Holy Sh*t, it’s officially Holiday Season! Happy late Turkey Day y’all! :)

Happy post Turkey- Sunday mis amigos!!!  How was everyone’s Thanksgiving?? Hopefully happy, healthy and full! I was lucky enough to celebrate my 2nd Thanksgiving without making an ass out of myself, drinking too much, showing up with a busted face to a family luncheon, or needing the assistance of a Bloody Mary, or 7, to get my turkey day started. Sweet Ace! For me, alcohol and holidays went together like airports and vodka; I never showed up to one without the other.  Until I had to, and I am here to tell ya, holidays and airports can still make out for a fabulous time, even without the spiked OJ.  

3 years ago I got on a plane over Labor Day weekend and went to South Carolina with an ex-boyfriend.  We both loved to drink and we drank the entire trip.  On the flight back to Kansas I could not shake my extended weekend hangover. I probably had 4 screwdrivers before leaving for the airport, one on the way, and a couple more Colorado bulldogs pre-board, and of course, overpriced airport bar and in service flight drinks to follow.  That day was a blur, I had the worst hangxiety, no matter what I did I was restless, and all of my normal hangover tricks were not helping, obviously.  That kind of routine is hard to stop, that type of behavior is hard to alter, and the only thing that helps you when your body is craving something you’ve been feeding it for years, is usually more of it.  Which is what happens in addiction.  I didn’t yearn to get up shaky and in need of a drink to calm my head, my nerves, or my thoughts, to do anything, until I did.  I don’t know anyone that chose, or chooses to let a substance control them, until it does, and when that happens it does so without discrimination, empathy or reason.  So the next time someone says no thanks to a drink, or anything really that you take without hesitation, respect the fact that said person may not want a dinner drink.  It might just lead to further drinks, breakfast drinks and before you know it, they’re drunk for 3 weeks and looking for a new job.  Believe me, I have been there. Thankfully not still there. 🙂

3 weeks ago I got on my first plane ride since that last drunk venture from SC.  This trip of course looked different.  Which is kind of the theme of my writing so hey, I am glad we made it work!  This past trip I took was to meet the boyfriend in Boston, he was out there for work, and we decided to piggy back a little weekend trip out of it.  As I was packing the night before, it was so stress-free, I was calm, I was excited, but I felt like I had everything I could control, under control.  I wasn’t worried about being hungover for my flight, having a panic attack cruisin’ at 40,000ft, or making sure I could get through security with enough airplane bottles to get me to Boston.  Fun Fact, I learned what they call airplane bottles in the NE the first time I went to Boston, which was a complete drunk visit, like I literally fell out of the Amtrak train upon arrival from Penn Station in NY, I was a hot mess that trip!  Woah!  But back to my FF aka, fun fact, for those of you that don’t know, they call em’ “Nips”.  So as I was on my way into any security laced bar they’d check my bag and say…”ya got any nips with ya?”, um…no, this isn’t the airport homie.  

Our trip was so much fun.  To start the trip out my seat-mate on the flight to Boston, turned out to be a girl named Kim, she and her boyfriend were flying to Boston for a wedding from Omaha, they had driven to fly from KC.  The first thing she said to me was something like “girl, I am such a nervous flyer, I apologize in advance”.  Immediately I am like it’s cool, no worries, and we just started chatting it up.  As soon as we took off she grabbed mine, and her boyfriend’s legs and was legit scared.  I have never flown with a nervous flyer so I just kept chatting, she was like girl it’s helping.  I at first thought I was talking too much because who wouldn’t choose to watch the movie, her boyfriend did, my former self would have, I loved when I had a big glass of wine and a movie in the middle of the sky. But now, being booze free I was totally down for a non-expected fun convo, we talked the whole way and actually split a cab on our way in to the city from the airport.  It was pretty cool to make a new set of friends like that, I mean what are the odds!?  I still do not understand how I preferred drinking all of my memories and experiences away.  Which is what I always did.  This is why “The Hangover” was such a well done movie, in my opinion, they had to figure out how much fun they had through investigation.  Because per Mike Tyson, we all do dumb shit when we’re f*cked up, and most often, you can’t and don’t remember it.  

My arrival in Boston did not come with a fall, I never woke up with a hangover, I got to experience the beauty of so many neighborhoods without keeping my eye out for the local tavern or liquor store to sneak a “nip”.  It’s nice to go into bars because we want to, not because we need to, and they do make the best Shirley Temples, and believe me no one is worried about what you’re drinking.  If they are, f*ck em.  My boyfriend and I spent our weekend exploring historic neighborhoods, indulged in everything that is Boston cuisine, well as much as we could fit into 3 days, of course Lobster rolls, Italian, and Mikes Pastries in the North End.  Saw a comedy show at “The Wilbur”, walked through the Boston Commons, Back Bay, and visited the OG Cheers.  Explored Beacon Hill, watched a Patriots game with the locals, and of course ended one night with late-night Brooklyn style pizza.  Stayed our last night on the Harbor, had a beautiful ocean-side dinner, walked along the pier, and man, that Boston skyline was unbeatable to see in person, so gorgeous!!

I can’t ever describe my gratitude for my boyfriend, my family, my friends, my support system, Zobi, who has seen quite a lot, maybe I don’t want her to ever talk, that’s my dog for anyone that is wondering, but yeah.  I wouldn’t be here, and getting to experience the things I am,  if it weren’t for some very wonderful people loving me unconditionally, and continuing to root for me; without them I could have never done it so, thank you and I love you.  Now, let’s get that W, KC!  Everybody have a great week and until next time, be well my friends, hasta!