Thriving Alcohol-Free with Mocktail Mom

Ep 111 Freedom from Alcohol: Meet Susan Larkin

• Deb, Mocktail Mom • Season 1 • Episode 111

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Discover the transformative power of choosing an alcohol-free lifestyle while traveling. This episode features a heartfelt conversation with Susan Larkin, a certified alcohol freedom coach, who shares her journey to breaking free from alcohol as a coping mechanism. 

- Understanding the societal pressures surrounding alcohol and vacations 
- Exploring the joys of sober travel and refreshing alternatives 
- Introducing resources for preparing an alcohol-free vacation 
- Navigating social settings and staying true to your choices 
- Embracing a lifestyle of wellness over the stigma of sobriety 

If you enjoyed today's discussion, share the episode with a friend or leave us a review to help spread the word!


Connect with Susan on Instagram or her website. 

Snag her free downloadable here. 



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You are loved. Big Time Cheers!

Speaker 1:

Buckle up, friends, and welcome to the Thriving Alcohol-Free Podcast. I'm your host, deb, otherwise known as Mocktail Mom, a retired wine drinker that finally got sick and tired of spinning on life's broken record called Detox to Retox. Let this podcast be an encouragement to you. If alcohol is maybe a form of self-care for you, where you find yourself dragging through the day waiting to pour another glass, I am excited to share with you the fun of discovering new things to drink when you aren't drinking and the joy of waking up each day without a hangover. It is an honor to serve as your sober, fun guide. So sit back and relax or keep doing whatever it is you're doing. This show is produced for you with love from the great state of Kentucky. Thanks so much for being here and big time cheers. Okay, hey friends, it's Deb. Welcome back to Thriving Alcohol-Free. I am so happy that you are here today, and we have a very special guest.

Speaker 1:

Today. We have Susan Larkin, the co-host of the Feel Lit Alcohol-Free podcast, and her Instagram is drinklesswithsusan. How are you, susan Larkin? Hi, I'm so excited to be here. I'm great today. Oh, it's so good to see you. It's so good to see you. I was on your podcast with you and Ruby Right, and so I think actually our podcasts are all coming out about the same time.

Speaker 2:

So it's been really fun to get to know you guys. Yeah, we had such fun when we were recording with you. Both Ruby and I were like that was so fun.

Speaker 1:

Oh it was fun. It was fun. I just felt like we were just like new friends, old friends you know what I mean. Like you know, you meet somebody, you're just like. I feel like I've like known you. Yeah, it was really. Really it's been so nice to connect with you, so I'm excited for you to share your story with my audience. And can I read your bio? Would that be all right part of the podcast for me? I know, so my audience knows, and they're very patient with me, that Deb does not read very well, like you know. Did you remember in school?

Speaker 2:

Read aloud, read aloud.

Speaker 1:

Oh, this was like the worst I'd be, like I'd be sitting there, as, like the girl in front of me like okay, if she has to read that paragraph, then I have to read this paragraph.

Speaker 2:

And as she's reading I was okay Cause I was a theater major, Like I was good.

Speaker 1:

I can actually like read a teleprompter and do a pretty good. Seriously, oh, okay, okay, I should have you read your own bio. That would probably even better, okay.

Speaker 1:

I'm going to read your bio. Okay, susan Larkin is a certified senior alcohol free um, sorry, alcohol freedom coach. See, look, we messed it up already. Susan Larkin is a certified senior alcohol freedom coach and a gray area drinking master coach, dedicated to empowering women to reclaim their worthiness, gain freedom from alcohol and transform their lives. With a deep understanding of the challenges women face in managing stress and overwhelm, she knows firsthand the struggles of using alcohol as a coping mechanism and understands the toll it can take on one's physical and emotional well-being. I'll stop there. Yeah, that's right, I made it through part of it. People send us their bios too, and I'll stop there.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that's right. I know it's like people send us their bios too, and I'm just like, okay, that's going to take half the podcast to read your bio, so I get it.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it's so good to have you. It's so good to have you, and I love that you talk about freedom. Yes, freedom.

Speaker 2:

There's such a difference, that idea of liberation versus fixation, and for so long I was fixated. Yeah, yeah, that's not free?

