Hello Everyone, I am back from my trip. I wanted to once again express my deep appreciation for your help and support. I joined six days ago just before I was about to leave on a business trip. I have made a serious breakthrough, and I couldn't have done it without you. Armed with your support and a determination to rethink my drinking activities, while traveling I was able to evaluate my surroundings more carefully, which led to better choices (well for most of the trip anyway).
One of the biggest discoveries I made was the realization that Airport travel is a den of opportunities to drink. I don't know why I didn't recognize it before, probably because I wasn't thinking about it. After great thought, I do think what makes it so appealing is that you can drink alot without anyone even knowing. Always before when I would travel, I would have a drink or two before I left for the airport to say "goodbye" to my family for the duration of the trip. Then, when I got to the airport there was so much time to kill that it was a golden opportunity to have a drink or two before getting on the plane. Then, I would either travel first class or arrange several transfers so that I could easily drink two glasses of wine on each flight. And yes, of course, if I wanted a third, like so many others I would say "hey, I'm on vacation", even though it was really a business trip. The only times I really feel a little uncomfortable is on morning flights when I would have to slither into an airport watering hole, and like those other poor souls around me (and there are quite a few), I would blame time difference as the reason I was drinking so early. Fortunately, they keep those morning drinking places dark so its easy to hide in a corner.
Well, I never thought it would happen, but I did not drink at all during my travel (though I did regress once during an ending celebration at the hotel). :upset: In case there is anyone else out there that struggles with travel, I thought I would share my thoughts on ways to attempt to overcome the Airport watering hole temptation.
First, I decided that I would arrange morning flights because they are the most difficult to find places to drink without looking like a person with a drinking problem. I also sought support that would help me focus on my goal. I talked to my family and told them what I was trying to do, and I took the plunge and joined your group before going. It was really beneficial to get positive reinforcement and even more determination, and I kept thinking that if I succeed I would be a great role model on this issue for my son, and I might even someday be abe to help someone else to get this monster off their back. This was such an incredible incentive for me. Everytime I would see a place to get a drink, I would think to myself, "oh, they will be so proud of me that I passed this place by". I just felt so confident I could do it because of everyone, including all of you, that expressed such support! THANK YOU!
I did have one close call though, and it was another tool that I have learned over the years that kept me from failing in my goal. In business, I find useful to set goals and then picture myself in a setting where I am living out the results of achieving my successful goals. So, a couple of days before the trip, I started thinking about how I would act during my travel in light of my new goal. I started to dream of a great breakfast, a healthy smoked salmon, capers, onion, tomatoe, boiled egg, and sour cream (I don't put it on the bagel). I could see myself eating it with a nice cup of Earl Grey tea. Part of the incentive for me to quit drinking is that I enjoy eating healthy, which has really helped to keep me young looking. I will be 50 next month, but people always mistake me for being in my 30's. But when I get to those stages where I am drinking alot, I begin to have that worn look. So, convincing myself to emphasize healthy eating to maintain a youthful look really works for me. But it only goes so far.
Well, as luck would have it (bad luck that is), my stopover was in Pittsburgh, and the only sitdown breakfast-serving restaurant was TGIF - one of my favorite watering holes!!! They serve Kendall Jackson, which is one of my favorite white wines!!! They didn't have what I had been dreaming about for breakfast. In fact, they didn't have anything healthy at all for breakfast!!! And to make matters worse, it was now 10:30 a.m., so they were serving breakfast and lunch, and I could easily slide under the "difference in time zone" excuse.
But fortunately, there were several things that made a difference. First, I had ordered a tea and diet coke immediately when I had sat down, in expectation of ordering breakfast, before I had even seen the menu,. So I could "taste" my goal already. Secondly, I had all of you! I had just joined the day before. Many of you immediately came back and welcomed me, gave me support, and I just kept thinking about how proud of you I was for your love and courage, and how dissappointed I would be in myself if I couldn't share something positive that would be a contribution to all of our efforts. And it worked!!! I ordered a chicken salad with manderin oranges, continuing to sip on diet coke and tea the whole time. And you know, I really enjoyed it!!! I left there on cloud nine. When I left the restaurant, I called my husband and my son, I told them, and they made such a big deal about how great it was and how proud they were of me. It was great. Throughout the trip I drank responsibly except for the bonfire awards party (I won an award -- the perfect ok to get drunk excuse, and it was not comforting that I was the most sober one there). Despite that incident, I feel great about my trip because for the first time in a long time, I actually had a day (and night) where I chose not to have any alcohol at all, only a few glasses of wine on the other days, and most of all, I did not drink coming or going in my airport travel. For me, I think it was one of the most rich and rewarding experiences that I have had in a long time. Many thanks to those of you who helped to make it happen! I hope and pray that some of the tools and techniques that I used, which helped me tremendously, may be useful to all of you in obtaining your goals.:thanks:
Fondly,
Mighty Mouse II
One of the biggest discoveries I made was the realization that Airport travel is a den of opportunities to drink. I don't know why I didn't recognize it before, probably because I wasn't thinking about it. After great thought, I do think what makes it so appealing is that you can drink alot without anyone even knowing. Always before when I would travel, I would have a drink or two before I left for the airport to say "goodbye" to my family for the duration of the trip. Then, when I got to the airport there was so much time to kill that it was a golden opportunity to have a drink or two before getting on the plane. Then, I would either travel first class or arrange several transfers so that I could easily drink two glasses of wine on each flight. And yes, of course, if I wanted a third, like so many others I would say "hey, I'm on vacation", even though it was really a business trip. The only times I really feel a little uncomfortable is on morning flights when I would have to slither into an airport watering hole, and like those other poor souls around me (and there are quite a few), I would blame time difference as the reason I was drinking so early. Fortunately, they keep those morning drinking places dark so its easy to hide in a corner.
