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I was always a social drinker—at least that’s what I told myself over years. Despite growing up in a house with a bar that was always fully stocked, alcohol never appealed to me. It wasn’t until college that drinking became not only a recreational hobby, but what I considered a night well spent. Attending an HBCU that was oddly situated in the middle of nowhere, partying and jungle juice became a way of life. While I only indulged when around friends, I began to notice that alcohol was not my friend.
Years passed and I graduated from jungle juice to cute cocktails including the ever-so-frequent bottomless mimosa brunch situation. I soon realized that I was what people would refer to as a “light weight.” It didn’t take much for me to start feeling nice. Little did I know, that feeling would later turn into my worst enemy: the hangover. I began to ask myself if drinking was something I enjoyed or simply something I did because everyone else was doing it. No matter how cute the cocktail or how great the deal was on bottomless mimosas, the taste of alcohol was never quite worth the hassle.
Why I Quit Drinking
Fast forward to 2023, I was in the swing of motherhood and God was calling me to submit myself to Him, completely. I had already been making small changes, but I knew in order to truly follow the will of God, I had to give it all to him including the social drinking and the bottomless mimosas that loved to see me walk into a restaurant. I realized a lot of poor decisions I made over the year stemmed from not having a clear mind and it was in that moment that I decided to cut all drinking off cold turkey. The first month was tough because temptation was everywhere and not everyone understood my “why” for giving up drinking, but I later realized that it wasn’t my duty to explain to those that didn’t care to truly understand.
Two months in, I was feeling great and I knew that this new journey was not only going to benefit me health wise, but I knew that God would reward me for my obedience. I found happiness in researching restaurants and cute spots that catered to those who don’t drink and ordering a meal wasn’t complete without a mocktail on the side. While non-alcoholic drinks are equally expensive as a regular cocktail, having the option to order something cute with my meal made me feel like I wasn’t missing out on much—especially when dining out with friends.
It’s been 365 days and each day has taught me something new about myself, particularly when it comes to the importance of living for yourself and nobody else. For years, I had a drink in my hand because those around me had a drink in their hand. I wanted to fit in but my fitting in costed me at times when my conscious nor my vision was clear. I’ve learned in different ways how to be my own person over the years and cutting out drinking was simply a stepping stone to continue doing what I’ve been called to do.
At the end of the day, I am extremely proud of myself and I know the college version of myself would be as well. My journey to living a sober lifestyle is simply that: My journey.
To all of the people who saw the dedication and didn’t tempt me to indulge, I owe you many thanks.
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The post Why I Ditched the Drink: A Sobering Tale of Cocktails to Mocktails appeared first on Elev8.
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