IM GOING TO JAPAN! (MEGAN CRAMB)

Another Friday night fast approaching!! And Im in the last month of my 3month HSM! I feel a certain sense of achievement about getting this far but know that I’ll still face my share of challenges over the next few wks.
I feel that Ive come a long way from the girl who ‘needs a few drinks but once she has had them becomes a completely different outgoing person’.
Still have a few inhibitions in my sober state..still not the fun loving crazy person I wish I could be sober. Still an over-thinker, over caring what people think.
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FAREWELL DRINKS? :( [MEGAN CRAMB]

Sorry its been so long between posts. I swear I must be the slackest blogger of all time. Next Friday I will hit the 2 month mark! I got excited the other day because I actually thought it was 3 months.. but then realised sadly that I was a month behind I think this says something about how my HSM experience is going. Its a bit of a roller coaster ride for me. Loving the energy and new passions Im pursuing.. but not really enjoying being at the pub surrounded by drinkers.. or being at a party where Im the only one with any kind of awareness. … Continue Reading

FESTIVALS, RUNNING AND ORIGIN (MEGAN CRAMB)

So I am nearing my first month of HSM and the time has literally flown by. I turned 23 last wk and no birthday drinks for me. But I did go to the RIPE festival on my birthday which more than made up for it.
I was wondering what a festival stone sober would feel like. I was actually quite worried. But after my 2nd energy drink I rlly didnt feel all that much different from the people around me. It was almost a mission buying an energy drink without alcohol though. After the fourth time of clarifying that I DIDNT want vodka with it I said “is it so hard to believe that I don’t want alcohol?” To which the guy replied “well considering we’re at a festival, yes!”
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The Passion – Megan Cramb

Something incredible has happened over the last wk. I’ve become passionate about my life again. Now this might seem a bit weird but I’ll explain.
It started when I decided I’d go in the Noosa winter festival ,which is this sat/sun (im in the 5k run). Ive been going to the gym a few times this wk and feeling fantastic because its the first time Ive been doing anything remotely related to fitness in YEARS!!  Ive also reignited my love of the piano and have been playing every day thnx to a website I found where I can print off all my fav songs!! And then today I picked up some canvasses and paint and was going to paint tonight but ended up baking cookies instead.
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Take 2~!!! (MEGAN CRAMB)

Clubbing in the harsh lights of sobriety I wonder why I’m doing this??!! Many of my friends have thought it was a weird thing for me to do – “you’re not an alcoholic! you don’t need to give up alcohol”, “as long as you drink in moderation”, “i drink more than you!”… and these things may all be true but i know that this is something I need to do, for myself. So today I’ve started my 3 months for the second time.

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I’ve got a feeling, that tonight’s gonna be a sober night (by Megan Cramb

Just over 3 weeks without alcohol. I’m not going to lie and say I’m doing great and feel the benefits flooding in. Because I don’t. Organising nights with friends or talking about up and coming music festivals/ trips and then realising with a sudden sense of disappointment that I wont be drinking. I’m still trying to work out where this disappointment is coming from. I think its the whole ‘you need alcohol to have fun’ thing. A friend at work said to me this week “You can’t really have the same degree of fun with out alcohol”. I wish I could disagree with this but am finding it hard to.

Went out the first week of my HSM and, of course, was designated to be the driver for the night. It was a good night but nothing memorable happened. The aspect that I’m finding hard is getting over worrying what other people think. It was awkward being on the dance floor without a drink while my friends danced around crazily. I eventually got dancing (huge achievement for me) and things got slightly better but on the fun scale rating it would probably get about a 3 or 4.

Some positive notes:
- I can see myself saving much more money than I was before. In fact, I think I’ll reach my target (to save 4-5 thousand) by the end of april (fingers crossed).
- I’ve been getting into my music a lot more (piano mainly) which Ive been wanting to do for ages but hadn’t had the time.

Basically though, I miss the feeling. The feeling of being wild and carefree. Not caring what people think. Letting things go a little hazy. Letting the sharpness of reality melt away with every sip. Is that so bad?
Going out tonight for St Patricks day and I know its gonna be a long sober night.

HEY FROM THE SUNSHINE COAST – MY FIRST POST (Megan Cramb)

Hello All!
I would like to introduce myself My name is Megan and  I am writing to you from the (at the moment) not so sunny coast. I am a 22yr old waitress/bartender at a small country pub in Cooroy and I live at home with my parent, which I’m finding is a great way to save money  I love working in hospitality (most of the time..), music, art, cooking, languages and heading out drinking with friends.

One of my main reasons for giving up alcohol for 3 months is that (ever since I started drinking) I have always believed that to have a good time when you’re out/at parties you must drink. I am not the type of person who is confident in all situations. In fact, unless you’ve known me for a while you might think Im quite reserved. I discovered alcohol at the ripe age of 18 when I moved to Brisbane to go to uni. A combination of living in the city, a new found freedom and living with other young girls meant I slipped into a lifestyle where I was going out drinking 3-4 times a wk. As time went by, and I moved to outer suburbs of Brisbane, I was still going out probably more than my poor uni student bank balance really allowed for. Most nights were fun dancing with friends, shots and awesome memories. However there were also times that I’d rather not remember (or can’t even remember).

My turning point was on New Years Eve last year. A fun night out in Noosa ended with waking up in Nambour hospital. I had a gash above my eye and had fractured my cheek bone in a couple of places. Noone ever wants to ring their parents to say they need to be picked up from hospital. I put it off until I realised that sooner or later I’d have to call them. What followed was 3 trips to Royal Women’s Hospital in Brisbane and surgery where a metal plate and screws were put into my cheekbone.

When I saw on tv one morning this thing about a guy giving up alcohol for a year something inside me thought “this is something I have to do”. That is how I discovered Hello Sunday Morning. I want to give up alcohol for 3 months because I want to prove (mainly to myself) that I am a fun outgoing person without it. I don’t want to rely on it for dutch courage. I also think about the damage I am possibly doing my body from binge drinking and want to really concentrate on my health over the next couple of months.

By the end of my 3 months I would like to be in Japan as I have been dying to go since I finished uni but due to a lifestyle of socialising and wasteful use of money haven’t been able to. So that is my ‘yes’

I will definitely find going out without drinking a challenge. I am so used to using alcohol as a comfortably security blanket so it is going to be quite awkward at first (i am hoping this will change soon though). I am also going to find working in a pub without drinking difficult. Especially since I will be saying no to a knock-off drink every night I work (saying no to free alcohol???).

Well hope you will stay tuned to see if I can even last 3 months without drinking. I know its going to be challenging!! Goodnite Megan