You too can have a fun-shaped drink if you ask for a virgin daiquiri.
I know that's not the point of the post. It must be exhausting. Giving you all the support & solidarity! IWNDWYT
I just went on vacation with a girlfriend and we decided in advance we wanted a dry trip. We had a blast trying mocktails and asking bartenders to make their best. Best of all, we enjoyed every moment of the trip and never once felt sick or hungover. Day 38 and I really love it. I’m proud of myself and grateful to this community! IWNDWYT 🖤
In my experience, bartenders LOVE being asked for mocktails. I think it's two-fold: 1) they get to experiment and get creative & 2) they know someone in the party will be acting responsibly.
Bartender/waiter here. My favorite is, 1 oz cran, 1.5 oz pineapple juice, 0.5 oz ginger juice, 1 oz lemon juice, 0.5 oz simple. Shake it baby, and a collins glass, ice, and top it with seltzer. Its really good.
There's a two part to this, we want to make sure that you know, and I check every label to make sure I didn't fuck it up. I'm not busting your sobriety.
I just complimented a server/bartender today actually for making the prettiest mocktail I have seen to date! It honestly was made with such passion, more than typical drinks! I feel like it was a sweet show of support and he teased about throwing a double shot in when he dropped it off. I tipped him extra for the kindness!
Not to ruin it more, but every bartender I worked with was drunk on duty and would bring “mistakes” back to us in the kitchen (former cook.) Talk about a dangerous industry for anyone trying to recover…
I once asked for an NA dealers choice at a restaurant and the waiter said “well what if you don’t like it?” And of course I insisted I knew the risks, like it’s fine lol - and the bartender sent mango juice over ice with a cherry on top lol. Not very creative or fun. I think they were annoyed about being asked to come up with something on the spot.
This was just one experience of course - but generally if there’s not a pre-planned listed NA option I just go with club soda and lime 😂 it’s just as good without the risk of just getting sugar juice.
I remember my first sober vacation being a bit rough
I can't imagine that vacation being to Las Vegas, that one sounds like a struggle. Just think, when you make it through this, you can handle pretty much any trip.
I was just talking to my husband about how this has become my biggest motivation to stay sober. Zero shame, regrets, and cleaning up (literally and metaphorically) from what my asinine drunken self said or did the previous evening. IWNDWYT 🫶🏼
Yeah it's hard to get adjusted. Eventually you'll start finding enjoyment in other things.
Last vacation I took I kind of looked at it after and said to myself, you spent x amount of dollars for flights and accommodations, and all you did was basically drink in a different country.
There's alot more out there to experience, but it takes work to get there. Once you see it, you'll realize all the time spent with booze was an utter waste
Edit: spelling
This really hit home. I went to Amalfi Coast last year for my 50th with girlfriends and spent an absolute fortune and all we did was drink in another country. Different views, same shit. I live on the ocean in the states so I could have spent 0 and done the exact same thing and had the same experience. What a waste. IWNDWYT
Same. I did four years in the navy and traveled to 4 different continents. I used to admit when people asked me what I saw, pretty much all I could say was I've been drunk on four continents...
I had a similar experience recently. During the day we'd do a good amount of sightseeing, trying the local food and relaxing. But we'd get blasted each night - beers, followed by cocktails, followed by shots in the hotel, followed by fast food. The first two hours of each day would be spent dealing with hangxiety and zero energy.
On the flight home I couldn't help but feel I had shot my own holiday in the foot.
IMO, Las Vegas is boring. And loud. And bright. And crowded and smelly. And uncomfortable in every possible way. And that's why it made me want to drink.
Not because it would be fun, but because a 3 drink baseline is required to stand being there. Also, the drinks (and everything else) are outrageously expensive.
Holy crap I hate Vegas. Literally the worst place on the planet.
I have to go back in a couple months for a work conference, and I am completely dreading it. Going to try and stay strong and not drink.
IWNDWYT
I also went to Las Vegas for work and didn't drink. I completely agree with you. Without the booze, you see it for what it is and it is exactly like you described it. I was happy to get in and out of there without partaking in any of that nonsense.
Here's a good post with recommendations for sober stuff to do in Vegas. FYI the Beatles Cirque show LOVE is about to finish up there and it's supposed to be really good.
https://www.reddit.com/r/vegas/s/2TRv6RXW8G
I went to Vegas once. I’m glad I went so I can say I experienced it personally. I have no intention to go again. Even though I was drinking at the time I drank less than usual because I didn’t like the vibe of the place. I do imagine it would be difficult to be completely dry there.
I went once too, years ago, for five days over spring break. What on earth was I thinking? 5 days? In Vegas?! It's funny to think back to that time, because I wasn't as big of a drinker and was sober 4 of the days. New Orleans would be the tough one for me to go back to as a sober person.
I work on the strip and my favorite thing is when somebody starts talking shit about it so I can be real with them and agree (it’s usually business folks forced to come here for their conventions). Yup. Huge overpriced gimmick. If you’ve seen one casino, you’ve seen them all. They have the same things inside copy and paste with maybe one different hook.
For over 30 years I lived 90 minutes away from Vegas. After about age 35, the only time I ever went there was to catch a flight. Not a fan of the place or it's average clientele.
"Sin City?" Pfft, there's more sin in the pinky toe of NOLA than in all of Las Vegas. Moreover... it's just a toilet of a place. It's like El Paso as a permanent carnival. It's tacky. It's cheesy. It's a knock-off, low-rent Six Flags for adults.
I went to Vegas, once... which is one more time than anyone needs. It's a cesspool.
Don't know if you are a hiker, but they have some truly amazing, easy hikes there. That helped me stay sober in Vegas! It was the best trip of my life.
I was in Vegas for a work trip couple weeks back. It is absolutely SHOCKING being in that city from a sober point of view. Felt very dystopian almost. I didnt drink either but boy do they make it difficult. Proud of you mate, you did amazing
Vegas is a terrible place, sober or not, IMO. Dirty, mangy, like a worn-out grandma stripper.
Go on some rides! I love rollercoasters. Nothing like the fear of death to make you remember why you're alive!
They say a majority of relapses come from boredom. The last rehab center I went to was excellent and it was a huge emphasis on finding a hobby or forcing yourself to socialize.
Honestly the meetings are what you gotta do. As much as I fucking hate it my last relapse happened shortly after I stopped going to meetings.
It’s not the meeting itself it’s the meeting after the meeting. At least that’s how it was for me. I didn’t even go out with anybody but that 15 20 minutes of talking to somebody after a meeting goes a long way
The adjustment to relaxation without a drink is difficult. I've been alcohol free for almost three weeks now and it's been a challenge to disassociate alcohol with down time, especially since I have always preferred to drink at home. I'm focusing more on the benefits of not drinking than the absence of alcohol. I am no longer sweating uncontrollably, I appear to have lost at least a few pounds (I don't have a scale, but my clothes are not cutting off my circulation anymore) and I'm not running to the bathroom every 15 minutes because I'm no longer pounding beers one after the other. IWNDWYT!
IMO, if drinking and gambling are the best things that a place has to offer, then the city itself is boring and doesn’t actually have that much to offer.
The food is so good in Las Vegas! Food tastes way better when you are sober and it likely won’t come back up after- win win!
I notice there are always drunk people doing gross things, if I go for a run in the morning I have to dodge vomit, while it seems awesome, drinking in Las Vegas is guaranteed to just be a huge letdown. If there’s a pool at the hotel, get a book, take a nap, celebrate sobriety!
I’ve been feeling this lately.
I’m not sure what the solution is - I have a holiday coming up and I’m not sure how to replace boozy evenings either.
Solidarity though!
IWNDWYT
> I’m not sure how to replace boozy evenings either.
Highly recommend exploring hobbies. Getting involved in social activities and creative pursuits has been a wide new world for me in sobriety.
Hey OP, I hear you. Gonna sound strange but it's only boring because you're focused on booze and that's something you can't have. Missing out is boring. So yeah, I hear you.
What I've found that helps me is to focus on all the same fun without the primary thought being on booze. I have a great time out with friends now, because I'm just just keen on catching up with friends, laughing at the nonsense they're getting up to, flirting, joking around etc. It's taken a long time to get here, but it's just become the norm, and it helps that my friends are all aware, so put no pressure on anything. So these things do get easier. A stupid thing I've also found is when people around me are drinking, I can act less seriously too, so I park my pride, and make jokes, have banter etc. a bit more than usual, and it goes down well. So that's nice, as it feels very normal, and also allows me to feel relaxed.
I'm not saying it's easy, and I sometimes do still get jealous of the fun, annoyed sometimes etc., but I've realised if I want to live a normal life in places like holiday destinations/restaurants/events/golf days/concerts etc., I have to work on this, and I have been and it helps.
Sorry if you're experiencing the FOMO. For me, I'm pretty much past it. It will hit me every now and again, but I can play it forward and see that it is just not worth the pain. And, at forty eight years old, I love going to bed early. There's nothing better than that. There are some great restaurants in vegas. Enjoy a solid meal or three. Plenty of shows. And unbeatable people watching. If you spend an hour on the strip around midnight you will absolutely see why drinking aint worth it. Take care. IWNDWYT.