Speaker 1:

No, no, it's like chains. Yeah, can you share your story of maybe your career of drinking and how you broke your career and how you broke up with alcohol? I was an expert. No, yeah, I was.

Speaker 2:

Yeah Well, and but like you when you shared your story, I didn't drink a lot in my youth or in college. I was a theater major, I was in plays. I couldn't, I didn't drink really. I was in a sorority and I was I was a barfer. So if I drank too much I was the one out, you know, throwing up in the gutter.

Speaker 2:

So um it w, and it really wasn't until, um, until I took a management position at Yale. I worked for Yale University, okay, and I was working full time. And then, you know, I had my kids in elementary school and high school and all of a sudden it just became, you know, I call it like the swing oil, for when I came home it was like get up and have coffee in the morning, go to work, come home and it was a very stressful job. I was probably not fully qualified for the job at the time, and so there were a lot of really stressful situations where I was managing people and I just came home and wine, you know, took that stress away, it seemed to me. Now I know the truth about you know what really goes on in your body.

Speaker 2:

But so I knew right away. I mean, I'm a Christian, the Holy Spirit, just you know that small voice of like, you know you're drinking too much, and I knew what the limits were. You know, seven drinks a week, I'm like, oh, I'm way over that. And so I would. You know, in my diary, in my journal, zero for a day, oh, that was a good day. Or you know, one, two, three, I would say one, two, three, but those were three really big glasses, you know, and those were bad days and I was bad, you know. So, black and white, good or bad, and then feeling like, oh gosh, does the Lord want me to give up alcohol? And then not being able to do it, Like what kind of a Christian am I If I can't give up alcohol for Jesus, you know? And then beating myself up over that, you know.

Speaker 2:

Yep, yep and just constantly feeling bad about myself. But then we know that that keeps you in the cycle of drinking. Because when we feel bad about ourselves, what do we want to do to find relief?

Speaker 1:

Seriously, we drink, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2:

So, and this was back in like 2013, and so I went to my pastor and I'm like, I know, I think I'm drinking too much and they're like, oh well, if you're drinking too much, you need to go to AA, and I was like what?

Speaker 1:

right, right. That was the only thing.

Speaker 2:

That was the only thing right yeah, and churches and and doctors even now, still that seems like the only solution that people give you. And so I found this meeting and I went and, oh my gosh, I just cried all the way home. I'm surprised I didn't swing by the liquor store, to be honest with you. But I did do AA for eight months but I felt and I was alcohol free, um or sober they, you know and.

Speaker 2:

I was, but I didn't feel free. I felt like there's something wrong with me. I felt like, um, I would join the club I didn't want to belong to. You know, I remember talking to a friend and I'm like I don't know, I guess I have a disease. She's like I don't. You know, it seems like you have a disease. Susan You've always had, you know, seemed to have it all together and, you know, and I was, and so, honestly, I didn't really buy into the very first step, which was that I'm powerless over alcohol, because I was just like I don't believe that.

Speaker 2:

And so I went back to moderating. We went to Las Vegas. Most of the times I went back to drinking. It was around some sort of vacation or some sort of trip, and so we were going to Vegas and I was like I'm not going to Vegas and not drinking, that's like crazy. And I limited myself to two drinks a day and I stuck to that and came back and went wow, you know, I think I can moderate. And then I spent the next six years trying, you know, being in fixation, though, back to what we were talking about. Everything was about moderating my drinking and and keeping that, still keeping that diary zero for good days. Maybe too many this night, especially too many on Friday. Oh, I failed. I'm terrible, and you know that. Shame, shame cycle Shame cloud yeah.

Speaker 1:

Shame cycle, yeah, so now I'm hiding.

Speaker 2:

First I'm hiding that I'm drinking, then I'm hiding that I'm not drinking because I'm going to AA and I want to stay anonymous, and now I'm back to hiding that I was always hiding.

Speaker 1:

And like you know that, just feels bad right. You don't feel authentic, you don't feel like, yeah, you're not being true to who, you're not sharing truly who you are, what you're going through right.

Speaker 2:

Right yeah.

