No seriously, I felt completely liberated
Only one year earlier, I barely made it. My lungs burned, my thoughts were blurry, my head was in such a fog, I wasn’t able to fully appreciate and comprehend the moment.
I was on a free trip as a chaperone for a high school field trip to Machu Picchu with one of my best friends. Of course I tried to get my butt in gear by quitting drinking months/weeks/days before the trip, but I drank the entire way to Cusco, Peru.
Fast forward 10 days with no alcohol, I had survived the 38 mile trek, and was ready to start my new life of sobriety. When I said good bye to the students and forged ahead in what was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime traveling South America, I was dumbfounded to find a drink in my hand only a few hours later.
That six week journey ended up being one of the most exhausting, dangerous, and miserable parts of my life.
The following year, I was fortunate to chaperone the same trip only this time things were different. I arrived in Cusco, Peru at 6:05 am with a distance of almost 8 months from my last drink.
I was eager to get off the plane and start the trek. The taxi driver dropped me off at the hotel where the students were staying and my mind was clear. The previous year, I was drinking only hours before I met the students. This year, I made an effort to get to know the students; and I was having a blast. What was the difference? I removed alcohol from my life.
On the trek, without the affects of withdrawing from alcohol at 13,000 ft, I was a completely different hiker. I would arrive at camp first, drop my bags off, return down the trail and carry bags for the slower hikers. This year I noticed the glaciers on the 15,000 ft peaks across the valley. Were they there last year I wondered? The smell of the Andes was crisp and clean which I didn’t notice the year before. Did I have a stopped up nose last year?
When the students departed, I continued traveling for another 5 weeks and had the experience of a lifetime traveling Peru, Brazil and Argentina.
Why Should You Join?
Take look at yourself in the mirror. In the summer of 2014 before I quit drinking, that alone was extremely difficult. I didn’t recognize the face staring back at me. There I was staring at a person that used to be my best friend, my strongest source of support , my best ally, and I realized I no longer was able to look at myself in the mirror. I asked myself what I wanted more than anything in life at that moment and that was to get my life back. To do that, I knew I had to stop drinking. I was done doing this alone. Why should I do this alone when I don’t have to? The opposite of addiction is connection, and that’s exactly what I’ve found in Café RE. If you open up in Café RE, you’ll find the connection needed to ditch the booze.
Experienced Members
In Café RE, you’ll get advice and tips from members who have been sober for years. From those who have been where you are. They have a tremendous amount of experience to share, but so do you! We have chosen to grow this group slowly, paying attention to who may be a good fit and who may not be. This group may not be for everyone, and that’s okay. Those who realize it’s not about what you GET from the community, but what you can GIVE are the ones we see being the most successful. Those who ask questions, share with others, attend webinars, and get out of their comfort zones are the ones who benefit the most from this private online community.
A Thriving Community Focused on Sobriety
You will find that this group is thriving and full of conversations and discussion on what is working for those who are staying sober. Some members have used 12 step programs and others have never stepped foot into a meeting, but they all have one thing in common: they are serious about quitting drinking and leading a better life. Café RE members are smart, funny, interesting and just plain awesome people that you will enjoy getting to know! New members often express how friendly, open and welcoming the community feels, even more than they expected. We achieve this by fostering a community built on trust and fairness. We have policies in place for a reason, and enforce a “no jerks allowed” policy. We are not afraid of removing people from the community who don’t bring a positive vibe to the community or are downright no fun to have around. We will make a point of getting you plugged in and connected with the community, and all this with the understanding that you want to be here and the expectation that you will put in effort. We know the relationships developed in Café RE go deep and has prompted local and national meet ups so you will have the opportunity to connect with other members in person.
What do members have to say?
“Cafe RE has been the perfect addition to my recovery “toolbox.” It’s nice to have 24/7 access to such a supportive group. It gives you an instant community to let you know that you are not alone in your sobriety journey. I don’t have much time to get out to other types of meetings about recovery so the fact that I can log on to Cafe RE anytime and anywhere has been very helpful in my recovery.” – Alicia, 30, Bellingham, WA
“I’ve been part of several online recovery communities and this one is by far the most supportive. I never feel like someone is commenting just to comment; the people in Café RE genuinely care. The pulse of the group is jovial, and everyone seems to have a positive outlook on life. I tried for a long time to quit drinking without the support, and it didn’t work. I’m not quite ready to attend an AA meeting, so an online recovery community is perfect for me at this moment in my journey.” Richard, 41, Des Moines, IA
” I was so nervous to make my first ost in Café RE, but when I did, I got a flood of encouragement. I was surprised that several other members of the group were also going the similar things which was comforting. I’m gaining more and more confidence in sobriety and life without alcohol is becoming the new norm. I’m not sure if I would have been able to achieve this without Café RE.” Michelle, 51, Fort Wayne, IN
“I wasn’t too sure what to expect when I signed up for Café RE. In fact, the first time I signed up, I canceled within two days because I thought I could do it alone. When I signed up a second time, I was welcomed back into the community with open arms and this time I embraced it. I try to attend as many online webinars since I don’t like to attend AA in my hometown. I know this is something I have to get over, but for the time being, the online webinars are perfect. I like the webinars hosted by professionals such as brain spotting and mediation.” Ericka, 29, Albany, NY
“I was consistently struggling to log more than one week of sobriety. I was in this cycle of getting sober for 5-6 days and then relapse for about one year. In Café RE I was able to get the support needed to hit 43 days of sobriety, and I hope I never have to hit the reset button again. Life is so much better, and the fog is starting to lift” Greg, 39, Charlotte, NC