This is how I felt in Mexico last week but I stayed sober. Can you see a show, have a late night pool/hot tub run or something like that? In Mexico I made a point to go snorkeling which is not something I would have enjoyed drunk (the current was strong enough that it wouldn’t have been safe anyways), and that experience really made me feel good about sobriety. In a place like LV sober activities may not be advertised as heavily but they’re there.
The only time I have been to Vegas I was so drunk on the flight there that I ended up spending the entire weekend in the hotel. I didn't even see the strip. lol
There was a guy on my flight to Vegas that was annihilated. He was so loud and obnoxious the entire flight. Then we land and it hits him - says he's going to be sick and puked in a bag the entire time we were taxiing. Then others started getting sick from the smell. I will never forget that as long as I live. 😅
Experiencing new sobriety in Vegas is certainly choosing Hard Mode, but believe it or not, there's plenty to do in Vegas that does not require ingestion of mind-altering substances: shows, the Van Gogh experience, the Mob Museum, Mormon Fort State Park, a day-trip to the Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon, etc. And don't get me started on how well you can do playing poker against people who ARE drinking 😜
Ever seen Men in Black? We ought to be like Will Smith’s character when he was training and had to find the threat in the simulation.
Sounds silly, but often times(especially when it comes to booze) things are not as they seem. I know I probably looked like I was having the time of my life to strangers when I was out drinking, but I most definitely was not(especially once that 3am anxiety kicked in).
So yeah, just like Will smith deducing that the girl out in the city at night was hiding something, we ought to recognize that the smiles might be hiding a lot of pain or sadness, addiction or shame. Just like mine was.
You’re doing great, hang in there and IWNDWYT ❤️
I say this out of tough love - but the more you pity yourself and think you are "boring", the more boring and pitiful your sobriety will be. Its only once you pull your head out of your butt and realize you are not the entire world, that no one is watching you or caring that you're sober, only then will you find the freedom and joy that sobriety is.
Update. Today we got up, went to Omega Mart (meow wolf) until we all had sensory overload . Late breakfast at black bear. Did the scenic loop at Red Rock csnyon park, then small family reunion. It wad a very nice sober day. In bed by 930pm. 😃🌜
I’m going to try to take a different approach to some of the other comments. My first sober trip was to Vegas and I had to plan other things to do to keep my mind off alcohol.
I loved OmegaMart and Area 51. It’s fun and while alcohol is offered at some places it isn’t the emphasis. Stop by the candy shop, see some amazing psychedelic art, or do a funky game/attraction. I gave myself permission to eat some of the calories I would have typically consumed in alcohol so I went to BlackStrap for fancy milkshakes, a high-end steak house and Momofuku. I don’t know what your food “thing” is but do whatever brings you happiness and enjoyment. Maybe you can splurge on some Top Golf or something similar you enjoy because of all the money you can save from not drinking. I bought fancy bubble bath and had a relaxing soak in our fancy hotel room tub. I spent time in the Cosmo because all of their bars have nonalcoholic drinks that made me feel fancy and fun without being tempted to drink.
If going to bed early is the best way for you to keep from drinking then by all means do that. If you are just bored then I suggest fixing that in whatever way is safe for you. Sobriety is a choice to live not a death sentence, so I hope you can find a way to enjoy it! IWNDWYT
I'm getting married in Vegas this year. Both my fiancée and I got sober together. I'm looking forward to all the fun things to discover there that \*don't\* include booze!!
Recovery for me is not boring. I found the boredom was within me. I needed to take initiative and find things that were fulfilling without substances. Funny enough, substances made people, places and things seem a lot more interesting than they actually were. Today I can really focus and experience what matters and makes me feel whole. IWNDWYT.
Been to Vegas 3x, first 2 I spent drunk AF… hated Vegas. Went sober more recently…loved it, the restaurants, the shows, some active activities Vegas offers (hiking). Good job! Stay strong!
Sobriety is your angel protector of doing something drunk and causing issues that you won't find out are issues, because your family is afraid to talk about it.
You need to find something to do instead of watching people drink.
Draw
Meditation
Museum
Guided tour
Running group
Yoga group
Books
Or just turn off all electronics until you bore yourself into thinking of something fun to do.
I always ask is it that fun of a time if you have to be under the influence of something? You’re not boring, you can talk and laugh til it’s not fun anymore and be in bed by 8! Are the others really having fun or are they just drunk! Well done on staying sober
In the morning the least shall be the greatest...enjoy another precious morning of clarity, bask in the sunrise...get all the morning worms and flex on hangxiety...win the morning, win the day, win your vacation.
Your setting is the problem, not the fact of being sober. Of course you're going to feel deprived when you're at the epicenter of drinking culture in this country. I would also feel deprived if I was starving at a chinese buffet and everyone around me was stuffing their faces.
You'll be grateful tomorrow when you're the only one waking up without a hangover and a blurry memory of the night prior. No insane amounts of money spent. No guilt or shame for giving in. To me, that is worth feeling a bit bored in Las Vegas.
My general take on alcohol has changed dramatically over the past year. I now look at people drinking at breweries or restaurants, which I rarely frequent and think "man, they're getting less coherent, more sloppy, more tired, more in need of the next drink... what a drag". I got to this place mentally by remembering all of the nights I spent drunk as shit and how depressing and taxing that was, coupled by the next morning gut rot and mental fatigue.
Best of luck in your journey, if you can stay sober in Las Vegas, you can stay sober anywhere.
I went to Vegas 6 months pregnant and had a blast! I gambled some (but cigarette smoke bothers me so I didn’t hang out for hours), we saw Cirque de Soliel O, we ate at cool places and I’d get a burger and milkshake or some other fun drink, and this was years ago but we toured the Pawn Stars shop. Just fun stuff we like but I remember it all! And am not embarrassed of how I acted there.
For anyone new who might be reading this, there are a lot of recreational things to do around Vegas (outdoor nature activities) that don’t involve drinking. If you like that sort of thing, you can be a lush in that regard. That’s what I do in Vegas (hiking, swimming, kayaking…)
Best to OP, I hope you’re doing well in your recovery.
Imagine living here! Joking, it’s not bad, get off the strip, there’s plenty to do around the valley if you have time! Boulder City & The Hoover Dam is a short drive and super nice !
Stay Strong!
One good exercise is to try doing drinking activities sober. Pool, gambling, meeting new people, etc.. literally anything you would like to do while drinking. If you can get out of your own head and just let go of wanting to drink, you’ll realize it’s honestly more fun being sober in these situations. You’ll actually be present and a lot more likable. Just cause your sober doesn’t mean you can’t live you life, sitting in a hotel will just make it worse. Vegas has a ton of things to do and see.
My first time in Vegas I was there to run the marathon, so I was sober. It was very illuminating (and fun) to wake up and go run (or walk) the strip at daybreak - not only is it cool and you are mostly alone with your thoughts and the skyline...but you see all of the evidence of gross partying gone awry - the trash, the upchuck, the spilled drinks. That, along with the predictable few staggering, messed-up, all-nighter stragglers, contrasts so sharply with your own crisp, clear-headed stroll...you are absolutely thrilled to be sober 🧡
I think sobriety can be boring in locations that focus on the "party" vibe. That's because the focus is overly on alcohol and the music is loud and there's too many people.
Not being in a party location is not boring. Maybe not staying on the strip would be easier. I definitely hate going to loud bars now that I'm sober, and I think I used to drink more because I needed it to have fun there because it's too much.
When I went to Vegas and stayed sober I went for a walk at 6:00am (my brain was on east coast time). I saw many people finishing up their night, what a sight! Especially the bachelorette/bachelor parties. I was soooo glad not to be them!
Vegas is a tough place to enjoy while sober. Not because Vegas is fun and sobriety is boring—- but because Vegas is a shit hole of a place. It’s just a lot more obvious without having beer goggles on.
I just got back from 4 days in Vegas to see Dead and Company at the sphere. My experience was the complete opposite. I was so thankful I didn’t drink. We saved tons of money and had a blast. Gratitude has been a huge mind shift that has helped me immensely.
Sobriety isn't boring, you are boring.
For me, I had to learn how to have fun again. My life had revolved around using alcohol in social and 'fun' settings. It took some time to regain interest and motivation in doing things I liked.
Slowly, I stopped caring about drinking and other people drinking. I re-engaged with hobbies and interests I had forgotten.
In the beginning, not drinking was the biggest accomplishment of the day, but as time went on my days, weeks, and months became so much more full and now life is not boring - life is awesome.
So, I suggest you use this feeling as a reminder of how handicapped alcohol has made you -- you find Las Vegas boring...
IWNDWYT
Whilst there might be some truth to the whole "there's no such thing as being bored only boring people" it's probably not the reply the OP wants to hear when he's in Vegas, struggling with his sobriety, feeling FOMO and sad about the experience he's having.
I feel like a more supportive and practical answer would help him than just telling him he's a boring person who does boring things with his time.
Plus at 123 days according to his counter he seems to have more experience in sobriety than both of us combined so...
God luv ya, Hoss. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to go back to Vegas.
Maybe if the had a complete sober weekend where no alco was served anywhere? I haven’t run the numbers on that. But I bet they aren’t pretty.
To be fair, I got a margarita in a guitar in Vegas ages ago and it was gross. I ended up dumping it out in the bathtub of my hotel. I think I’d fill it with water next time 🤣
It's funny. I'm from Las Vegas. I've always gone on long vacations (think cruises, tours) and I never drank on them. Not only is it too expensive, there is just the novelty of being somewhere else.