Well, I never thought it would happen, but I did not drink at all during my travel (though I did regress once during an ending celebration at the hotel). :upset: In case there is anyone else out there that struggles with travel, I thought I would share my thoughts on ways to attempt to overcome the Airport watering hole temptation.
First, I decided that I would arrange morning flights because they are the most difficult to find places to drink without looking like a person with a drinking problem. I also sought support that would help me focus on my goal. I talked to my family and told them what I was trying to do, and I took the plunge and joined your group before going. It was really beneficial to get positive reinforcement and even more determination, and I kept thinking that if I succeed I would be a great role model on this issue for my son, and I might even someday be abe to help someone else to get this monster off their back. This was such an incredible incentive for me. Everytime I would see a place to get a drink, I would think to myself, "oh, they will be so proud of me that I passed this place by". I just felt so confident I could do it because of everyone, including all of you, that expressed such support! THANK YOU!
I did have one close call though, and it was another tool that I have learned over the years that kept me from failing in my goal. In business, I find useful to set goals and then picture myself in a setting where I am living out the results of achieving my successful goals. So, a couple of days before the trip, I started thinking about how I would act during my travel in light of my new goal. I started to dream of a great breakfast, a healthy smoked salmon, capers, onion, tomatoe, boiled egg, and sour cream (I don't put it on the bagel). I could see myself eating it with a nice cup of Earl Grey tea. Part of the incentive for me to quit drinking is that I enjoy eating healthy, which has really helped to keep me young looking. I will be 50 next month, but people always mistake me for being in my 30's. But when I get to those stages where I am drinking alot, I begin to have that worn look. So, convincing myself to emphasize healthy eating to maintain a youthful look really works for me. But it only goes so far.
Well, as luck would have it (bad luck that is), my stopover was in Pittsburgh, and the only sitdown breakfast-serving restaurant was TGIF - one of my favorite watering holes!!! They serve Kendall Jackson, which is one of my favorite white wines!!! They didn't have what I had been dreaming about for breakfast. In fact, they didn't have anything healthy at all for breakfast!!! And to make matters worse, it was now 10:30 a.m., so they were serving breakfast and lunch, and I could easily slide under the "difference in time zone" excuse.
But fortunately, there were several things that made a difference. First, I had ordered a tea and diet coke immediately when I had sat down, in expectation of ordering breakfast, before I had even seen the menu,. So I could "taste" my goal already. Secondly, I had all of you! I had just joined the day before. Many of you immediately came back and welcomed me, gave me support, and I just kept thinking about how proud of you I was for your love and courage, and how dissappointed I would be in myself if I couldn't share something positive that would be a contribution to all of our efforts. And it worked!!! I ordered a chicken salad with manderin oranges, continuing to sip on diet coke and tea the whole time. And you know, I really enjoyed it!!! I left there on cloud nine. When I left the restaurant, I called my husband and my son, I told them, and they made such a big deal about how great it was and how proud they were of me. It was great. Throughout the trip I drank responsibly except for the bonfire awards party (I won an award -- the perfect ok to get drunk excuse, and it was not comforting that I was the most sober one there). Despite that incident, I feel great about my trip because for the first time in a long time, I actually had a day (and night) where I chose not to have any alcohol at all, only a few glasses of wine on the other days, and most of all, I did not drink coming or going in my airport travel. For me, I think it was one of the most rich and rewarding experiences that I have had in a long time. Many thanks to those of you who helped to make it happen! I hope and pray that some of the tools and techniques that I used, which helped me tremendously, may be useful to all of you in obtaining your goals.:thanks:
Fondly,
Mighty Mouse II
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