Linsey and I decided to kick off the new decade in Xcalak, Mexico. Much to Linsey’s surprise, I didn’t utter “Dos Cervezas por favor” once the entire trip. Let me translate: six days in the Yucatan without a sip of alcohol. This may not sound like a heroic feat to some sober souls, but for my beer-loving self, this was an aggressive start to the New Year. Even if alcohol isn’t your vice, the methods I applied can be useful to bust other bad habits in 2020.
I made it a challenge.
I made it rewarding.
I made it ugly.
I made it a challenge
The status quo states: “You can’t go to Mexico and not drink!”
Says who?
Not me. I traveled across the border with the opposite mindset: “If you can’t have fun in Mexico without drinking, then you have a problem.”
This simple change in mindset from the norm was all it took. Yes, I was also the little boy who couldn’t turn down a double-dog dare. And I dared myself to a sober Mexico.
I made it rewarding.
Every time Linsey and I wanted to order a drink, I calculated the cost and wrote it in a notebook. The total came to $338. This may sound excessive, but a drink here, and a drink there, and drink everywhere adds up. I have the handwritten notes to prove it. As I write this, $338 feels a lot better in my pocket than the Pina Colada would have tasted.
I made it ugly.
I enjoy documenting our travels through photography. It allows me to appreciate the small things and, years down the road, I can refresh memories by pursuing old photos from our journey. On this particular trip, rather than shooting a frothy Corona or icy margarita, I photographed the other side. The trash, the warm day-old beer baking in the morning sun. I also observed the poor hungover travelers putting the pieces together at 10 am – 3 hours after we watched Yucatan sun crest the Caribbean Seas.
I came home sober, refreshed, and proud of myself.
What I truly changed was my mind. The most potent change of all. You can indeed drink in Mexico and have a lot of fun. It’s also true you can NOT drink in Mexico at all and have even more fun.
I know, because I just did it.
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That’s the end of this story, but I do have a few side notes:
In recent years, I’ve increased my focus on daily habits as the primary driver to create real change and build the life I want to live. I’m not the expert on this subject, the experts are James Clear, Gretchin Rubin & Kelly McCoginal.
I addressed other personal beer challenges here, here, & here. Yes beer, I’m coming for you. And ten days into the new decade, I’m winning.
All writing on ChrisCorbin.me over the last 2 years was inspired by my friends at http://mario.to/ & https://www.nurturetheory.com/. We like to call ourselves the Western Writers League, for fun.