Ready to head to Europe this morning! England, you’ve been a lovely host… a bit wet… a lot muddy… but really pleasant as always! #vanlife @new-nomads.com #sobertravel #sobriety

Okay folks, I’ve been extremely ill for the last week… sleeping more than awake… so I’ve missed reading the headlines… what’ve we got? <reads news> Oh great, now I’m really going to be sick…

Finally getting some theological clarity on the ethics of reclining in one’s plane seat

Norovirus is not fun.

I’m polite about it at first…. but at my age and disposition… if you keep pressing the matter… it gets ugly… faster than you’d expect. Also… family… the ones you’d expect to understand … are the worst.

Getting out of one’s self is one of the best ways to get through your own internal turmoil. Even if it’s just going on socials, congratulating ppl for their sobriety accomplishments, it gets you away from fixating on your own shit… and that’s a very good thing.

Oh now.. I have told myself a few good ones! The results are predictable - even if I could not believe they would be! Lying to myself is the easiest thing to do... I believe me! #sobriety #recovery #soberliving #relapse

I really hate it that technology is getting worse every day. Are we that lazy as a species that we accept that poor quality is acceptable? The keyboard on my phone works 60% worse than it did only weeks ago. This is a known issue… and yet no one fixes it because they know we just adapt to it.

Just watched an interview on the price of beef in the YS. Both the host and the guest were trying so hard to squeeze AI references into the conversation it was painful to see… Be topical, not trendy.

Rewatching the West Wing… Leo McGarry’s character did sobriety justice in his portrayal of a recovering alcoholic. That makes me happy…

With the #holidays approaching, remember that you don't owe ANYONE your pain and suffering just to keep up with "traditions" or "family" Your #sobriety comes first Your peace of mind is the most important thing You have permission to say "No" #thanksgiving #toxicfamily #christmas No paywall link

The simple things that make me happy: I went to bed at 10PM on a Saturday night. No craziness. No chaos. I woke up early Sunday morning. No hangover. No regrets. No bail money. Just the birds singing outside my window. Sobriety isn’t what I “don’t do”, it’s just who I am. #sober #recoveryposse

Someone asked me to characterize my drinking years… I think they were expecting some humorous drunk-o-logue… I’ve got some funny stories, but mainly those years were just… sad. My sober time has been so much more enjoyable that the two really don’t compare on any level. #sober #sobriety

I hate it when people tell me "Don't isolate". Yeah, I know that.. but it has worked so well for me as a defense mechanism, I default to it. Knowledge is power, but action is needed to get out and protect my sobriety. I need a plan...and then actually do it! #sobersky #recoveryposse #soberliving

I’ve been isolating for a few days. That’s never a good thing for a person like me whose mind is its own echo chamber… Winter brings darkness in so many ways… never be afraid to reach out, others are there for you. #mentalhealth #depression

I am accepting the big let down after the moment of hope from last week's elections. I cannot change it...

There are two very different ways of looking at sobriety - one where you are "can't" do something... "Why can't I drink?" Another way to look at it is... "Why would I drink?" Life unfiltered is full of opportunity and promise. #sober #soberliving #recoveryposse No Paywall Link Below

Let the holiday chaos begin! I’m not playing any part in the drama! A reminder: you can choose NOT to participate if it makes you happy not to! You don’t owe anyone your misery for the sake of “family”! #sobriety #sober #soberliving

In my sobriety, I’ve learned to manage my expectations… but the results of the elections are giving me a bit of light in the darkness. I’m trying to be careful to not let it be too much… the fall from hope is a painful one.

Picking a sponsor is one of the biggest hurdles a newcomer faces as they start their path to recovery. Find someone who lives #sobriety on a daily basis. It’s all about connection to a way of living that you want in your own life. Link: medium.com/sober-though...

Alcoholics Anonymous works on the basis that we don’t all go crazy on the same day. The fellowship is strong, even when we’re not. #sobriety #soberliving #aa #12steps

I can’t give in to the rage I feel about what’s going on in my home country. This is the difference between “not drinking” and alcoholic thinking. Rage turns to depression, turns to booze. It’s a well worn path in my life. I’ve got the tools to handle it. That’s true sobriety. Life on life’s terms.

One of the problems with being a “genetically southern American” is that I’m constitutionally incapable of telling a “short” story that fits well into this format! This fact often drives my “Yankee Bride” from Boston into fits of rage. I’m glad she loves me, otherwise she’d choke the shit out of me!

There are so many stories in recovery that defy imagination. Mark Twain once said “writing fiction is harder than writing facts. Fiction is bounded by plausibility, facts are not” That’s so true in the countless tales I’ve heard over the years! Sobriety is messy… and wonderful!

There are precious few things that will challenge your serenity and #sobriety like dealing with “customer service” for a warranty. I’m getting lots of practice in acceptance lately! #sober #soberliving

Talking to an old friend today, laughing about “good times” in the past brought back the pain I was feeling at the time. The scars of addiction may heal but the damage remains. Living in #sobriety is so much more than not drinking or using: it’s understanding how to be at peace with yourself.