Speaker 2:

So, that just feels terrible, to always feel like you're hiding some secret, some thing, that if somebody finds out about you they're going to know that you're this defective person, there's something wrong with you. And so I really clung to trying to moderate because I had that belief that there's two camps either you're, you know, a normie, or you can, you know you can moderate your drinking, or you're an alcoholic. And I did not want to be in that camp. I work. I mean I called myself the moderation queen. I threw everything but the kitchen sink at it, or including the kitchen sink. I mean I am a very disciplined person. You know I have achieved a lot of successes in my life and I threw every. You know, and I say this, I've put this in my newsletter.

Speaker 2:

It's so hard because I coach women like me very, you know, successful women who know how to like put their nose to the grindstone and suit up and show up and do the stuff and you know, have the goals and and, and it does all that doesn't help you with your drinking and it's so frustrating because you're like you know all the discipline, all you know, all it helps, I mean, it does help you in your journey, but it is not the thing. You cannot, strong arm muscle, pound that square peg into a round hole when it comes to your drinking. You have to surrender in a way and let it go.

Speaker 2:

And and I guess for me the turning point was really realizing that there is nothing wrong with me, that alcohol is an addictive substance. It's on a spectrum. Once it was sort of like even being on a map. Like you are here, you're on the spectrum with all these other people that drank. You did nothing wrong with you. Alcohol is an addictive substance. Really understanding the science around alcohol, then it was like OK, now I can do something about it instead of running away from it and hiding.

Speaker 1:

Do you feel like has it changed a lot? Like from then, from 2013, when you first went to AA to like later, like because there's seems like there's more programs now there's more options, but it was. It used to be like you're either normal, a normie, or you're, or you go to aa. It was, there, was nothing you know.

Speaker 2:

So obviously now you're coaching people.

Speaker 1:

So yeah, there's so much they need to come to you. But, yeah, right now, right, there's so many more options. Yeah, so you've got something different to do.

Speaker 2:

Yes, yes, but still people don't get it like when I tell my family and my brother or whatever they're. You know, we live in this sort of sober verse. We follow all these people on our Instagram and everything, and it's wonderful and beautiful and I love everyone in it. I love you. That's where we connect that authenticity. But most of the people aren't aware that this sober verse exists and they are sort of like huh, that's a little extreme, wow, choosing not to drink, making that choice. But I think it's becoming more and more mainstream.

Speaker 1:

So totally, totally, yeah, because right when I stopped drinking, end of the last day of 2020, like to say, I was so nervous to use the word sober, like I wouldn't have even I would have been like no, I just wanted. I just want to moderate, like, just want to drink normal, just want to like, just go back to my old ways of have a glass, not have a glass, whatever, but yeah.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah. And you know, in coaching women I remember talking to a client that was, you know, in a discovery call. She's like I just want to go back to like drinking normally, like three glasses a night, and I'm like that's not normal Right, like we have normalized binge drinking in our society. That's true, that's true. And I think other people like Andrew Huberman, mel Robbins has had several podcast episodes bringing on experts Daniel Amen, dr Amen, you know talking, you know going on there and going. Why don't I?

Speaker 1:

drink. I like my brain, you know, and it's so good, yeah, yeah, he's great, yeah, okay, so can you talk a little bit about vacationing alcohol-free? I know you mentioned your trip to Vegas, oh yeah, it's one thing right that a lot of us, I feel like a lot of us think like what am I going to drink when I go to Italy? Or, you know, like, when we're thinking about cutting back or not drinking at all, like how do we navigate traveling without?

Speaker 2:

drinking, yes. So that is a very big point in my story, because every time I went back to drinking. Usually when I took breaks, it's because I went on vacation, or had some special event. Because in my mindset I knew I was so much better not drinking in my daily life.

Speaker 2:

But I still wanted to drink on special events, fancy dinners and vacations. So then fast forward 2019, I was desperate, like you know, when I said I moderated from 2014 to 2019, things as I did, okay I mean, but still binge drink, you know, like on Friday nights or whatever. But then things in my life escalated and I started using alcohol as a coping mechanism again. And then I found myself in 2000, spring of 2019, just really like like I got to make a change.

Speaker 2:

So I did a like a 21 day program and I went 40 days and then I went on vacation and I had a lot of rules around my vacation wine, but again that fixation it almost ruined that vacation, honestly. Like in some ways so much better. I didn't allow myself to drink in the condo, so to speak, and so no buying of anything. I could only drink if I was out.

