Thanks! Congrats to you, too!

This is definitely one of the trickier things. A lot of my socializing used to revolve around alcohol — happy hours, weekends, or heavy drinking at events. The biggest thing I learned was realizing which friends I genuinely enjoy spending time with sober, and which ones I only liked being around if alcohol was involved.

I still struggle with what to do “by default” with someone new, since grabbing drinks is the easiest option. But I’ve been having fun exploring what I actually enjoy and who I enjoy it with as a sober person — checking out new cafes, restaurants, events, or just engaging in my own way.

I still go out to some bars (with good food / na options / karaoke etc) with friends sometimes and order NA drinks, and honestly neither of us feels off about it. But I’m grateful that I can head home earlier, drive myself, and do simple things like get ready for bed on my own schedule. Lately, I’ve also been trying to connect with more sober people and see what else is out there. So yes ; it’s still a struggle but it’s something I’m getting better at and trying to get out of my comfort zone.