# 8 Weekends Without A Drink

8 weekends ago, I committed to
[quitting booze for 1,000 weekends](/essays/1000-weekends).

My old avenues are now foreign landscapes. My stomping-grounds are dens of
temptation. I wrestle crippling social anxiety again. I battle boozeless
boredom. I can't "take the edge off". I'm teaching myself to try.

Sobriety sucks, but h\*ck it feels incredible. The morning sun no longer sears
my eye sockets. My esophagus isn't eaten alive by acid every night. My heart
doesn't attempt to leap from my chest. Cars aren't rounds of Russian roulette.

I ignored the conventional wisdom. I didn't follow a program. I didn't remove
any booze from my home. I didn't stop hanging around friends who drink.

If you want to change yourself, tell a good story. Craft an adventure where you
overcome your evils. Or try a tragic tale where you tame temptation after ten
attempts. It doesn't matter which character you choose; if you don't like who
you are now, become somebody else.

Who are you becoming?