We just got back from holidaying in Puerto Vallarta. The city had uneven sidewalks and stairs leading down to the cobbled roads. When you looked up the street, the buildings jumbled on top of each other to get the best view of the sea. There were cats, lizards, and birds I'd never seen before. The breeze was warm in the morning and I had a balcony with a view of the sea. There was free coffee and I read and felt true relaxation for the first time in 16 years.
Since we've been home we've cleaned out a corner of the garage that we haven't touched since we moved in (4 years ago). I've also started spring cleaning. Feeling care-free gives me energy to care. But it's circular so if I start caring too much, it will make me need another holiday. I guess being care-free isn't really an option in the modern world- there are appointments, being on time, even fun and friends have to be scheduled in. I hate it. I'm going to have to try to hold on to the holiday feeling. It felt SO good.
As for alcohol consumption, we had a free bottle of wine when we checked in to our hotel. So I had that to myself, since my partner is still not drinking. I made it last 5 days so I didn't even have a full glass a night. It was just nice to sit with and sip. Then I bought 6 mexican beers to have the rest of the nights. Since we have been home I haven't had any alcohol. So I feel like I've succeeded in having a break/holiday and then re-quit when I got home. It's the being able to stop and not have a craving that is the key. It's helped that we have non-alcoholic beer. One of the books I read while away was The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England. It talked about the beer having very little alcohol. It was the only thing safe to drink and they couldn't have people drunk all the time, so they usually made beer and ale low in alcohol. It makes me feel a little more like I'm not missing out, since my alcohol habit really started in England and that pub culture is what makes drinking so nostaglic for me. In a way, low alcohol beer is like going back to the roots of alcohol culture.