OcSober Log 004

31 days and nights. 5 weekends. And now it's over. At 00:00 last night, I popped open the bottle of 10 years old Laphroaig that I bought at the airport in Newark and had a drink. My roomie Alvaro was there, as was my Mexican friend César and my Egyptian friend Marina. OcSober was officially over.

So, what has OcSober given me?

It was actually surprisingly, and increasingly, easy not to have alcohol. In the beginning it was mostly about fighting a reflex, and by the end of the month, it felt quite natural.

Missing alcohol never made me crave it which I interpret as a very good thing; I'm not addicted. It didn't make me more tense or grumpy (I think). Au contraire, it made me more relaxed and focused. A tiny bit more Zen.

I think I will drink less from now on. I learned that parties can still be fun, I can still be social, and I even sometimes dance - all without alcohol. That was nice. 

But I also appreciate how non-drinkers feel in the company of drinkers. In this social context, I actually never really felt left out or annoyed by being one of the only people not drinking, but there were times when I wished I were a little tipsy in order to appreciate their ramblings or even their mood.

So, what's next? I don't have the genes to participate in Movember, but perhaps a Veguary or a No Starch March? Let's see. Feel free to provide me with ideas.