Speaker 1:

Like at a restaurant. Yeah, yeah, yeah Okay.

Speaker 2:

But then we'd go out to these places like in Florida and they'd have all these like mixed drinks and they'd have like really crappy wine and I was like a Sauvignon Blanc drinker, and so then I would get really irritated because, like this is the only time I can drink and they don't have what.

Speaker 1:

I want what you want, yeah, and then I would get really irritated.

Speaker 2:

And so it's that fixation, right, yep, because people who are take it or leave it drinkers just go, oh well.

Speaker 1:

Oh, okay, I'll have a pina colada. Yeah, yeah, okay, you're saying that and it's like taking me down memory lane. I'm like I remember that when it's like okay, these are my rules and now I can't even. Yeah, you're so mad, you're so mad.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah and so, so that was so what actually? When I became a coach, that was 2019. Okay, I spent all the rest of 2019 taking multiple breaks, doing this program, doing that program, finding different things online, taking a 30 day break, and then thinking, ok, now, now I'm fixed, yeah, I can go back to drinking, or, you know, I can choose to drink at this special occasion. Oh, I'm in New York, going out to dinner, oh, I'm here, and sometimes, yeah, I would stick to the. I'd have a glass of Prosecco and then a glass of wine and stick to that. But sometimes I didn't.

Speaker 1:

And what I found was I would just make up reasons like oh, it's a special occasion on Tuesday.

Speaker 2:

Right, there's an episode of this is on yeah, yeah, and, and then I would tell my husband meet me at the you know local watering hole and let's have drinks, because I was saying I only want to drink when I'm out and then like on the way home, then I would talk myself.

Speaker 2:

This is what your subconscious and I would talk myself into. You know, we just went out and spent like $90. We got two appetizers and like three glasses of wine each, and I could get a bottle for 14 of what my favorite one was. And why am I doing this? This is stupid. And then I'd go back to drinking at home and then we'd start all over again. That's that vicious cycle. I don't know if people can relate. I don't know if you can relate.

Speaker 1:

I totally relate, like you're literally telling my story. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2:

Well, so isn't, but that's what I found when I finally found some of these online programs, so different from AA, where I was sitting there going. Where are the people that just drink a little too much white wine Like these?

Speaker 2:

are not my people, right, I found my people and was like, oh, me too, me too, me too. And then I didn't feel like, oh, I must be defective. It's like this is how alcohol works. Yep, in gray area drinking, yeah, you can stop, but you don't stay stopped, and because we still value alcohol for something. So the vacations was a big deal for me to conquer, because that was kind of a reason I kept going back to drinking, and so the first thing I created when I became a coach was what I call my vacation boot camp.

Speaker 1:

I love that.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I love that and I have actually have a little mini version of it. It's called your Amazing Alcohol-Free Social Life and it's like five steps. It's pretty robust resource. It's free on my website. I can give you a link and you can put it in the show notes because it takes you through just a few exercises that can help you set your mindset for how to truly enjoy a vacation alcohol-free.

Speaker 2:

And honestly, your first one will feel like a 10. Like the first one, truly. The first alcohol-free vacation I did was when I was in the AA. I don't know why. Every time I decided to go alcohol-free was June, right in the summer.

Speaker 1:

Right, this is the month. Yeah, well, we go in cycles right.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and then I spent another year, you know, trying to. And then all here we are in June again, so it was June, it must have been June 2013. And we went to Virginia Beach and I remember, all of a sudden it was like, OK, I'm not drinking, I'm not drinking. We got, we get to the resort and I'm like, sitting there, it was almost like like you know the wreck, like on a record.

Speaker 1:

You know like I'm the screeching.

Speaker 2:

I was sitting there going wait, wait, wait, wait. I'm not going to drink, like what, what Wait?

Speaker 1:

how am I going to do this?

Speaker 2:

How am I going to do this? And I was standing, literally standing over by the waterfall, on the phone with my sponsor and like, crying, crying, like oh, how am I going to do this, oh my God. And I like, how am I going to do this? Oh my god la la, la, la and I remember being so crabby that we were out to dinner and you get so stressed out. I don't know if you felt like this when you were first, you know, going alcohol free when the waiter would come over and you're like oh yeah, and I'm like Diet Coke Right.

