My Alcohol-Free Journey - Part 1: How Did I Get Here?

Hi there, I’m Emily. As of this writing, I am 53 years old and 4 years, 2 months, and 3 days sober. My decision to become alcohol-free was one of the best decisions I have ever made - and I feel like I’ve made some pretty good decisions (and some pretty bad ones too, but we’ll get to those later). But I honestly never thought I would be the one writing this blog. The one who chose to walk away from alcohol. The one who would eventually help others do the same. Yet here I am, and I wouldn’t change a thing about the path that led me here.

Before I became your friendly alcohol-free life coach, I was a mom in midlife who was beginning to realize that my relationship with alcohol wasn’t allowing me to have the life I truly wanted. This is the story of how it all began - the moment that changed everything.

Christmas Morning, 2020

It wasn’t dramatic. There were no flashing lights, no hospital visits, no interventions from concerned loved ones. But waking up that morning with a raging hangover from refilling my wine glass over and over the night before while I finished wrapping presents was a wake-up call. I asked myself: Is this really how I want to spend the next chapter of my life? 

This wasn’t my first hangover by any means. In fact, by this point I was a nightly wine drinker. But something felt different this time. I was tired of letting myself down. Tired of waking up each morning and regretting that one last drink. Tired of not being able to be fully present with my family on one of my favorite holidays because of how horrible I felt. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was caught in a cycle that was slowly eroding my joy rather than enhancing it.

I immediately started negotiating with myself: I’ll just drink on the weekends. I’ll stick to two drinks maximum. If I have more than two, I’ll be sure to drink a glass of water in between. You get the idea. I had made and broken these same promises to myself countless times before. Something in me knew that this time needed to be different. 

With the new year right around the corner, I started seriously considering trying Dry January for the first time ever. Up until then, I never understood why anyone would think January was a good time to stop drinking. I mean, it’s such a long, cold and dark month, what else was there to look forward to other than drinking? 

But I used the time between Christmas and New Year’s to set myself up for success as best as I could. I ordered fun alcohol-free spirits and non-alcoholic prosecco. I ordered three different “quit lit” books to read each night instead of drinking. And so much herbal tea. As all these items started arriving at my doorstep, what I was about to do started getting real. I was equally excited and scared. Excited for trying something new after what felt like years of doing the same thing over and over again. And scared that I wouldn’t make it past Day 1. 

“Captain Obvious” Alert: I did make it past Day 1. And in my next post, I’ll share what those first 30 days were really like - the surprising challenges, the unexpected benefits, and the moments that tested my resolve. I’ll be honest about my internal struggles and the strategies that saved me. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned on this journey, it’s that the real story isn’t in the decision to change - it’s in the daily choice to keep going, even when it gets hard.

If any part of my story resonates with you, I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to send me an email at [email protected] or DM me on Instagram (@livingfreewithemily). Your journey might look different from mine, and that’s completely okay. What matters is that we’re asking the questions that lead us toward the lives we truly want to live.

To living free,

Emily

Are you questioning your relationship with alcohol? Book a free 30 minute “Unleash Your Potential” call with me to explore how alcohol-free life coaching might support your journey.