Planning your first trip without alcohol can feel intimidating. Imagining the airport, the activities, the culture might leave you wondering, “Can I even enjoy this?” In this episode, Julie and Steve sit down with Darci, Sarah, and Corina to share their experiences, sprinkled with honest, practical advice for traveling alcohol-free while still having fun, feeling connected, and enjoying every moment – without the hangover or the anxiety.
In this episode:
- How to redefine adventure so your sober vacation leaves you feeling connected and fulfilled.
- How to plan and prepare for an alcohol-free vacation to set yourself up for success.
- Understand the let-down effect so it doesn’t sabotage your sobriety.
- Mindset and reframes so you don’t struggle with FOMO while traveling without alcohol.
- A sober travel toolkit to leave you confident that you’ll have the time of your life, no alcohol needed.
Your first sober vacation may feel unfamiliar at first, but with planning, support, and a little perspective, it can be even more fun, adventurous, and memorable than it ever was when you were drinking.
You can read more about the Let Down Effect that comes after a sober vacation on Julie’s blog: https://createalifesofull.com/let-down-effect-sobriety/
“You can still have the whole experience, without the alcohol.”
Corina is currently living her best sober life with her partner Greg and their rescue animals (2 former street cats from Egypt and a wild puppy monster from Edmonton’s SPCA). She works locally as a special education teacher and spends her free time enjoying nature walks or bike rides along the ocean or on the many trail systems nearby. Her healing journey in sobriety has come with beautiful gifts including authenticity, acceptance, compassion, and peace with others as well as herself. As the adventure continues, she gratefully looks forward with to more opportunities for discovery believing that “Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”
— Brené Brown, Rising Strong
I was literally born into the travel industry! My mother was a travel agent making some of my earliest memories looking at beautiful pictures in travel brochures while spinning the globe in her office to see where my finger landed. Once the spin was complete, fate had determined my new bucket list destination and the research began.
When I turned 21, I travelled with Contiki in Europe from London to Greece. It was an awesome adventure… I think? Heck, I was drinking… my sole focus was to see the sights at night and I can tell you this: all the bars looked the same.
In December of 2017 I gave up alcohol for good. It had turned into a coping mechanism for me that I no longer needed. Letting go of alcohol increased my passion for travel and for my now career as a travel agent! My level of appreciation for different cultures, flavors, landscapes, people, ceremonies was heightened, and my desire to create optimal travel experiences for my clients purposeful.
Living alcohol-free is all about self-discovery… HOOKED is the perfect marriage between alcohol-free living, self-discovery, healthy habits and purpose. You do not have to be an alcoholic to not drink alcohol. Hooked is simply like-minded alcohol-free people traveling together.
https://www.instagram.com/hookedalcoholfreetravel/
Sarah Goudie is a wellness educator who believes that ease and well-being can be sustainable, approachable, and part of everyday life. At Murrieta Hot Springs Resort and The Springs Resort in Pagosa Springs, she blends her background in nutrition and health psychology with teachings that invite guests into mindful nourishment, simple sustainable rituals, the benefits of community, and the restorative power of geothermal soaking. Rooted in the science of psychoneuroimmunology—which explores the connections between the mind, nervous system, and immune health—her work highlights how everyday practices can nurture resilience from the inside out. She is passionate about helping guests carry the renewal they experience at the springs into their own lives through joy-filled, practical, and lasting habits. Both resorts offer the region’s largest selection of zero-proof and NA beverages, reflecting her vision of making an alcohol-free lifestyle both accessible and celebrated in destination travel. Currently in the final stretch of her PhD in Health Psychology, Sarah’s research focuses on the effects of geothermal bathing on belonging and overall well-being in veterans.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.healthy.gut.goddess/?hl=en or @the.healthy.gut.goddess.
Website: https://thehealthygutgoddess.com/
Check out: The Springs Resort in Pagosa, Colorado and Murrieta Hot Springs Resort in Murrieta, CA.
Check out all the resources Through the Glass Recovery offers:
- Full podcast episode library
- Free Zoom virtual support group
- Affordable one-on-one support services
- The No Alcohol Needed blog by Julie Miller
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