I started managing bars and restaurants and at one point was essentially a Food and Beverage Director for a small hotel (they didn’t have the budget to give me the title, but I did all the duties). Management had benefits of tastings, launch parties, signature events and events that included free alcohol. During the pandemic I worked for a liquor store where I once again was provided free wine each month and had access to a large variety of alcoholic products at a cheap cost to me. All this to say, I consumed a lot and built up quite a tolerance.

It was when I was blessed with the title of Uncle that my world changed. Having kids was not in my stars but being an Uncle is the better solution anyway. This one title had me thinking about my life, my habits and reflecting on my relationship with substances. I used to be a heavy smoker, and when the pandemic hit I quit smoking (mostly because I couldn’t afford it being out of work in the beginning).  I thought about how giving up smoking wasn’t the easiest but it wasn’t the hardest thing either, so it made me think about my relationship with alcohol. I thought I had a handle on it and was something that wasn’t going to be a struggle.  Then there were moments that I had what I called rolling blackouts and those are not good (we’ll talk about those one day). So for 2 years I struggled with my relationship with alcohol, turning to it cope with different things.

Then the BIG 4-0 hit (Yes, I am 40) and I knew I needed to make some major changes in my life. I had already started back in school, I had shifted careers out of Food & Beverage and Restaurants, so the next reasonable area to address was my health. That’s when I knew I had to make the cut of alcohol. 

That brings us to now.  My birthday was in November and so I figured I would give myself a last "hoorah" through the end of the year and started this journey formally on January 1, 2026. So again, I welcome you to my little slice of the internet.