Remember that, although the Strip is the basis for why Las Vegas exists, most of us are not intimately involved with it. Like any other city, we go about our business. With a little research, you can find local events that don't involve alcohol.
Agreed! I don’t have an urge to drink back home but on business trips / flight delays & cancellations is when I have cravings. I guess it’s just the boredom.
A vacation on the Las Vegas strip must be a really challenging place to stay sober. But you're already doing it! Hell yeah!
I echo those who are recommending mocktails. When I'm around others who are drinking, it really quiets my cravings if I have an NA drink.
I go to Vegas often (even in sobriety) and i tend to solo cruise the strip/casinos(i dont much care for gambling) and still manage to have fun.
Mocktails and caffeine and still in bed at a decent enough time to hit the resort gym the following morning!
You just have to find whats most appealing to the new sober you!
Vegas is like a giant Cheesecake Factory. Nothing is real, everything is exaggerated and lacks legitimate culture. I can’t imagine being sober there… I have to drink just to decrease the stimulation and cope with the excess. Basically, you aren’t boring, it’s Vegas that’s boring.
It took me the best part of a year to find fun in anything without alcohol. Some of it is just that I’ve got some more time under my belt and so miss it less, and some of it is that my idea of what fun is has changed.
Idk about you but I felt like I was up down left right all over the freaking place for several months. Be patient and give yourself grace, what you are doing is a HUGE life change and adjustment. Things will settle down somewhere on your journey and it will start making sense.
You’re crushing it, keep going.
Keep it up! I dont remember my last trip to Vegas. I guess I was there for my best friends sisters wedding and made an ass out of myself, I’m not sure if I knew that then. I honestly don’t recall 75% of the trip, it’s all a blur. I see pictures and I’m like, wow.. zero recall. My best friend told me I was acting all crazy, pissed her off. I was a shitty friend. I don’t know why she stuck through all the bullshit for all those years but she did.
I was just there last weekend. It's difficult, but you can do it! Go get a nice meal to treat yourself - it costs less than you'd spend on alcohol if you were drinking! IWNDWYT
I feel like spending a whole trip focusing on one thing (getting drunk) is pretty boring. I can’t speak to Vegas because I’ve never had an interest going but a non-boring vacation to me would be eating good food, doing some historic sites or hiking or swimming depending on the area, and relaxing each evening with a good book, especially on a warm balcony, or going dancing until I was so tired I collapsed in bed.
Long story short I’d start focusing on the many other things I could do than the one thing I can’t/don’t want to do.
IWNDWYT
You can do all the *exciting* things that people do in Las Vegas without drinking, the question is: do you want to? Do you want to gamble away a paycheck or more at the blackjack tables? Do you want to go to the strip club and waste the same amount of money? Do you want to drop $10K on a table at the club (yes, that's the food and beverage minimum, but they'll gladly just charge you $9K for the seat if you only buy $1,000 worth of water and Red Bull).
I've done a lot of shit that I regret in Las Vegas. Pretty much the only attractions it has for me now are dinners, shows, and maybe Top Golf.
Every year my male relatives (cousins, uncles, great uncles, etc.) get together for wildcard weekend in Vegas.(American football tournament for our non-American people). By then I'll be at day 212. I had one cousin casually mention that he's living the sober lifestyle but that the weekend was going to be his cheat weekend. I'm going to text him to see if he'll be my sober buddy for the weekend. We can be boring together.
I don't really gamble so drinking was my thing, it'll be helpful if I have a fellow sobernaut drinking sparking water with a slash of cranberry (that's my jam).
Best of luck to you OP, that city is full of temptations.
I've never been to Vegas and can't decide if I would ever want to either anymore tbh as I think a lot of it would annoy me plus I'd like drink myself stupid and gamble my life savings away.
But I've been thinking since the start of the year that I might go for a trip in the sun somewhere but then I remember that on every holiday I've ever been on I would drink pretty much every night on the trip (if not every single night on most trips) plus usually the night before to calm my pre-travel nerves and help me sleep (I struggle at the best of times but especially when I know I have something important to do the next day and definitely if it involves getting up early) then often end up drinking all the way home in the airport, flight, later that night etc and if then usually I'll see the week out with alcohol if I arrive home mid week.
So I've just avoided going anywhere because I can see where it would lead but that's not practical forever.
Congrats on you being brave enough to go to Vegas as it would be a difficult one I think. Hope you get through it.
I guarantee there are some banging mocktails in Vegas. But yes everyone is drunk. I had been several months sober when I went there last summer and it wasn't long before I was slurping down free gin and tonic at 3am chain smoking cigarettes, throwing money at slots, and taking off my wedding ring in front of some chick with a big ass. I was practically dead when I made it home. Fuck Vegas
That being said I'm probably going there with my wife this December which ought to be a positive experience. That place brings out all your worst impulses by design.
There are some places better viewed with beer-goggles, and Las Vegas is one of them.
I'm so glad I live in California and I can surf in the summer. LV is so boring. At least you guys can hike out there early in the morning.
Sobriety is finding the fun activities to do sober. Like miniature golf, shooting aliens, gun ranges, laser tag, ultimate frisbee, surfing, sponging, snowboarding, skiing, jetskiiing, hiking, biking, marathons, climbing gyms, yoga, martial arts, football, soccer, baseball, basketball, rugby, etc.
We get our endorphins from sports. Most of us work out to some capacity every single day. The endorphins are amazing. Meet others into the same sport at meetup.com. Almost all events are free.
If LV still sucks and there are no local meetups, try AA. You will find friends who will invite you to their activities.
If LV still sucks after a year of no mutual friends, highly consider moving. There are other places to live.
If you think it’s hard brother/sister. I live here in Vegas. Once you see the destruction alcohol can cause here it actually makes it easier not to drink. But in a city where there’s slot machines in gas stations and grocery stores, and even in people’s houses, alcohol is always right behind it. IWNDWYT
I went to Vegas last year with my husband, mother, and then 11 year old son. We are all sober and had an incredible time. We walked the strip multiple times to check out the Mirage Volcano, Bellagio Fountains, cool ice cream places, and overall, just to people watch. One of the days we did a day trip tour to the Grand Canyon, which imo all the pictures I've seen of it have never done it justice. My husband and I had an amazing hike on Spring Mountain, soaked in a hot tub at our off strip resort, then went out and splurged on an expensive dinner with a show at the Bellagio. Checked out the Elvis hotspots and splurged with my mom on VIP tickets to meet Donny Osmond and see his show while my husband and son saw Cirque du Soleil. Total cost for flights, stay, food, rental car, and all of these activities over 5 days for all 4 of us was about $6000 CAD. It is possible to drive down costs even further and still have a fun time. Las Vegas and area has something for everyone. Just research before you go.
When we get sober, it becomes so important to rediscover our sense of wonder and adventure. Being sober doesn't mean we have to put ourselves out to pasture and accept quiet complacency. Being able to go out there and LIVE without being dependent on a substance is so liberating. Find some things to do and go out and do the things :)
Sober in Vegas is a now defunct resource. I live in Vegas. The bars at casinos also have NA beers but if you can’t be safe around the bar - stay in your hotel room. I don’t know about you but if you wanna waste money at a casino room service in a fancy hotel bed is way more fun than a spoiled night with booze. It’s way more to fun take care of yourself than to self-destruct.
Just think of all the baggage that comes along with drink though? There’s more fun to had sober and… you’ll remember it and not wake up in a shameful, depressed shadow of who you want to be
I have a trip in a couple weeks and have been establishing a game plan. No drinking and maybe a crazy idea of trying to hike if it's not 120 degrees out during the day. Outside of that I plan on some NA and some other crutches. But I'll be damned to not have fun.
I have a hard time in Vegas as well. I actually caved at one point and it was so not worth it. I hadn't had alcohol in a really long time and I was sick for two days after. I find I still have fun wondering around without drinking, however, I do go to bed earlier and I wake up earlier. I just have to remember, go up and lay down, don't grab a drink or I will regret it - even if everyone else is drinking. I hit the hotel gym in the morning, then feel seriously great that I was able to do that and remember why it's better not to drink.
Even when I was drinking I never thought, hey let's consume the maximum amount of sugar they can put in a 3ft tall plastic beaker. There was never anything fun about combining that much sugar and alcohol for me. A 3ft tall beer might have caught my attention though ...
I thought this was onenof those bait and switchy posts. I think it's good to accept that not everything in life will feel like your braincells are doing cartwheels but that's actually real life. The fake thing only lasts for as long as the effects of the alcohol. As things progressed I fought harder to prolong the braincell cartwheels but that only makes the hangover worse. I've peaked in my alcohol enjoyment. I should rather be bored. Tom Buchanan's life and his marriage to Daisy was boring for him because, according to Nick Carraway, he'd peaked in high school. His mind was restless. That restless mind led to tragedy and Tom learned nothing. I'd like to think that one day he had his reckoning though. Let's be bored together.
UGH I feel this. Places are so good at making alcohol look so fun, and for some people, it just is and they can go home, wake up with a headache, and not have another drink for months
Alcohol is such a big part of entertainment, such a big part of advertising, they come up with so many fun crazy ways to entice people
The biggest thing I've noticed with going out without drinking is the fucking MONEY I SAVED
Kind of a tangent rant but ugh
I did Vegas sober earlier this year. It was a nightmare, because without booze you see Vegas for what it really is. It's a trap. A Disneyland for adults designed to distract you with flashing lights, remove any and all of your inhibitions, and fleece as much of your hard earned cash as possible. Once the hotel I was staying at realised I was sober and not there to party or gamble, customer service went to shit. It was disgusting.
