When I had my last drink on July 12, 2019, one of my biggest fears was that vacations would suck without booze. Hawaii is most definitely my happy place; my husband Paul and I have been traveling there on an almost annual basis for years. I could not imagine doing so alcohol-free. Many of our Hawaii photos feature island food paired with signature Mai Tais from Mama’s Fish House, Monkeypod Kitchen, Cheeseburger’s, and Tommy Bahamas.
April 20, 2021, was my first return to Hawaii sans alcohol. Even though I had almost two years of sobriety under my belt I was anxious about the trip from the second we got in the Uber to head to the airport. Paul and I were flying to Oahu with my daughter, son-in-law, and their two sets of twins ages four and eight. The world was still dealing with COVID and the added stress of mask requirements and long lines created by vaccination verifications.
Shortly after we arrived at the Sacramento International I ran up to a little boy I thought was my grandson Jaxson to give him a big hug, practically tackling him to the ground. I realized too late the child wasn’t Jaxson. (In my defense, the masks made it difficult to distinguish one child from another.) My daughter Lindsay was horrified. Thank goodness, the other kid and his parents thought it was rather humorous.
Because there were no rental cars on the island (again courtesy of COVID) we decided to preorder grocery delivery service and when we arrived at our hotel, our cupboards and refrigerator were stocked with almost everything we needed for the week, including a few non-alcoholic options. We now make this a habit when we come to any of the islands. It saves time and mutual spousal tension in the grocery store after a long flight.
Once we settled in and were seated in a lovely restaurant, Lindsay and Jason order Mai Tais, I felt a bit envious and somewhat left out, but when my beautifully crafted club soda with a splash of pineapple, muddled jalapenos, lime, edible orchid with a salt rim was delivered the jealousy disappeared and I was transported into island bliss.
Paul and I had a nice balance of spending time with the kids and grandkids, sometimes together, sometimes just Paul and me. We shared some meals, attended a luau, swam in the pool, and spent time at the beach. We babysat to give Lindsay and Jason a date night. Paul and I made time for just the two of us, including going on walks, taking naps and reading. I stuck to my morning routine of writing, reading, and meetings. There was no drama, no resentment, no nights where I embarrassed myself or my family. I didn’t flip out when the pricey matching Hawaiian outfits I bought everyone for THE perfect holiday card didn’t go quite as planned. (Lindsay’s dress looked like the muumuus my mother chose as her daily attire; Rylan’s dress was too itchy for her; Jaxson’s shirt hung down to his knees, and we weren’t allowed to take our masks off for the pics with Maui and Moana.) Despite any minor setbacks the whole trip was magical.
Paul and I have been back to Maui and Kauai twice and are planning another trip this Fall. I love my sober travel more than I ever imagined. I feel like I have an extra 50% more time added on to each trip compared to when I was drinking, trying to figure out how I would sneak to the store to get my wine fix, or make excuses to go to the restaurant bar, hide that extra bottle or waste hours recovering from a hangover. Instead, we take full advantage of beach time. We visit aquariums and lighthouses. We zipline. We enjoy each other’s company. We truly take in the local culture. We stop at local shops to enjoy the best espressos courtesy of Kona roasters. We eat at our favorite restaurants or try new ones. We get to see sunrises and sunsets. We never argue about my drinking.
Island life is so much better on this side of alcohol.
6 Tips to Aloha
· If traveling with others, schedule in some downtime.
· Preplan what you want to drink or create your own signature drink.
· Check out menus to see if they offer n/a options.
· Take advantage of delivery services.
· Get plenty of rest and exercise.
· Stick to at least some of your morning routines for consistency to keep yourself grounded.
