Day 111
I reached my 100 day goal. The journey continues.
Last Thursday marked 111 days since I last drank alcohol. As I wrote earlier, I wanted to go at least 100 days without alcohol. Even a few sips into one drink had started giving me a headache I could not relieve without taking Advil or Tylenol. I wanted to nix the headaches.
It worked. I have taken far less Advil and Tylenol over these 111 days than in the prior months.
I’m still walking the no alcohol path. A funny thing happened – I haven’t missed alcohol. I haven’t craved it. I’ve barely thought about it. This journey has not proven especially difficult. It felt like I made a simple decision and any sway alcohol had on me vanished into the ether.
Maybe I will have another alcoholic drink someday. But not today.
Thank you to all my friends and family; you’ve unceasingly supported me on this journey of improving my health, strength, willpower and well-being. I would like to especially thank: my daily accountability buddy, Rob Hardy, who cheered me on continually; my longtime friend Ryan Epstein, who’s about a month ahead of me on his own remarkable no-alcohol journey, for his inspiration and texts checking on my progress; my friend Djuan Means, who first set this as a possible path for me years ago and who galvanizes me with his alcohol-free path now of over 5 years; my friend Eric Thomas, my rucking buddy in spirit and one of these days in-person, who continues to motivate me through his own alcohol-free journey approaching two years; my friend Bryan McGrath, who shared his poignant story of sobriety which touched me deeply; and Cams Campbell, who reveals his path of sobriety in his writings every day.
Thank you to my many friends and readers who texted, emailed, messaged or called me with their own heartening words of support.
Thank you all for believing in me. Onward!
If you are following my Walks in Nature series, I posted my reflections on Walks 5, 6 and 7.
Walk 5 – Breslin Park. A walk which haunted me.
Walk 6 – Our (Cough, Cough … My Wife’s) Garden. I reflect on some of the innumerable ways my incredible wife supports our family.
Walk 7 – Thurman-Hutchins Park and Patriots Peace Memorial. Noise. Then immersion in thinking and writing.
Image created by Midjourney.