Going Dry
Why I Gave Up Wine for January & How I Managed to Stay Alive!
Moving to New York this past November was a dream come true. As a native of the DC area, I’ve always considered myself an East Coaster at heart. After more than a decade away, between the West Coast and Europe, my homesick meter was on 11! I needed to get home!
So, a triumphant return I made and subsequently spent the next two months “reintroducing” myself to the city and friends, new and old. Before I knew it, I was averaging 3-4 nights out a week and the bottles of wine to match. My liver, my wallet, and my body clock were like “um, excuse me, but WTF? You might like living like the newest NYC socialite, but we DID NOT sign up for this!”
They protested. I listened. I decided it was time for a slight course correction before things got out of hand. And that’s how I got to my first dry January since being old enough to drink. So at the stroke of midnight on NYE, I took my last sip of the Champes, kissed my wine bottles and turned toward to the next 31 days with dogged determination to get back on track.
I’m not gonna lie, the first week sucked! If you’re like me, drinking wine isn’t about getting drunk. It’s about celebration, communion, and conversation. It’s about signaling the end of a long day spent killin' it at the job. It’s the perfect end the weekend on a cozy Sunday evening. I didn’t so much miss the alcohol as I missed the ceremony of it. But, as the days passed, so did the longing and, while I was excited to see February, I was grateful for the break. How I made it through and what I learned along the way:
1. You don’t have to give up your wine glass!
A small secret: everything tastes better when you drink it from a wine glass. I enjoy the feel of a wine glass in hand nearly as much as I do drinking what’s inside. It dawned on me that just because I was off the grape, I could still hold the glass. Yes, sipping Perrier out of your Riedel isn’t exactly the same as sipping a Grenache, but it ain’t so bad either and gives everything a little air of class and sparkle.
2. Have a go-to mocktail.
Going for a dry January didn’t mean giving up going out and sometimes water just didn’t do it. So, having a go-to mocktail was a huge help. A simple soda water and bitters gave my drink some spunk and made me feel like I was partaking in the fun too.
3. Distance does actually make the heart grow fonder!
Outside of a few spells here and there I can’t remember a time where I’ve abstained from a wine this long. I can’t tell you how good that first sip tasted after a month apart. If anything, the time away was a sweet reminder of what I’ve always loved about wine and I’ve taken a little moment to savior each glass ever since.
4. Yes, It does do your body good.
I’ve never been one to subscribe to the new year new body stuff, but I must admit, I slept better, woke up more refreshed and felt clearer than I have in a while.
Can’t say this will become an annual routine. But, overall, it wasn’t so bad and I was proud of myself for making it all the way through.
Now, break out the bottles!