The 30 Day Challenge - The Next 6 Days

Well, I've made it through 12 days!  I've been perfect through 12 and haven't succumbed to any urge to have a sip of alcohol.  It hasn't been easy the whole time though.  As a matter of fact, the journey has been the complete opposite of what I thought it would be.  I thought that the first week would be the toughest since I would have to get out of my routine of having a drink when I got home from work or went out for dinner.  It really wasn't.  I thought that as the days went by that not drinking would get easier.  It hasn't.  It's gotten harder.

I've been on the road for a week now.  I had to work a trade show and then hit the road driving from Boston to Albany, Syracuse, Rochester, Lockport, and Buffalo, New York.  Here are some observations over the past 6 days:

• Even though I'm not drinking, I still manage to meet interesting people at the bar when I go out to dinner and engage in hilarious conversations with them.
• Driving home at midnight completely sober is really strange.  The whole time I'm thinking, "I really don't feel much different than I do after a few drinks.  What if I get pulled over for some reason?  Will the officer think I've been drinking?"  It's pretty comical that the paranoia is still there.
• People have been real supportive of my quest.  I really haven't faced much peer pressure. 
• At the same time, when people learn that I'm not drinking it seems to cue up a response of, "Oh yeah, I've done that before." Most of the times I don't know whether to believe them or if it's just something they say to feel better about themselves.
• I had my first O'Doul's last night!  It really wasn't that bad but I couldn't have more than two.  Only reason I had one was because I stopped at a friend's charity event and she was working so I was on my own and there were no seats at the bar.  I didn't know what to do with myself hahaha.  I saw someone drinking an O'Doul's and figured I'd give it a shot. 
• O'Doul's is great when you want the flavor of beer without the alcohol and don't feel like waiting until the next morning for the beer farts to kick in.  
• I've noticed that I like something sweet after dinner now.  Maybe a cookie or an ice cream.  I never used to do that and instead had a bourbon.  I like the old way better as it doesn't make me feel even more full and helps digest.
• Club soda with a little lime or lemon is actually pretty good even though it doesn't really quench my thirst much.

So, I'm now 40% of the way through my 30 day challenge!  I have to admit, last night I was having doubts on whether or not I could make it all the way to the end.  I miss bourbon so much it hurts.  I sat at the bar having dinner looking at the bottles of Maker's Mark and Knob Creek behind the bar and it was hard.  I pictured myself giving up at some point along the way, right around Memorial Day.  You know what though?  I won't give up or give in.  I got willpower like that.  Plus, I would rather suffer through not drinking for 30 days than listen to people talk shit to me about how I couldn't do it.  Today is day 13 - 18 days left and I am free to have a bourbon again!