Speaker 2:

And at that time there weren't mocktails or anything and my son literally he was probably like nine years old was like pushing the drinks placard over towards me like Mom, you need some drinks, you are crappy pants.

Speaker 1:

Here's the table time with the specials. Yeah, oh my gosh, yeah.

Speaker 2:

But you know what, Then, once I got over it and I was like OK, and I got into every morning I'm waking up and I'm going and I'm sitting and doing my my you know journaling, and I'm tapping into prayer and I'm on the beach and I'm getting my beach chair out there before anybody else because everybody else is hung over and I'm out here walking on the beach.

Speaker 2:

It was hard, but I did it and I could see the value like I truly did enjoy myself. I really did have a beautiful vacation. So then, fast forward from this book by John Ortberg called Training Versus Trying, and it was a, it was a Bible study we did early on, probably. I did it in like 2012. And I just remembered this idea of how do you train? You train for things. So this idea of the boot camp was how are we going to train to go on vacation alcohol free and like different exercises, to like kind of train up our alcohol free muscles to be prepared because, like, we go on vacation and we just think, oh, it should be stress free, but of course there's stress during vacations. It's different stress, yep. So, and also preparing our mindset like we prepare, we pack or say it's a special event. We prepare all the food and the decorations and you know we pack and we make sure we have this and that we pack for our kids. We make sure we have all our floaties, but do we pack our?

Speaker 2:

tools our alcohol free tools. Do we really consider why are we going on this vacation? Or why who do we want to connect with at this wedding? Like a vacation I went on when I was one year alcohol free was to Puerto Vallarta. It was my brother's 50th birthday and I started getting a little you know and I. My tribe at that time was like what's your why, what, what was your why for this vacation?

Speaker 1:

And I was like oh yes.

Speaker 2:

I want to connect with my sister, I want to connect with my brother, and so I tapped back into that and went OK, carla and I let's go to the spa Walker. I wanted to connect with my nephews. It just got me back in. So one of the things in my workbook is why are you going to this event and it's not just about the alcohol and can you really see and make a plan for what do you want to accomplish through this event? And then you stay focused on that and you focus on the positive and the tool that we all I think not everyone knows but is super helpful and is probably one of the most popular tools, which is play it forward.

Speaker 1:

I love that. Yeah, that's one of my favorites. Yeah, play it forward. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. How do you want this trip to be? Yeah, yeah, what's gonna happen?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah like really play forward, and then also so when I put it in my workbook and when I work with clients, I call it play it forward to X, which is play it forward the first time, like what will happen if you drink. You know you get there and you go oh yeah, I can still have one and it's not going to be one.

Speaker 1:

When was it ever one. You know what?

Speaker 2:

I mean, you see how many times Yep, yep, yep, yeah, and then play it forward. How will you feel if you don't drink? How are you going to feel the next morning? What is available to you? And you're going to feel so good and also planning some little rewards, like if you would spend this much money on a drink package. Take that money and spend it on the tennis diamond tennis bracelet if you're on a cruise or the spa definitely the spa, yeah yeah, do something yeah um, or just go, and you know, if you're not a spa person, you know, really go to a super fancy Nobu restaurant.

Speaker 2:

You know what after if everybody's going out and partying, partying afterwards you go, take yourself off and bring a little candle and and have a nice Epsom salt bath. You know really treat yourself and take care of yourself on the trip. And so those are some of the things in the workbook that that that's free that people have said really helped them go on their first vacation alcohol free.

Speaker 1:

So helpful, yeah, so helpful. Yeah, tie yourself back to your. Why? Yes? For your vacation and getting and I love like getting your mindset, getting your you know, getting that, the toolbox. You're getting everything else ready for the kids, getting the floaties, all that stuff like get yourself really ready yeah, and why do? You want what's, what's the purpose of this trip?

Speaker 2:

You know, connecting and plan ahead, like visualize. Visualization is such a powerful tool and people sometimes go, oh, I can't really visualize. I'm like, oh yeah, you can, don't you? We all think about the worst case scenarios. Guess what that's visualizing?

