Day Thirty

T-1 That’s it! 30-day challenge is up. Tomorrow I can officially drink again, although I’ve decided not to and wait another couple of days. According to One Year No Beer the benefits reported by those who have taken a break are: Reduced anxiety and 92% happier!Bold claim! Well I do feel a tad more chilled …

Day Twenty Nine

T-2. Today was the 45th wedding anniversary of the in-laws and so we were all invited round for lunch to celebrate with them. This is always a boozy occasion…lunch round theirs I mean, not just for the celebration. Everyone was there drinking beer or wine with the meal. Then the cakes come out and they …

Day Twenty Eight

T-3. Getting close now. I’ve seen an ad pop up on my feed about Oktoberfest. I have never been but I’m quite keen on this period of the year. There is a Bavarian themed restaurant/club/pub in Birmingham called the Bierkeller with a thigh-slappin’ Oompah band complete with Lederhosen! I went years ago and remember having …

Day Twenty Six

T minus 4! Actually it’s officially T-5 but today is over with already and I haven’t drunk so I’m counting from tomorrow. Had a lovely swim this morning. Was in the pool by 8.40am and out by 9.15. I remember going to the pool years ago when I was a heavy smoker and drinker and …

Day Twenty Three

One week to go. Seven full days and one full weekend left. I think I’ve got rid of the brain fog. I’m not a morning person by any stretch of the imagination. If I get up at 7am my brain wakes up at around 12…after a couple of strong espressos, that is. I work better …

Day Twenty Two

Last night I had a beer… It was, in reality, a non-alcoholic Becks Blue and it went down a treat! I’d been at work yesterday and I really, really, really fancied a beer. Luckily, the restaurant we were at just happened to have non-alcoholic beers. We asked them by chance if they sold them and …

Day Twenty One

We had a team meeting today, then went out to lunch together. Where I would usually order a beer or a glass of wine, I had the obligatory water instead. Naturally the others started asking why I wasn’t drinking (as is the norm) and it came out about the challenge. Some asked me if I …

Days Eighteen, Nineteen and Twenty

It’s been a busy old week so I haven’t had time to blog until today…and I’m two thirds of the way through – another milestone in the bag. We went out last night to friends’ house and the first thing they asked was ‘want a beer?’. This is doubly frustrating; because of doing this challenge …

Day Seventeen

I have actually stopped thinking about alcohol, I think that’s a good sign. When I stopped thinking about having a fag with a drink on a night out I knew I’d beaten the craving. One thing that is really spurring me on though is the bet I had with my fella: If I manage to …

Day Sixteen

Today I was thinking about my personality when I am, and when I’m not, drinking. Living in another country is quite hard in itself, and anyone who lives in a foreign country and has had to learn the language to get by probably feels the same (I hope I’m not alone!) in that when speaking …