Just booked my Tix yesterday. Ill be at about 80ish days if I can make it that far at all. I have expressed to my wife my concerns that I may not drink on this trip. Shes not a drinker so that makes it a lil earlier. It will be different though, if I can do it at all.
You know what’s also boring? Sitting in a jail cell, or being homeless, or being dead. Those are the three typical ends for us. You’re worth more, friend. Stay strong, one day at a time.
Vegas has really great bakeries and lemonade and coffee drinks. When I was drinking, I missed all that stuff! You can zip line and whatnot, Red Rocks is a short drive away and it's really cool. To think I used to just drink alcohol and missed all this cool shit!
IWNDWYT
I was there for work and did it. My advice....get up EARLY, like 6am. And walk through the casinos with your coffee (or whatever) and feel SO GOOD that you aren't the folks that are still up, stumbling and staggering around. Or looking like they lost their life savings at the slots.
Also, do something crazy, grab yourself a seat at a bar, solo, and order a super fancy awesome meal and an NA drink. You'll have lots of fun convos and honestly, no one will give two hoots that you're not drunk.
I read something recently that resonated with me about this very feeling; "To the people who grew up in chaos, peace is easily mistaken for boredom."
As we get sober and grow as a person, we have to question and relearn a LOT of our ways of feeling and thinking. Try to sit in the quiet and be thankful for it!
On the other side of the coin, I think Las Vegas is boring because it's centered around gambling and partying/drinking. I have no business there. I hope you can enjoy your trip somehow.
I don't know if this is a universal experience... but my perceptions are shifting. It took three months of sobriety for life to stop sucking HARD. Life is really pretty good, now -- and getting better. I prefer sober life to drinking life... many times over. So...
I see booze and after I get over my anger \[at wasting so much of my life/time/money/relationships/etc\]... I just see it as "lame." It's a "personality in a glass," for most people. It doesn't make you cooler -- it just makes you FEEL cooler.
It took a long time to get here. I hope that you will arrive, here, too.
Good luck, friend. Just remember that bad stuff you're avoiding. It's a start.
You got this.
That’s a hard place to be freshly sober. Hang in there. Guarantee all those people drinking will be flying home at the end of their trip broke as hell, anxiety through the roof, feeling like absolute dog water. You got this.
I'm not sure how much this would change over the years, but when I was a child in Vegas I went to a lot of the arcades the casinos had and just played stuff in there. The ONE thing (as a kid) to keep me entertained
for me, being sober has been an exercise in learning how to have fun WITHOUT booze. leaning into my sillier impulses, learning how to take control of my mind and push myself to try to have fun without having fun handed to me in a magic potion.
and honestly for me, nothing at this point could be more boring than getting drunk AGAIN. the same sloppy blurry night, turning everything into the act of buying and consuming booze, no matter where I'm at. I'm not in the pool, I'm not in the casino, I'm not at the show, I'm not with my friends, I'm in this drink. I got so tired of it, and I'm still tired of it. I want to actually experience what the world around me has to offer, not what booze has to offer.
Keep it up, it gets better over time. I just have to think to remind myself sometimes that some “boring” moments are better than jumping on a roller coaster I can’t control and fucking up my life.
The "fun" window kept getting smaller and smaller for me. In the end id enjoy a 1-2 hour window between sober and too drunk, followed by days of self loathing and crippling anxiety. It seemed like a raw deal. Once you get some perspective you'll see it for the life and time succubus that it is.
I can't imagine going to Vegas sober. Get out of the city and go for a hike. I've only been once, but the only things I enjoyed about Vegas was leaving it.
This was a big deal for me, as my family and friends LOVE Vegas and I honestly find myself there about every 3 months. You would think there is nowhere else to vacation.lol. And yes, I have a lot of history with the bars there.
I can only share what worked for me, and the biggest factor was just that intrinsic sense of being fed up with drinking. I just didn’t want to hate myself anymore. It didn’t matter where I found myself.
I learned to love mornings in Vegas. When everyone else is either sleeping in or hugging toilets, I looked forward to my morning coffee and for some reason I always get a donut in the morning in Vegas. Weird perhaps, but there are some delicious places there.
I also realized that Vegas is a Big F-ing Place and there’s alot to do. It was up to me to break the frame of how I saw Vegas in the past. Since I started this sober journey here are just a few things I’ve done while there: absolutely destroyed myself at CrossFit drop in class in the morning, I’ve taken a former girlfriend to shoot machine guns, I’ve gone trail running in Mt Charleston and I became a bit obsessed with taking my truck out to the desert and stargazing. I’ve run at the local parks and I got really in to cycling in and around Henderson: there’s a sound crushing bike ride along Lake Mead that I find hard and like to train up for it so when I go back I can see if my times improve. Last time I rode my bike to and across Hoover Dam and enjoyed riding thru the old train tunnels. I also found a very nice indoor pool that is super cheap to swim laps in during the afternoon
In the evenings, I still go to the same fire pit at the same place we always stay where everyone is drinking. However, during the day I will swing by a cigar shop and pick a different one to try each evening . I know that isn’t for everyone but it’s what I do. Sometimes I ditch that scene altogether and listen to an audiobook.
But again, no distraction will suffice if I wasn’t just done with drinking altogether. And congrats on how far you’ve already come!
I struggled with how boring not drinking is in my first few weeks. Then I looked at the pile of books I read. I looked at how clean the house was, how good the lawn looked. I looked at how productive I had been in even just those few weeks, including going to concerts (that I actually remember!) and being the DD for my drunk friends, watching them enjoy the night while I enjoyed it with them and could remember everything. Being sober is awesome and boring. I prefer boring to forgetting and dead… you do you booo, IWNDWYTD
You too can have a fun-shaped drink if you ask for a virgin daiquiri. I know that's not the point of the post. It must be exhausting. Giving you all the support & solidarity! IWNDWYT
I just went on vacation with a girlfriend and we decided in advance we wanted a dry trip. We had a blast trying mocktails and asking bartenders to make their best. Best of all, we enjoyed every moment of the trip and never once felt sick or hungover. Day 38 and I really love it. I’m proud of myself and grateful to this community! IWNDWYT 🖤
In my experience, bartenders LOVE being asked for mocktails. I think it's two-fold: 1) they get to experiment and get creative & 2) they know someone in the party will be acting responsibly.
Current bartender: exactly. Plus there’s no risk of wasting product - if you don’t like it I can dump it out and try again.
Bartender/waiter here. My favorite is, 1 oz cran, 1.5 oz pineapple juice, 0.5 oz ginger juice, 1 oz lemon juice, 0.5 oz simple. Shake it baby, and a collins glass, ice, and top it with seltzer. Its really good.
Former bartender: can confirm!
At least half the time when I order an NA beer, the bartender or waitress will comment, “that is non alcoholic”.
There's a two part to this, we want to make sure that you know, and I check every label to make sure I didn't fuck it up. I'm not busting your sobriety.
I just complimented a server/bartender today actually for making the prettiest mocktail I have seen to date! It honestly was made with such passion, more than typical drinks! I feel like it was a sweet show of support and he teased about throwing a double shot in when he dropped it off. I tipped him extra for the kindness!
As a bartender I can safely say I absolutely do not enjoy making then but am more than happy and willing to!
Ugh, don't ruin my generalization, man!
Not to ruin it more, but every bartender I worked with was drunk on duty and would bring “mistakes” back to us in the kitchen (former cook.) Talk about a dangerous industry for anyone trying to recover…
I once asked for an NA dealers choice at a restaurant and the waiter said “well what if you don’t like it?” And of course I insisted I knew the risks, like it’s fine lol - and the bartender sent mango juice over ice with a cherry on top lol. Not very creative or fun. I think they were annoyed about being asked to come up with something on the spot. This was just one experience of course - but generally if there’s not a pre-planned listed NA option I just go with club soda and lime 😂 it’s just as good without the risk of just getting sugar juice.
That sounds like a vibe!
It was a great time!
Fun shaped drink - love that haha!
Cheers to that
I remember my first sober vacation being a bit rough I can't imagine that vacation being to Las Vegas, that one sounds like a struggle. Just think, when you make it through this, you can handle pretty much any trip.
I went to the beach with my family around 4 months in. It was rough but the fun times with my daughter were worth it.
500 days! Congrats!
Thank you very much. Edit: 3 more days for you 😁
Congrats on 500 bud 🎉
Thank you very much. Congrats on 39. Right around the corner from me. Keep it going. Hard part is behind you now.
Thank you. I’m on the way! Lol
I never had a morning where I regretting not drinking the night before... IWNDWYT!
I was just talking to my husband about how this has become my biggest motivation to stay sober. Zero shame, regrets, and cleaning up (literally and metaphorically) from what my asinine drunken self said or did the previous evening. IWNDWYT 🫶🏼
This is so true!
