Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Alcohol Free for 2 Months now

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Okay…I can’t think of a decent title for this.  The one above sounds like I’m a recovering alcoholic or something – which I’m not.

I enjoy a nice glass/bottle of wine now and again and I really love my vodka drinks.  But, since I’ve moved to Abu Dhabi I have yet to imbibe.  I mean really imbibe.  I’ve had a sip of a friend’s drink once or twice – but that’s it.  Really.

Before I moved here, I would enjoy drinks with my girlfriends.  In fact, the weeks leading up to my move out here – I enjoyed lots of drinks with my girlfriends.  But here – nothing.  There’s something about it that’s keeping me from tossing back a glass or so. 

I’m not sure if guilt is the right word, but it kinda feels like that.  Like I’m cheating on my friends by drinking with someone else.  How crazy is that?

But I connect drinking with my friends – my close, wonderful friends from back home.  Granted, I’m making friends here.  A few are definitely past the acquaintance stage and some have the potential to be pretty good friends here.  But, there’s something about sharing a drink that feels like I’m taking the relationship to the next level.

I’ve had a couple of girls’ nights but ended up driving myself to both of them.  Was it a subconscious way of telling myself I wasn’t ready to drink yet.  It’s like one drink turns to four and then my authentic self comes out.  Maybe I’m not ready to share that yet.  What does that mean then?  Am I not being real with the people I’m meeting now? 

Some of my girlfriends back home skyped me the other night (well – my morning) and I watched them all with a glass of wine in their hand and so wanted to be there sharing with them.  It reminded me that in our group drinking doesn’t just include sharing – but OVERsharing and perhaps I’m not ready for that yet here.

The time will come and my subconscious will tell me take a cab instead of a car to go out and I’ll know I’m ready to take my new friendships to the next level.

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