Andee's 2 Years of Sobriety

I love to garden and I love heirloom seeds. I dream all winter long about where I’m going to plant cut flowers and trellised vines. What I’ve learned is that you plant and water, and then you have to wait. And wait, and wait.

On June 3, 2023, I celebrated two years of sobriety. And, like a long-awaited flower, it was so, incredibly, worth it. Sometimes you don’t visibly see or feel the growth, but one morning you’ll wake up and look back and think about how everything has transformed for the better.

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On the afternoon of  June 3, 2021, I celebrated with my colleagues on the completion of a year-long project. It was one of my proudest moments in my professional career and I was surrounded with peers I greatly admired. The sun was shining, music was playing and cocktails were flowing.

It was fun until it wasn’t. Have you been there too?

The next day I just had a different feeling. A new chapter was starting.  After years of attempting moderation and creating rules I couldn’t follow. The time felt right.

Okay, how did I do it? 

I have some tips here in my sobriety basket. Would you like to see? 

First, plant a seed and wait. So many books are going to tell you to ‘feel your feelings’ and find your authentic self. But I find that if you hang out with yourself long enough, some pretty lovely/ funny/interesting/weird pieces of your personality will naturally come out. I promise you will like what you learn. The free time, clarity and good sleep create the perfect environment for your true self to emerge. It’s really beautiful.

Second, I like to meet friends for breakfast! I have always been a morning person. Meeting a good friend for breakfast before a day of work can set you off on a path of positivity like no other! Finding friends that fill your cup and are willing to meet you early in the morning is more fun than you might think. Find a close, affordable, breakfast spot, my favorite is Denny's! 

Third, lean into those interests that you start finding yourself drawn to! I started watching K-dramas and C-dramas on Netflix. These  are some of the most interesting fantasy/romance/intrigue/historical and humorous shows in existence.  In the winter of 2021 I watched SEVENTY hour-long episodes of ‘The Rise of the Phoenixes’ and the finale will haunt me for the rest of my life.  

What does this have to do with sobriety? Not much. Just find something cool to do that you haven’t tried. I’m a shy introvert, this worked for me!

Fourth, you don’t have to tell ANYONE you are auditioning sobriety. I became a proper James Bond for a while with people outside of my inner circle. It wasn’t their business. Protect yourself! I took a break from networking events. In reflection, I had so many tense made-up conversations in my head and zero of them actually happened. 

Finally, buy yourself fresh fruit and flowers! Do you have any idea the money you’re about to save by going alcohol-free? Surrounding myself with beautiful, healthy things was a constant reminder of the gorgeous path that I was on. 

I love this new life. Don’t give up. It’s worth it. 

For my anniversary I wanted to make a list of good things that came from 2 years of sobriety. Here are my blooms:

• Quality time with my daughter
• Extra silliness with my daughter
• Being fully present with my daughter
• Giving full attention to my daughter
• Starting a graduate program in something I was passionate about
• Getting a 3.95 GPA in the graduate program because I was fully immersed
• Meeting new people through this graduate program that were amazing
• Buying  a small house on my own
• Time alone to journal and process
• Long walks in the morning and the evening
• The best sleep of my life
• The best looking skin of my life
• Meeting the love of my life

Looking out onto my garden this morning, I have some tiny sprouts and decent sunflowers. I don’t think I would have been able to enjoy the long wait of this garden pre-sobriety. But now, I love slow-living. Enjoying what I have, and being thankful for everything.

Andee Marley, Co-Founder, Loren's Alcohol-Free Beverages

PS: the beautiful label on French Bloom represents a seed. 🌱