have never faltered over the past 99 days, and only surprisingly wanted a drink on a few occasions, yes we’ve felt there at times something has been missing and we’ve had to learn to adapt greatly to lifes and situations. This blog is for me to have something to look back, something to remind me of how I feel at this point in time.

None of my comments are judging others, merely making observations, god knows I’ve been and said these things often in the past.

Oh my, what a personal challenge it’s been, more interestingly the social experiment has been fascinating. Many people class levels of drinking differently, the label alcoholic has many guises, just because we’re not swigging voddie out of a milk bottle at breakfast doesn’t mean many of us do not rely on a drink in most parts of our lives, to celebrate, to commiserate, to numb a bad day, yardarms and wine’ o’clock just become everyday vocabulary. A chilled Rosado with Sardinas on the beach, a Copa de fino whilst I prepare a Sunday lunch, a few cold beers after a long walk, a big bold Ribera del Duero with the local queso de cabra curado, Gin of every botanical, no harm in all that I know, but counting up the units each week is quite mindblowing. Challenging too, that I’m surrounded by alcohol in my business, entertaining, catering and events, wine and sherry tastings, good food, fine wine go hand in hand.

So we decided to have a change, see life on the sober side, embrace occasions and issues without a bevvie to bolster us up and break the habit.

Things we’ve noticed positive and negative :

Alcholol is the only drug, you have to defend yourself not taking.
Some people perceive you as boring for not being like them.
Some people don’t want to socialise with you if you’re not drinking.
Some people constantly ask. why would we not drink?
Some people ask, Is it nearly over, will you be back drinking again soon?
Some people have said, let me know when you’re drinking again and we can go out, or we can come to visit.
Weekends felt similar to weekdays, we needed to change that with more outdoor activities.
We’ve got so much more done on the land.
We’ve eaten our weight in chocolate.
Sleep has improved greatly.
Anxiety has diminished.
I can only drink 2 alcohol-free beers.
I am the one who asks for a cuppa at a dinner party. Shock horror 😉
I can still go out and have a good time, but know when the party is over.
I haven’t danced on any tables.
I’m more present in the moment.
We’re enjoying goal setting and leisure pursuits together.
Quit Lit helps.
Online communities have your back.

So what’s our plan ? This is the question over the last few weeks as we near the end of our 100 Day Sober challenge, we keep mulling over. We’re not craving a drink, don’t even fancy one, can we imagine not ever drinking again, no not really. Can we moderate? hope so, can we stick to some ground rules, or will we revert?

Questions questions, another positive by just saying NO is the freedom it gives you just to get on with life and catch dreams.

closeup photography of brown dream catcher