Oh England, you do so enchant me with your rain and mud. I really get into the “medieval peasant” cosplay thing everyone’s doing…

Writing an article on “Defects of Character”, but I’m having trouble finishing it… maybe I should read an article about “Defects of Character” to figure out how to finish the things I start… #sobriety #soberliving #sober #aa

Woke up in England. Just a typical Tuesday in my life these days. Today I’m walking a path to a giant white horse on a hillside. #sobriety gave me choices I didn’t even then were possible #sobertravel #soberliving

Leaving Rotterdam… heading for Harwich… pip pip and cheer ee oh!! I’ve got a date with an order of fish and chips… and a Sunday roast! Look at me being all British! #sobertravel #soberliving #vanlife #sobriety @new-nomads.com

Depression doesn’t always mean I’m doing something wrong. Sometimes it just means I’m human and #sober enough to feel it. #soberliving #sobriety #mentalhealth

Back to Old Blighty. Our ferry to Harwich is leaving at 2PM. I’ll miss Europe, but England is nice too! We’re headed to the Cotswolds to meet up with friends… and down to Kent to see others. All of this made possible by one base truth: I’m #sober today #sobertravel #vanlife #sobriety @new-nomads.com

Three countries in a day! Sweden to Germany was kind of a haul! This is a life I could’ve never imagined in my drinking. I’m currently parked beside a river estuary near Hamburg with 10,000 migrating birds chatting away! #sobertravel #sobriety #vanlife @new-nomads.com

Turns out, Sweden is just as dark and rainy as Norway is this time of year. I don’t understand how Nordic ppl can fight off seasonal depression every year. I need the sun, so it’s south we must go! #sobertravel #sobriety @new-nomads.com

Going back and forth over warranty claims would have been impossible in my chaotic drinking mind. Even in early #sobriety, it would’ve been a struggle to focus and stay serene. True peace is when I can deal with bad customer service and not get angry or resentful. It works if you work it. #sober #aa

Secular 11th Step? You don’t need to believe God is listening. The 11th step asks you to develop the habit of questioning your own certainty before acting on it. Call it prayer, reflection, or stepping back from your immediate reactions. The label matters less than the practice. #sobriety #atheism

Today we’re headed towards the Swedish border and headed south. Norway just never disappoints. It is literally the most beautiful country on earth - and I’ve seen a LOT of countries! It’s like you took Yosemite, added an ocean and stretched it for 1500 miles! #sobertravel #sobriety #vanlife

In early #sobriety I was surrounded by ppl who seemed to have their shit together. I wondered if I was doing it “right”. Turns out, everyone’s path is different. Which doesn’t matter as long as we get to the same point in the end! #soberjourney #soberliving #mentalhealth

Leaving #Norway today. It’s a bittersweet feeling because this place is just magical! We’ll be back in the spring! Now, off to Germany and schnitzel… and wurst…. and… and… Gluttony is not a character defect I want to work on yet! #sobriety #sobertravel #vanlife

I’m making a list, checking it twice… gonna find out who’s naughty or nice… #sober #sobriety #sobergift

Some people want tasteful #recovery gifts. This isn't for them! For the days when #sobriety is less “serene” and more “stubbornly refusing to give up.” Fuck this shit... I'm going to a meeting! Wear it for you or wear it as a warning to others! #sober #sobergifts #soberchristmas #soberanniversary

It's a rainy, cold day here in Norway... and I am getting ready for another #sober #Christmas season... Ho Ho Ho! That means I am getting all the #sobriety gifts ready to go! My first bsky holiday season! Bear with me... please don't bare with me! (that is how I remember which one to use!)

Plain, simple and to the point. Whether you're celebrating one day or one decade... #sober #sobriety #sponsorgift #soberanniversiary #sobergift

We gave up so much trust in our drinking and using. It can be rebuilt, but it takes time. No one owes you anything because you got #sober - you have to work daily to regain the trust you once had from those you love. #sobriety #womeninrecovery #latina #mentalhealth

If you've avoided AA because of the spiritual language, consider this: You're not the first person to struggle with the vocabulary. Thousands figured it out before you. The rooms are full of people who don't believe in God—people who built meaningful #sobriety anyway. #sober #alcoholicsanonymous

We often think of #sobriety as just not drinking or drugging. Recovery isn't just about subtracting the bad stuff. It is about adding good stuff, deliberately constructing a life that felt worth living. Being #sober is just the foundation for a life worth living.

Resentments don’t announce themselves. They settle in quietly, disguised as being “honest” about people or maintaining boundaries. By the time you notice them, they’ve already claimed space in your peace. #sobriety #womeninrecovery #singlemom

Thinking about writing a full length book on doing a secular steps 1 2 3 for those who find the language in the big book a bit off putting. My aim is not to rewrite the steps - not even close - it is more of a way to think about the basics of the program without the god concept. Interest? #sobriety

I can’t say it enough: Norway is the most beautiful place on Earth. It’s “epic” by any measure. I get to be here… and be here for it… not because I’m rich or lucky. It’s because I’m #sober. That’s the foundation it’s all built on. I’m never bored in #sobriety! #sobertravel