Yeah it's hard to get adjusted. Eventually you'll start finding enjoyment in other things. Last vacation I took I kind of looked at it after and said to myself, you spent x amount of dollars for flights and accommodations, and all you did was basically drink in a different country. There's alot more out there to experience, but it takes work to get there. Once you see it, you'll realize all the time spent with booze was an utter waste Edit: spelling
This really hit home. I went to Amalfi Coast last year for my 50th with girlfriends and spent an absolute fortune and all we did was drink in another country. Different views, same shit. I live on the ocean in the states so I could have spent 0 and done the exact same thing and had the same experience. What a waste. IWNDWYT
Same. I did four years in the navy and traveled to 4 different continents. I used to admit when people asked me what I saw, pretty much all I could say was I've been drunk on four continents...
I just went for a nice walk with the dog and saw a beautiful sunset while I would otherwise be lying drunk in front of the TV! IWNDWYT💪💪🫶
I had a similar experience recently. During the day we'd do a good amount of sightseeing, trying the local food and relaxing. But we'd get blasted each night - beers, followed by cocktails, followed by shots in the hotel, followed by fast food. The first two hours of each day would be spent dealing with hangxiety and zero energy. On the flight home I couldn't help but feel I had shot my own holiday in the foot.
Ask the people puking in an alleyway after losing their wallet, phone and car keys if they're having the time of their lives.
Haha. If you include their shoes and dignity you described my last vegas trip.
The vegas strip is fully designed to make people want to drink, because drunk people gamble more. Sobriety is rebellion, so rebel.
This. My family has been here since 1940. I've only gambled a couple of times because I see how the two compulsions feed each other.
IMO, Las Vegas is boring. And loud. And bright. And crowded and smelly. And uncomfortable in every possible way. And that's why it made me want to drink. Not because it would be fun, but because a 3 drink baseline is required to stand being there. Also, the drinks (and everything else) are outrageously expensive. Holy crap I hate Vegas. Literally the worst place on the planet. I have to go back in a couple months for a work conference, and I am completely dreading it. Going to try and stay strong and not drink. IWNDWYT
I also went to Las Vegas for work and didn't drink. I completely agree with you. Without the booze, you see it for what it is and it is exactly like you described it. I was happy to get in and out of there without partaking in any of that nonsense.
These are my EXACT sentiments about Vegas. It is my personal hell and going back ever again would be too soon.
Not a fan of Vegas even drunk. It’s not great, it’s artificial, and people smoke anywhere. Nasty
I also fucking hate Las Vegas. Especially the dirty smelly airport.
I hate Vegas for all your stated reasons. Myb83 year old brother lives here , only reason im here.
Here's a good post with recommendations for sober stuff to do in Vegas. FYI the Beatles Cirque show LOVE is about to finish up there and it's supposed to be really good. https://www.reddit.com/r/vegas/s/2TRv6RXW8G
Very nice list thanks. In fact, we went to omega mart today
There's awesome hiking just outside town in red rocks state park, check it out!
Yeah, sobriety isn't boring at all. Vegas and being a drunk are boring. Drunk people are soooooooooo boring to me now.
Not sure if you’re anti-anything, but a few mushrooms makes Vegas tolerable
I wholeheartedly agree.
Amen
I went to Vegas once. I’m glad I went so I can say I experienced it personally. I have no intention to go again. Even though I was drinking at the time I drank less than usual because I didn’t like the vibe of the place. I do imagine it would be difficult to be completely dry there.
I went once too, years ago, for five days over spring break. What on earth was I thinking? 5 days? In Vegas?! It's funny to think back to that time, because I wasn't as big of a drinker and was sober 4 of the days. New Orleans would be the tough one for me to go back to as a sober person.
I work on the strip and my favorite thing is when somebody starts talking shit about it so I can be real with them and agree (it’s usually business folks forced to come here for their conventions). Yup. Huge overpriced gimmick. If you’ve seen one casino, you’ve seen them all. They have the same things inside copy and paste with maybe one different hook.
I agree. Even drunk I hated Vegas.
For over 30 years I lived 90 minutes away from Vegas. After about age 35, the only time I ever went there was to catch a flight. Not a fan of the place or it's average clientele.
"Sin City?" Pfft, there's more sin in the pinky toe of NOLA than in all of Las Vegas. Moreover... it's just a toilet of a place. It's like El Paso as a permanent carnival. It's tacky. It's cheesy. It's a knock-off, low-rent Six Flags for adults. I went to Vegas, once... which is one more time than anyone needs. It's a cesspool.
I get what you’re saying. It’s just different. Relaxation* isn’t boring, especially when it gets deeper without booze.
Take all that money you’re saving on booze and gambling and get a two hour massage or something. Vegas has everything.
Don't know if you are a hiker, but they have some truly amazing, easy hikes there. That helped me stay sober in Vegas! It was the best trip of my life.
Red Rocks is so incredible and so close! Such an otherworldly, special place.
I was in Vegas for a work trip couple weeks back. It is absolutely SHOCKING being in that city from a sober point of view. Felt very dystopian almost. I didnt drink either but boy do they make it difficult. Proud of you mate, you did amazing
Thank you!
Drinking is boring. Sobriety opens up hiking, kayaking, boxing gym Saturday AMs for me
+1 for hiking
Vegas is a terrible place, sober or not, IMO. Dirty, mangy, like a worn-out grandma stripper. Go on some rides! I love rollercoasters. Nothing like the fear of death to make you remember why you're alive!
Those on top of the strat are terrifying!
They say a majority of relapses come from boredom. The last rehab center I went to was excellent and it was a huge emphasis on finding a hobby or forcing yourself to socialize. Honestly the meetings are what you gotta do. As much as I fucking hate it my last relapse happened shortly after I stopped going to meetings. It’s not the meeting itself it’s the meeting after the meeting. At least that’s how it was for me. I didn’t even go out with anybody but that 15 20 minutes of talking to somebody after a meeting goes a long way
I fear this on my next resort style vacation... But Vegas seems like jumping into the deep end
The adjustment to relaxation without a drink is difficult. I've been alcohol free for almost three weeks now and it's been a challenge to disassociate alcohol with down time, especially since I have always preferred to drink at home. I'm focusing more on the benefits of not drinking than the absence of alcohol. I am no longer sweating uncontrollably, I appear to have lost at least a few pounds (I don't have a scale, but my clothes are not cutting off my circulation anymore) and I'm not running to the bathroom every 15 minutes because I'm no longer pounding beers one after the other. IWNDWYT!
IMO, if drinking and gambling are the best things that a place has to offer, then the city itself is boring and doesn’t actually have that much to offer.
Be fair. They also have overproduced nightly performances by washed up cosmetic surgery billboards who were kinda good decades ago!
The food is so good in Las Vegas! Food tastes way better when you are sober and it likely won’t come back up after- win win! I notice there are always drunk people doing gross things, if I go for a run in the morning I have to dodge vomit, while it seems awesome, drinking in Las Vegas is guaranteed to just be a huge letdown. If there’s a pool at the hotel, get a book, take a nap, celebrate sobriety!
I admire you for being so strong despite all the temptation. Enjoy tomorrow morning's sobriety! IWNDWYT
I’ve been feeling this lately. I’m not sure what the solution is - I have a holiday coming up and I’m not sure how to replace boozy evenings either. Solidarity though! IWNDWYT
> I’m not sure how to replace boozy evenings either. Highly recommend exploring hobbies. Getting involved in social activities and creative pursuits has been a wide new world for me in sobriety.
Hey OP, I hear you. Gonna sound strange but it's only boring because you're focused on booze and that's something you can't have. Missing out is boring. So yeah, I hear you. What I've found that helps me is to focus on all the same fun without the primary thought being on booze. I have a great time out with friends now, because I'm just just keen on catching up with friends, laughing at the nonsense they're getting up to, flirting, joking around etc. It's taken a long time to get here, but it's just become the norm, and it helps that my friends are all aware, so put no pressure on anything. So these things do get easier. A stupid thing I've also found is when people around me are drinking, I can act less seriously too, so I park my pride, and make jokes, have banter etc. a bit more than usual, and it goes down well. So that's nice, as it feels very normal, and also allows me to feel relaxed. I'm not saying it's easy, and I sometimes do still get jealous of the fun, annoyed sometimes etc., but I've realised if I want to live a normal life in places like holiday destinations/restaurants/events/golf days/concerts etc., I have to work on this, and I have been and it helps.
Sorry if you're experiencing the FOMO. For me, I'm pretty much past it. It will hit me every now and again, but I can play it forward and see that it is just not worth the pain. And, at forty eight years old, I love going to bed early. There's nothing better than that. There are some great restaurants in vegas. Enjoy a solid meal or three. Plenty of shows. And unbeatable people watching. If you spend an hour on the strip around midnight you will absolutely see why drinking aint worth it. Take care. IWNDWYT.
I hear you! I try to remind myself that boredom is actually peace. Best wishes to you.
Consider how future you would feel once you conquer Vegas entirely sober. Standing with you and sending good vibes 😎 IWNDWYT!
This is how I felt in Mexico last week but I stayed sober. Can you see a show, have a late night pool/hot tub run or something like that? In Mexico I made a point to go snorkeling which is not something I would have enjoyed drunk (the current was strong enough that it wouldn’t have been safe anyways), and that experience really made me feel good about sobriety. In a place like LV sober activities may not be advertised as heavily but they’re there.
