When I tell people I quit drinking and started my sobriety journey, I can see it right away — the assumptions in their eyes. They picture me falling down drunk, unable to hold a job, living in chaos.
That’s the story society has handed us: if you quit drinking, you must have hit rock bottom.
But here’s the truth: not every story looks like that. Mine certainly didn’t.
I was drinking two big glasses of wine most nights. On the weekends, it was even more.
From the outside? I looked fine. I was functioning. I had a career. I was showing up for my life.
But inside, I knew the truth: alcohol was taking more than it was giving.
No, I wasn’t stumbling on the ground.
No, I wasn’t losing jobs or creating chaos.
But I did have a problem.
Because anything that dims your energy, numbs your spirit, and becomes “normal” when it shouldn’t be, that’s a problem
Here’s what I’ve realized: society has painted sobriety with one brushstroke.
You’re either “fine” or you’re a “drunk.” And unless you fit the dramatic picture of rock bottom, you’re told you don’t have a problem.
That’s why so many women stay stuck.
They tell themselves: I’m not that bad. I’m still holding it together.
But deep down, they feel the disconnection, the dimming of their light.
Sobriety doesn’t have to come from losing everything. Sometimes it comes from realizing you deserve more than just fine.
I didn’t wait for rock bottom. I chose something better.
As I write this, it has been 2,131 days since I took my last drink. In December, I’ll celebrate six years sober with a group of incredible women at my Rise with the Tides Retreat in Costa Rica.
And here’s something beautiful: in numerology, 2+1+3+1 equals 7 — the number of spiritual growth, truth, and introspection. Maybe it’s coincidence. Maybe it’s alignment. But either way, it feels right.
Sobriety didn’t take anything away from me — it gave me everything.
Freedom to live fully present.
Energy to move my body, surf the Costa Rican waves, and train with strength.
Clarity to step into my true calling as a coach, writer, and guide for women in midlife.
And most importantly, the light I thought I had lost.
I didn’t quit because my life was burning down. I quit because I knew it was worth too much to keep dimming it.
If you’ve ever felt like alcohol (or anything, really) is dimming your light — this is your sign.
You don’t have to wait for collapse.
You don’t have to justify your choice to anyone.
You get to choose better simply because your life is worth it.
It’s been 2,131 days for me, almost six years of clarity, freedom, and light.
Quitting doesn’t always mean your life was burning down.
Sometimes it means you finally realized: your life is worth too much to keep dimming it. ✨
And I found my light again. 💡
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Read more HERE about Alcohol and How it Affects Athletic Performance!
