Holidays aren’t the same sober…
They are better! We are in Bali on holiday, and I wanted to share with you all that I haven't once thought...Ooooh, I really fancy a drink, that would make this moment better. Not at the airport, not on the plane, not at dinner. There aren't any alcohol replacements here, and I haven't missed them. Usually, I feel cheated if I can’t have an AF beer at dinner as part of the treat-yourself holiday experience.
There are lots of amazing fresh juices and smoothies to choose from, and I have been drinking tonnes of the stuff. I feel great as a result. I keep thinking about how healthy I want to feel, how hydrated I will be, and how times have changed!
It's taken me years to get to the point where it doesn't bother me at all on holiday. You have to give yourself time. It’s become easier and easier the more I have done it and the more I have developed an interest in health.
It was so busy before I came away with coaching, lives every night for Sober October, talking on gut and liver programmes and my own pages and presenting at ‘lunch and learns’ with companies, including the Government of Jersey and Jersey Police. In the past, I would have used this as an excuse to celebrate and let go on holiday - now I celebrate by relaxing, filling myself with healthy stuff and FEELING good! I still coach clients and run my business while away, as I love the people I work with; my work brings me so much joy.
Another change for me…I used to wear makeup to travel and every day on holiday, and this holiday I have put it on once so far to go on a night out. This might sound silly to some people reading this, as they couldn’t dream of putting make-up on in a hot country, but for me, I felt 'less so, dare I say ugly' without it. I don’t wear much makeup nowadays anyway, but I do wear it, and I feel naked without my signature eye flicks. Pushing myself to do my Instagram story videos fresh out of bed has helped me to show the real me and to be more comfortable in my own skin....building myself up to this. It’s great to put make-up on and to like how it makes me feel, but I shouldn’t outsource how I feel to it. With or without, I am still the same person inside, and that’s what matters.
We were actually woken up by the taxi for our red-eye flight out here (the 6 am Jersey flight in the morning to the UK) as our alarm didn’t go off, and I think that helped me too. I didn’t even have time for a shower - it was a case of grab your stuff, get in the car or miss your flight. I was still covered in fake tan from the night before too! I felt so self-conscious, but as we bumped into people, none of them seemed to care; in fact, they were complimentary about how well I looked (maybe they were being kind, but I’m taking it - we should all learn to be kinder to ourselves). The smell of biscuits didn’t seem to bother them either (if you know, you know).
I haven’t worn half the clothes in my bag either - opting to wear the same shorts and varied t-shirts or a sarong and bikini. I will definitely travel lighter in the future.
Off to do some solo travelling for a few days, staying in a healing retreat to push me further outside of my comfort zone, and I will meet up with some friendly faces along the way from the sober community who are also in Bali.
It's a forever journey of real self-discovery - peeling back the ego to get closer to our higher selves