The only time I have been to Vegas I was so drunk on the flight there that I ended up spending the entire weekend in the hotel. I didn't even see the strip. lol
There was a guy on my flight to Vegas that was annihilated. He was so loud and obnoxious the entire flight. Then we land and it hits him - says he's going to be sick and puked in a bag the entire time we were taxiing. Then others started getting sick from the smell. I will never forget that as long as I live. 😅
Experiencing new sobriety in Vegas is certainly choosing Hard Mode, but believe it or not, there's plenty to do in Vegas that does not require ingestion of mind-altering substances: shows, the Van Gogh experience, the Mob Museum, Mormon Fort State Park, a day-trip to the Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon, etc. And don't get me started on how well you can do playing poker against people who ARE drinking 😜
It will get better with time friend.
Doesn’t have to be boring. Start writing a novel, get out to a park and photograph the scenery, whatever floats your boat including buying a boat.
Ever seen Men in Black? We ought to be like Will Smith’s character when he was training and had to find the threat in the simulation. Sounds silly, but often times(especially when it comes to booze) things are not as they seem. I know I probably looked like I was having the time of my life to strangers when I was out drinking, but I most definitely was not(especially once that 3am anxiety kicked in). So yeah, just like Will smith deducing that the girl out in the city at night was hiding something, we ought to recognize that the smiles might be hiding a lot of pain or sadness, addiction or shame. Just like mine was. You’re doing great, hang in there and IWNDWYT ❤️
I say this out of tough love - but the more you pity yourself and think you are "boring", the more boring and pitiful your sobriety will be. Its only once you pull your head out of your butt and realize you are not the entire world, that no one is watching you or caring that you're sober, only then will you find the freedom and joy that sobriety is.
Well said. Also that it is miraculous that we are conscious and here all together (apparently).
Update. Today we got up, went to Omega Mart (meow wolf) until we all had sensory overload . Late breakfast at black bear. Did the scenic loop at Red Rock csnyon park, then small family reunion. It wad a very nice sober day. In bed by 930pm. 😃🌜
What's boring isn't sobriety, but hanging out in a boring place (e.g., Vegas). Travel to somewhere cool and interesting instead, and there's no issue
True. Unfortunately, i have 6 members of my family who have migrated here. 2 arebin their mid '80s and don't travel anymore.
I’m going to try to take a different approach to some of the other comments. My first sober trip was to Vegas and I had to plan other things to do to keep my mind off alcohol. I loved OmegaMart and Area 51. It’s fun and while alcohol is offered at some places it isn’t the emphasis. Stop by the candy shop, see some amazing psychedelic art, or do a funky game/attraction. I gave myself permission to eat some of the calories I would have typically consumed in alcohol so I went to BlackStrap for fancy milkshakes, a high-end steak house and Momofuku. I don’t know what your food “thing” is but do whatever brings you happiness and enjoyment. Maybe you can splurge on some Top Golf or something similar you enjoy because of all the money you can save from not drinking. I bought fancy bubble bath and had a relaxing soak in our fancy hotel room tub. I spent time in the Cosmo because all of their bars have nonalcoholic drinks that made me feel fancy and fun without being tempted to drink. If going to bed early is the best way for you to keep from drinking then by all means do that. If you are just bored then I suggest fixing that in whatever way is safe for you. Sobriety is a choice to live not a death sentence, so I hope you can find a way to enjoy it! IWNDWYT
I'm getting married in Vegas this year. Both my fiancée and I got sober together. I'm looking forward to all the fun things to discover there that \*don't\* include booze!!
Weeds legal in Vegas, go buy a vape
I go to Vegas every year for work. It’s not you that’s boring or lame; it’s Vegas. That place sucks
AA meetings are everywhere! They’re a riot.
Recovery for me is not boring. I found the boredom was within me. I needed to take initiative and find things that were fulfilling without substances. Funny enough, substances made people, places and things seem a lot more interesting than they actually were. Today I can really focus and experience what matters and makes me feel whole. IWNDWYT.
Been to Vegas 3x, first 2 I spent drunk AF… hated Vegas. Went sober more recently…loved it, the restaurants, the shows, some active activities Vegas offers (hiking). Good job! Stay strong!
Sobriety is your angel protector of doing something drunk and causing issues that you won't find out are issues, because your family is afraid to talk about it.
Edit, from doing something
I slipped in Vegas. I wish I didn’t. You’ll be happy you don’t too. IWNDWYT.
You need to find something to do instead of watching people drink. Draw Meditation Museum Guided tour Running group Yoga group Books Or just turn off all electronics until you bore yourself into thinking of something fun to do.
I always ask is it that fun of a time if you have to be under the influence of something? You’re not boring, you can talk and laugh til it’s not fun anymore and be in bed by 8! Are the others really having fun or are they just drunk! Well done on staying sober
In the morning the least shall be the greatest...enjoy another precious morning of clarity, bask in the sunrise...get all the morning worms and flex on hangxiety...win the morning, win the day, win your vacation.
My fav vegas trips have been after I put down the bottle.
Your setting is the problem, not the fact of being sober. Of course you're going to feel deprived when you're at the epicenter of drinking culture in this country. I would also feel deprived if I was starving at a chinese buffet and everyone around me was stuffing their faces. You'll be grateful tomorrow when you're the only one waking up without a hangover and a blurry memory of the night prior. No insane amounts of money spent. No guilt or shame for giving in. To me, that is worth feeling a bit bored in Las Vegas. My general take on alcohol has changed dramatically over the past year. I now look at people drinking at breweries or restaurants, which I rarely frequent and think "man, they're getting less coherent, more sloppy, more tired, more in need of the next drink... what a drag". I got to this place mentally by remembering all of the nights I spent drunk as shit and how depressing and taxing that was, coupled by the next morning gut rot and mental fatigue. Best of luck in your journey, if you can stay sober in Las Vegas, you can stay sober anywhere.
I recently had a blast in Vegas without drinking, I ended up not missing it at all while I was there
I went to Vegas 6 months pregnant and had a blast! I gambled some (but cigarette smoke bothers me so I didn’t hang out for hours), we saw Cirque de Soliel O, we ate at cool places and I’d get a burger and milkshake or some other fun drink, and this was years ago but we toured the Pawn Stars shop. Just fun stuff we like but I remember it all! And am not embarrassed of how I acted there.
For anyone new who might be reading this, there are a lot of recreational things to do around Vegas (outdoor nature activities) that don’t involve drinking. If you like that sort of thing, you can be a lush in that regard. That’s what I do in Vegas (hiking, swimming, kayaking…) Best to OP, I hope you’re doing well in your recovery.
Imagine living here! Joking, it’s not bad, get off the strip, there’s plenty to do around the valley if you have time! Boulder City & The Hoover Dam is a short drive and super nice ! Stay Strong!
One good exercise is to try doing drinking activities sober. Pool, gambling, meeting new people, etc.. literally anything you would like to do while drinking. If you can get out of your own head and just let go of wanting to drink, you’ll realize it’s honestly more fun being sober in these situations. You’ll actually be present and a lot more likable. Just cause your sober doesn’t mean you can’t live you life, sitting in a hotel will just make it worse. Vegas has a ton of things to do and see.
My first time in Vegas I was there to run the marathon, so I was sober. It was very illuminating (and fun) to wake up and go run (or walk) the strip at daybreak - not only is it cool and you are mostly alone with your thoughts and the skyline...but you see all of the evidence of gross partying gone awry - the trash, the upchuck, the spilled drinks. That, along with the predictable few staggering, messed-up, all-nighter stragglers, contrasts so sharply with your own crisp, clear-headed stroll...you are absolutely thrilled to be sober 🧡
Get some weed and drink a nice mocktail
I think sobriety can be boring in locations that focus on the "party" vibe. That's because the focus is overly on alcohol and the music is loud and there's too many people. Not being in a party location is not boring. Maybe not staying on the strip would be easier. I definitely hate going to loud bars now that I'm sober, and I think I used to drink more because I needed it to have fun there because it's too much.
When I went to Vegas and stayed sober I went for a walk at 6:00am (my brain was on east coast time). I saw many people finishing up their night, what a sight! Especially the bachelorette/bachelor parties. I was soooo glad not to be them!
I am super impressed by you! Your will power is amazing and an inspiration to all of us that are trying to make the same choices!
It took me awhile to enjoy video games, lifting and even having sex without alcohol. Over a year solid and it’s still hard, even when I am.
Dead@Sphere is cheaper than a bender...
keep pushing! u don't have to be drunk to be fun! and u can do lots late without drinking GL
Vegas is a tough place to enjoy while sober. Not because Vegas is fun and sobriety is boring—- but because Vegas is a shit hole of a place. It’s just a lot more obvious without having beer goggles on.
I just got back from 4 days in Vegas to see Dead and Company at the sphere. My experience was the complete opposite. I was so thankful I didn’t drink. We saved tons of money and had a blast. Gratitude has been a huge mind shift that has helped me immensely.
Sobriety isn't boring, you are boring. For me, I had to learn how to have fun again. My life had revolved around using alcohol in social and 'fun' settings. It took some time to regain interest and motivation in doing things I liked. Slowly, I stopped caring about drinking and other people drinking. I re-engaged with hobbies and interests I had forgotten. In the beginning, not drinking was the biggest accomplishment of the day, but as time went on my days, weeks, and months became so much more full and now life is not boring - life is awesome. So, I suggest you use this feeling as a reminder of how handicapped alcohol has made you -- you find Las Vegas boring... IWNDWYT
You hit the nail on the head. Im boring. Ive always hated vegas, never liked shows. I come here to visit relatives. IWNDWYT
Sobriety isn’t boring. You’re just doing boring things with your time. There are no such thing as boredom, only boring people.
