I have written about my sober vacations before. 

You can read my other vacation blogs here: 

Spring Break Sober, 

All Inclusive Beach Vacation Sober, 

Beach Vacay from Blackouts to Making Memories.

Today, I want to share my most recent experience, Spring Break 2021 in Florida.

We spent time in Naples with my sister in law and her young family. 

We also had our 3 best friends and their families from our neighborhood,

spending time in the same area.

We ended our trip in Fort Lauderdale with just the four of us. 

Needless to say, we had a blast. 

My husband had golf buddies, my kids had a group of teenagers to hang out with, and I had a Spa Day and Ladies Night with my Card Club. 

We were on a pontoon boat during the day and a catamaran cruise at sunset. 

We had the best food around the biggest tables. 

We relaxed at the pool and at the beach. 

We explored the ritzy areas, the historical areas, and the late night hot spots.

The world is full of bad news involving alcohol.

In my feed from just today:

• A grandma in Wisconsin killed her granddaughter in a car accident at 8:30 in the morning with a .092 blood alcohol level from the night before. 

• Britt Reid, son of Chiefs coach Andy Reid, had alcohol prior to a crash that injured two children leaving one 5 year old girl fighting for her life.

• Patients with liver disease die of COVID-19 at rates three times higher than those without it, and alcohol-associated liver disease has been found to increase the risk of death from COVID-19 by an additional 79% to 142%.

• Bruce Springsteen admitted to drinking 2 shots before DWI arrest. In his 2016 autobiography “Born to Run,” Springsteen said he avoided drugs and didn’t try alcohol until he was 22, partially because he saw how drinking affected his father.

• Women’s drinking is up 41% since the pandemic. 

• The Americas are the only region of...

I’ve been married over 18 years, so I am not one to give advice on dating.

What I can tell you is that even as a married gal, I want to be seen as an attractive person.

My fun, flirty, party girl persona is something I started in high school, along with drinking.

I wanted the fun part to continue when I got sober.

I thought drinking and fun went together, but I was wrong.

I want to be the kind of person men want to be with and women want to be like.

I have many other mentors in my life that are these kind of people. 

They are attractive and magnetic.

They have a positive vibe that draws you into their orbit. 

We are pulled toward celebrities with this quality.

Chrissy Teigen, amiright?

As a young girl navigating first crushes and kisses, alcohol was my magic elixir. 

It gave me the liquid courage needed to stand at a party filled with intimidating upperclassmen. 

It eased the shakes of teenage self consciousness.

Alcohol gave me the nerve to talk...

Growing up in Wisconsin, alcohol was omnipresent. 

My parents met in a beer tent. 

I met my husband in a bar. 

I had a lot of fun drinking days with just a few embarrassing moments and a couple of painstaking hangovers sprinkled in between. 

Just like everyone else.

When I became a Mom, I was adamant in keeping my party girl identity shining through. 

Lucky for me, Mommy Juice Wine Culture was on the rise. 

My drinking was totally normalized. 

I brought my breast pump to happy hours in bars.

You do what you gotta do.

Mom’s are people too.

Make no mistake, I love my kids beyond measure. 

Their health and safety is my top priority. 

I never drove after drinking.

I have lost friends from my hometown that way. 

I wasn’t reckless, careless, or stupid. 

Neither were they. 

As time went on, I was becoming more and more unhappy.

I was out of alignment with my career.

I experienced the tragic loss of 3 loved ones 3 years...

Along with another chaperone, I took my 15 year old daughter and 5 of her girlfriends, to a lake house in Michigan, for a long weekend.

The weekend away was like a mini vacay.

A sober, alcohol free, rated PG, delightful vacation.

 Is it possible to have fun without drinking?

When I was drinking, I didn't think so.

When I was newly sober, I wasn't sure either. 

Now my vacations have gotten even better because they don't revolve around alcohol.

When I was drinking, alcohol crowded my thoughts.

Bringing drinks, mixing drinks, getting more drinks, keeping drinks cool, finding the right tool to open drinks, starting to drink, counting drinks, drinking more, cleaning up after drinking, replenishing drinks, rationing drinks from others, and recovering from drinking, were the center of my vacations. 

This Girls Trip with my daughter was nothing like that.

Here's the play by play:

Stop for dinner on the way up. 

Order the fried pickles/frickles.

Realize everyone in the...