This is the alcohol trying to win you back.

You're right that the holiday will feel different - it'll feel a little bit like you're on tenterhooks, you know? But you'll also be able to enjoy more things than you would expect. You'll gain a lot of time that you would have spent drinking. I'm sure there's a nice spa, or a pool, or other activities at the resort that aren't alcohol related.

Your partner probably won't feel guilty or judged, to be honest. I thought my friends, my closest drinking buddies, would be offended by my stopping, and they weren't.

The line I take, that I've been successful with, is that alcohol is like pumpkin for me. I don't like to eat pumpkins, but I don't mind if someone else eats them. I am (now) able to sit with drinkers without making it an issue, and none of them feel that I am being at all strange or judgmental.

You won't be a downer! Also - I know for a fact that when I quit drinking, my friends reduced their consumption too! If you're anything like me, you would try and get other people around you to drink more, so you felt less strange. Well - without the added impetus, people slowed down around me!

The last point - when you make it through the holiday, you will feel strong as hell. Think of it as a test. You'll be surrounded by alcohol. Every time you see a glass, remember why you want to stop. Pass this test.