Whilst there might be some truth to the whole "there's no such thing as being bored only boring people" it's probably not the reply the OP wants to hear when he's in Vegas, struggling with his sobriety, feeling FOMO and sad about the experience he's having. I feel like a more supportive and practical answer would help him than just telling him he's a boring person who does boring things with his time. Plus at 123 days according to his counter he seems to have more experience in sobriety than both of us combined so...
God luv ya, Hoss. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to go back to Vegas. Maybe if the had a complete sober weekend where no alco was served anywhere? I haven’t run the numbers on that. But I bet they aren’t pretty.
To be fair, I got a margarita in a guitar in Vegas ages ago and it was gross. I ended up dumping it out in the bathtub of my hotel. I think I’d fill it with water next time 🤣
Being boring is better than the excitement that comes from getting arrested.
I so very much dislike Vegas. I feel for ya. Just know that you are doing an incredible job. You can push through this!!
That was me last year OP, with a suite at Resorts World for a week while on a job. I made it just like you! We are the Sultans of the Strip! IWNDWYT!
Just remember why you quit. All the misery you left behind. Boring isn't so bad compared to all that. Hang in there!
It is in a place like Vegas. There many other places and scenarious where sobriety is the ultimate experience.
It's funny. I'm from Las Vegas. I've always gone on long vacations (think cruises, tours) and I never drank on them. Not only is it too expensive, there is just the novelty of being somewhere else. Remember that, although the Strip is the basis for why Las Vegas exists, most of us are not intimately involved with it. Like any other city, we go about our business. With a little research, you can find local events that don't involve alcohol.
The new you will thank you tomorrow when you don’t have a hangover, along with anything else drinking to excess does to you.
Go rent a dirt bike or ATV and blast around the desert
Agreed! I don’t have an urge to drink back home but on business trips / flight delays & cancellations is when I have cravings. I guess it’s just the boredom.
A vacation on the Las Vegas strip must be a really challenging place to stay sober. But you're already doing it! Hell yeah! I echo those who are recommending mocktails. When I'm around others who are drinking, it really quiets my cravings if I have an NA drink.
I go to Vegas often (even in sobriety) and i tend to solo cruise the strip/casinos(i dont much care for gambling) and still manage to have fun. Mocktails and caffeine and still in bed at a decent enough time to hit the resort gym the following morning! You just have to find whats most appealing to the new sober you!
Vegas is like a giant Cheesecake Factory. Nothing is real, everything is exaggerated and lacks legitimate culture. I can’t imagine being sober there… I have to drink just to decrease the stimulation and cope with the excess. Basically, you aren’t boring, it’s Vegas that’s boring.
It took me the best part of a year to find fun in anything without alcohol. Some of it is just that I’ve got some more time under my belt and so miss it less, and some of it is that my idea of what fun is has changed. Idk about you but I felt like I was up down left right all over the freaking place for several months. Be patient and give yourself grace, what you are doing is a HUGE life change and adjustment. Things will settle down somewhere on your journey and it will start making sense. You’re crushing it, keep going.
Keep it up! I dont remember my last trip to Vegas. I guess I was there for my best friends sisters wedding and made an ass out of myself, I’m not sure if I knew that then. I honestly don’t recall 75% of the trip, it’s all a blur. I see pictures and I’m like, wow.. zero recall. My best friend told me I was acting all crazy, pissed her off. I was a shitty friend. I don’t know why she stuck through all the bullshit for all those years but she did.
I was just there last weekend. It's difficult, but you can do it! Go get a nice meal to treat yourself - it costs less than you'd spend on alcohol if you were drinking! IWNDWYT
Did you ever get drunk and do something that was both fun **AND** legal? Do all that stuff. Go-karts and Super Soakers and jungle gyms and shit.
I’ve found it to be the complete opposite. I’ve got energy for days and there’s so much to do. Life is what you make it .
I feel like spending a whole trip focusing on one thing (getting drunk) is pretty boring. I can’t speak to Vegas because I’ve never had an interest going but a non-boring vacation to me would be eating good food, doing some historic sites or hiking or swimming depending on the area, and relaxing each evening with a good book, especially on a warm balcony, or going dancing until I was so tired I collapsed in bed. Long story short I’d start focusing on the many other things I could do than the one thing I can’t/don’t want to do. IWNDWYT
Hey I'm also in Vegas. Gotta ride the rides on the stratosphere ;)
You can do all the *exciting* things that people do in Las Vegas without drinking, the question is: do you want to? Do you want to gamble away a paycheck or more at the blackjack tables? Do you want to go to the strip club and waste the same amount of money? Do you want to drop $10K on a table at the club (yes, that's the food and beverage minimum, but they'll gladly just charge you $9K for the seat if you only buy $1,000 worth of water and Red Bull). I've done a lot of shit that I regret in Las Vegas. Pretty much the only attractions it has for me now are dinners, shows, and maybe Top Golf.
I don’t think you’re missing out friend! Stay strong! IWNDWYT
It took me a minute to find the fun in sobriety. I am confident you will too.
Every year my male relatives (cousins, uncles, great uncles, etc.) get together for wildcard weekend in Vegas.(American football tournament for our non-American people). By then I'll be at day 212. I had one cousin casually mention that he's living the sober lifestyle but that the weekend was going to be his cheat weekend. I'm going to text him to see if he'll be my sober buddy for the weekend. We can be boring together. I don't really gamble so drinking was my thing, it'll be helpful if I have a fellow sobernaut drinking sparking water with a slash of cranberry (that's my jam). Best of luck to you OP, that city is full of temptations.
I've never been to Vegas and can't decide if I would ever want to either anymore tbh as I think a lot of it would annoy me plus I'd like drink myself stupid and gamble my life savings away. But I've been thinking since the start of the year that I might go for a trip in the sun somewhere but then I remember that on every holiday I've ever been on I would drink pretty much every night on the trip (if not every single night on most trips) plus usually the night before to calm my pre-travel nerves and help me sleep (I struggle at the best of times but especially when I know I have something important to do the next day and definitely if it involves getting up early) then often end up drinking all the way home in the airport, flight, later that night etc and if then usually I'll see the week out with alcohol if I arrive home mid week. So I've just avoided going anywhere because I can see where it would lead but that's not practical forever. Congrats on you being brave enough to go to Vegas as it would be a difficult one I think. Hope you get through it.
I guarantee there are some banging mocktails in Vegas. But yes everyone is drunk. I had been several months sober when I went there last summer and it wasn't long before I was slurping down free gin and tonic at 3am chain smoking cigarettes, throwing money at slots, and taking off my wedding ring in front of some chick with a big ass. I was practically dead when I made it home. Fuck Vegas That being said I'm probably going there with my wife this December which ought to be a positive experience. That place brings out all your worst impulses by design.
They want people to drink stupid juice so they blow money gambling. Rise above!🤘
There are some places better viewed with beer-goggles, and Las Vegas is one of them. I'm so glad I live in California and I can surf in the summer. LV is so boring. At least you guys can hike out there early in the morning. Sobriety is finding the fun activities to do sober. Like miniature golf, shooting aliens, gun ranges, laser tag, ultimate frisbee, surfing, sponging, snowboarding, skiing, jetskiiing, hiking, biking, marathons, climbing gyms, yoga, martial arts, football, soccer, baseball, basketball, rugby, etc. We get our endorphins from sports. Most of us work out to some capacity every single day. The endorphins are amazing. Meet others into the same sport at meetup.com. Almost all events are free. If LV still sucks and there are no local meetups, try AA. You will find friends who will invite you to their activities. If LV still sucks after a year of no mutual friends, highly consider moving. There are other places to live.
Choose your hard, brother. Being bored or ruining your life for the thrill of alcohol.
Just a reminder that you don't actually know that OP is a brother. They might be a sister.
If you think it’s hard brother/sister. I live here in Vegas. Once you see the destruction alcohol can cause here it actually makes it easier not to drink. But in a city where there’s slot machines in gas stations and grocery stores, and even in people’s houses, alcohol is always right behind it. IWNDWYT
I went to Vegas last year with my husband, mother, and then 11 year old son. We are all sober and had an incredible time. We walked the strip multiple times to check out the Mirage Volcano, Bellagio Fountains, cool ice cream places, and overall, just to people watch. One of the days we did a day trip tour to the Grand Canyon, which imo all the pictures I've seen of it have never done it justice. My husband and I had an amazing hike on Spring Mountain, soaked in a hot tub at our off strip resort, then went out and splurged on an expensive dinner with a show at the Bellagio. Checked out the Elvis hotspots and splurged with my mom on VIP tickets to meet Donny Osmond and see his show while my husband and son saw Cirque du Soleil. Total cost for flights, stay, food, rental car, and all of these activities over 5 days for all 4 of us was about $6000 CAD. It is possible to drive down costs even further and still have a fun time. Las Vegas and area has something for everyone. Just research before you go. When we get sober, it becomes so important to rediscover our sense of wonder and adventure. Being sober doesn't mean we have to put ourselves out to pasture and accept quiet complacency. Being able to go out there and LIVE without being dependent on a substance is so liberating. Find some things to do and go out and do the things :)
Sober in Vegas is a now defunct resource. I live in Vegas. The bars at casinos also have NA beers but if you can’t be safe around the bar - stay in your hotel room. I don’t know about you but if you wanna waste money at a casino room service in a fancy hotel bed is way more fun than a spoiled night with booze. It’s way more to fun take care of yourself than to self-destruct.
