Fulfilling weekends

I had a nice weekend which marks sober weekend #2 for me. On Friday, we got a nice dinner out with our close friends. We joked about how long it’s been since we went out to dinner in which none of us were drinking. It was a bit sad, but at the same time it just goes to show just how much alcohol has been ingrained in our lives.

On Saturday, we did a sober hangout at my friend’s place to watch the 49ers game. This was probably the biggest test for me as I almost always associate football with drinking, but I held firm and we ended up having a fun night of watching football and playing board games without any drinks.

On Sunday, Sophia and I went and explored San Jose. We got some amazing food at Pho Hanoi for brunch. Then checked out Valley Fair Mall and Santana Row for a few hours before heading to Japan town for some bomb poke at Aloha Fresh. It was a fun day of exploring and we decided that we needed to explore the Bay Area more.

After I got home last night, I was thinking to myself about what the odds of Sophia and I actually going to San Jose were if we were drinking this month. We would’ve had a few drinks Friday night, and definitely would have drank for the 49ers game on Saturday. While we wouldn’t have been out late, our sleep would’ve been impacted. We likely would have just decided to stay on the couch all day on Sunday, especially given the rain.

Drinking alcohol is definitely a short-term happiness filler. It feels great when you’re in the moment drinking, but it can really suck the happiness out of you the following day or two. As I write this on Monday, I feel a lot more fulfilled from my weekend than I have in the past. I sense that a lot of that is because I would lose a day or so of happiness because I drank the night before.

Tomorrow marks the 14th day of my month long alcohol free experiment. Along with feeling more fulfilled and happier in general, I’m pleased to say that I don’t miss drinking really. I’m still having fun with my friends on the weekend and my social life hasn’t taken a hit. I am curious to see if the urge to drink will intensify or disappear in the next few weeks.