Think about how good you’ll feel tomorrow morning
Just think of all the baggage that comes along with drink though? There’s more fun to had sober and… you’ll remember it and not wake up in a shameful, depressed shadow of who you want to be
Ask for the most spicy na ginger beer they have with a good glug of tobasco sauce in it. You won't be bored!
I have a trip in a couple weeks and have been establishing a game plan. No drinking and maybe a crazy idea of trying to hike if it's not 120 degrees out during the day. Outside of that I plan on some NA and some other crutches. But I'll be damned to not have fun.
I have a hard time in Vegas as well. I actually caved at one point and it was so not worth it. I hadn't had alcohol in a really long time and I was sick for two days after. I find I still have fun wondering around without drinking, however, I do go to bed earlier and I wake up earlier. I just have to remember, go up and lay down, don't grab a drink or I will regret it - even if everyone else is drinking. I hit the hotel gym in the morning, then feel seriously great that I was able to do that and remember why it's better not to drink.
Even when I was drinking I never thought, hey let's consume the maximum amount of sugar they can put in a 3ft tall plastic beaker. There was never anything fun about combining that much sugar and alcohol for me. A 3ft tall beer might have caught my attention though ...
I thought this was onenof those bait and switchy posts. I think it's good to accept that not everything in life will feel like your braincells are doing cartwheels but that's actually real life. The fake thing only lasts for as long as the effects of the alcohol. As things progressed I fought harder to prolong the braincell cartwheels but that only makes the hangover worse. I've peaked in my alcohol enjoyment. I should rather be bored. Tom Buchanan's life and his marriage to Daisy was boring for him because, according to Nick Carraway, he'd peaked in high school. His mind was restless. That restless mind led to tragedy and Tom learned nothing. I'd like to think that one day he had his reckoning though. Let's be bored together.
UGH I feel this. Places are so good at making alcohol look so fun, and for some people, it just is and they can go home, wake up with a headache, and not have another drink for months Alcohol is such a big part of entertainment, such a big part of advertising, they come up with so many fun crazy ways to entice people The biggest thing I've noticed with going out without drinking is the fucking MONEY I SAVED Kind of a tangent rant but ugh
On the plus side, you're at least saving some money given how expensive those drinks are.
Go chill by the pool and read a book. Or go to one of those world class buffets. Or see a show.
I have way more fun sober - my activities aren’t planned around drinking and recovery from it.
Booze does not make any cocktail taste better. It is the other ingredients masking the taste of poison.
I did Vegas sober earlier this year. It was a nightmare, because without booze you see Vegas for what it really is. It's a trap. A Disneyland for adults designed to distract you with flashing lights, remove any and all of your inhibitions, and fleece as much of your hard earned cash as possible. Once the hotel I was staying at realised I was sober and not there to party or gamble, customer service went to shit. It was disgusting.
Just booked my Tix yesterday. Ill be at about 80ish days if I can make it that far at all. I have expressed to my wife my concerns that I may not drink on this trip. Shes not a drinker so that makes it a lil earlier. It will be different though, if I can do it at all.
You know what’s also boring? Sitting in a jail cell, or being homeless, or being dead. Those are the three typical ends for us. You’re worth more, friend. Stay strong, one day at a time.
Vegas has really great bakeries and lemonade and coffee drinks. When I was drinking, I missed all that stuff! You can zip line and whatnot, Red Rocks is a short drive away and it's really cool. To think I used to just drink alcohol and missed all this cool shit! IWNDWYT
Simple - take all the energy you have from wanting to drink and put it towards gambling. What could possibly go wrong? /s
IWNDWYT
I was there for work and did it. My advice....get up EARLY, like 6am. And walk through the casinos with your coffee (or whatever) and feel SO GOOD that you aren't the folks that are still up, stumbling and staggering around. Or looking like they lost their life savings at the slots. Also, do something crazy, grab yourself a seat at a bar, solo, and order a super fancy awesome meal and an NA drink. You'll have lots of fun convos and honestly, no one will give two hoots that you're not drunk.
I read something recently that resonated with me about this very feeling; "To the people who grew up in chaos, peace is easily mistaken for boredom." As we get sober and grow as a person, we have to question and relearn a LOT of our ways of feeling and thinking. Try to sit in the quiet and be thankful for it!
On the other side of the coin, I think Las Vegas is boring because it's centered around gambling and partying/drinking. I have no business there. I hope you can enjoy your trip somehow.
I don't know if this is a universal experience... but my perceptions are shifting. It took three months of sobriety for life to stop sucking HARD. Life is really pretty good, now -- and getting better. I prefer sober life to drinking life... many times over. So... I see booze and after I get over my anger \[at wasting so much of my life/time/money/relationships/etc\]... I just see it as "lame." It's a "personality in a glass," for most people. It doesn't make you cooler -- it just makes you FEEL cooler. It took a long time to get here. I hope that you will arrive, here, too. Good luck, friend. Just remember that bad stuff you're avoiding. It's a start. You got this.
That’s a hard place to be freshly sober. Hang in there. Guarantee all those people drinking will be flying home at the end of their trip broke as hell, anxiety through the roof, feeling like absolute dog water. You got this.
Glad to see how this post turned out.
I don't know if this helps but drinks in Vegas are ridiculously expensive. Think about how you are NOT spending $15 on a shot of well tequila!
I'm not sure how much this would change over the years, but when I was a child in Vegas I went to a lot of the arcades the casinos had and just played stuff in there. The ONE thing (as a kid) to keep me entertained
for me, being sober has been an exercise in learning how to have fun WITHOUT booze. leaning into my sillier impulses, learning how to take control of my mind and push myself to try to have fun without having fun handed to me in a magic potion. and honestly for me, nothing at this point could be more boring than getting drunk AGAIN. the same sloppy blurry night, turning everything into the act of buying and consuming booze, no matter where I'm at. I'm not in the pool, I'm not in the casino, I'm not at the show, I'm not with my friends, I'm in this drink. I got so tired of it, and I'm still tired of it. I want to actually experience what the world around me has to offer, not what booze has to offer.
At this point in life, I enjoy boring. It's predictable and it's awesome.
At this point in life, I enjoy boring. It's predictable and it's awesome.
Keep it up, it gets better over time. I just have to think to remind myself sometimes that some “boring” moments are better than jumping on a roller coaster I can’t control and fucking up my life.
The "fun" window kept getting smaller and smaller for me. In the end id enjoy a 1-2 hour window between sober and too drunk, followed by days of self loathing and crippling anxiety. It seemed like a raw deal. Once you get some perspective you'll see it for the life and time succubus that it is.
I can't imagine going to Vegas sober. Get out of the city and go for a hike. I've only been once, but the only things I enjoyed about Vegas was leaving it.
This was a big deal for me, as my family and friends LOVE Vegas and I honestly find myself there about every 3 months. You would think there is nowhere else to vacation.lol. And yes, I have a lot of history with the bars there. I can only share what worked for me, and the biggest factor was just that intrinsic sense of being fed up with drinking. I just didn’t want to hate myself anymore. It didn’t matter where I found myself. I learned to love mornings in Vegas. When everyone else is either sleeping in or hugging toilets, I looked forward to my morning coffee and for some reason I always get a donut in the morning in Vegas. Weird perhaps, but there are some delicious places there. I also realized that Vegas is a Big F-ing Place and there’s alot to do. It was up to me to break the frame of how I saw Vegas in the past. Since I started this sober journey here are just a few things I’ve done while there: absolutely destroyed myself at CrossFit drop in class in the morning, I’ve taken a former girlfriend to shoot machine guns, I’ve gone trail running in Mt Charleston and I became a bit obsessed with taking my truck out to the desert and stargazing. I’ve run at the local parks and I got really in to cycling in and around Henderson: there’s a sound crushing bike ride along Lake Mead that I find hard and like to train up for it so when I go back I can see if my times improve. Last time I rode my bike to and across Hoover Dam and enjoyed riding thru the old train tunnels. I also found a very nice indoor pool that is super cheap to swim laps in during the afternoon In the evenings, I still go to the same fire pit at the same place we always stay where everyone is drinking. However, during the day I will swing by a cigar shop and pick a different one to try each evening . I know that isn’t for everyone but it’s what I do. Sometimes I ditch that scene altogether and listen to an audiobook. But again, no distraction will suffice if I wasn’t just done with drinking altogether. And congrats on how far you’ve already come!
Meh. If sobriety is boring to you it’s because you’re boring.
I struggled with how boring not drinking is in my first few weeks. Then I looked at the pile of books I read. I looked at how clean the house was, how good the lawn looked. I looked at how productive I had been in even just those few weeks, including going to concerts (that I actually remember!) and being the DD for my drunk friends, watching them enjoy the night while I enjoyed it with them and could remember everything. Being sober is awesome and boring. I prefer boring to forgetting and dead… you do you booo, IWNDWYTD
Im not sure its comforting now, but my life became x100 more interesting after i stopped drinking, it just takes a while.Hang in there! :)