Speaker 1:

I never thought about it that way. Seriously, you're exactly right. We all visualize, we all can do it, you're exactly right.

Speaker 2:

So we usually do it for the negative. So now you want to think about the negative and then see yourself just like we see ourselves hitting the ball in sports. See yourself walking by the swim-up bar or swimming up to the swim-up bar and ordering the virgin pina colada if you're in mexico you have to say virgin. They don't understand they don't understand. I'm like sans alcohol, like I'm trying not to say virgin, I'm like el virginal, el virginal sometimes I would order a virgin.

Speaker 2:

They'd go. Do you want a shot in that? And I'm like no that's hilarious no, the answer are you sure I'm like yeah, yeah, no, that's hilarious. No the answer.

Speaker 1:

Are you sure?

Speaker 2:

I'm like yeah, yeah, so funny, that's so funny, so OK you know it's so at that trip in Puerto Vallarta I was at the swim up bar. My brother and I are swimming up to the swim up bar and I just sort of shared that I was, you know, number one. I share that I'm no longer drinking because it had been COVID. So I stopped drinking June 1st 2020. And this trip was 2021. Okay, and so, first of all, I'm sharing that I don't drink anymore.

Speaker 1:

Shock, yeah yeah, what was the response? And then?

Speaker 2:

that I'm a coach.

Speaker 1:

And my brother's like. Why the?

Speaker 2:

hell, would you want to do that?

Speaker 1:

You work at Yale. What?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I was like what, and so I remember being in the um pool with my brother and we were swimming up to the swim up bar and where I got my virgin pina colada and he got a beer. And I said and this is like my tagline on all my emails and stuff is I said it's a lifestyle, not a life sentence. Oh they, and that's how it felt when I was in AA, like it's a life sentence. Now I'm in this club that I don't really want to belong to you, but but I, when you choose to be alcohol free for the health of it, yep, it's a wellness decision, it's a lifestyle decision, right, and not a life sentence yeah, that feels so much more freeing than like I'm.

Speaker 1:

So like I mean I know some people use the word sober whenever I mean I use it now, but I didn't in the beginning. But like it just doesn't feel heavy, it's just yeah, I'm living a lifestyle. Who doesn't want to live a lifestyle of wellness and well-being? Yeah, who's against that? Right?

Speaker 2:

Exactly. And when you tell people that, then what are they going to say? Like, when we talk you know I work with clients and they're like well, what am I going to tell my friends?

Speaker 2:

And I said well you get to. I work on this with clients as part of what I do in my coaching. Is we? You know, what is your alcohol-free identity? What's your elevator pitch? You know I say we work on it and practice it, practice it. So it just rolls off your tongue oh, I stopped drinking because, you know, I just feel so much better. I noticed that it was really exacerbating my anxiety and depression. I just feel so much better not drinking. And like what are people going to say oh, we want you to feel like crap. Right, when you say that, that's just what. Are they going to say yeah, sometimes say wow, or here's what I usually get Wow. That's kind of extreme if it's a negative, but most of the time it's like, oh, wow, I get, I probably should cut back too. Or I only drink after five and I only have two, and I'm like, ok, that's good, yeah great, great Good for you, you know so, but I usually don't get.

Speaker 2:

That stops people from going. Are you sure? You sure you don't want to have one? Because I've already made it clear I don't want to have one Because I've already made it clear I don't drink. This is why and I'm really happy about it.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah, and everything's good and let's move on. Yep, now we can keep going in our conversation or whatever we're doing.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, but I didn't tell my whole gory story.

Speaker 1:

Right, I don't need to do that.

Speaker 1:

I think that's really good. Yeah, we don't have to feel a sense like we have to explain everything or it's like just have a little elevator pitch, yeah, and keep it easy. And obviously, if you want to tell people more, tell somebody more, great, but you don't have to. You don't have to, you don't owe anybody an explanation of why or what's happened the whole story. Yeah, that's excellent. Ok, so you work. Do you work one on one with clients? Do you work in group coaching? How's your coaching work?

Speaker 2:

Yeah Well, so right now I primarily work one-on-one with clients.

Speaker 1:

I just love that intimacy.

Speaker 2:

I am planning on creating some sort of online group program this spring. Great and Ruby and I in the Feel it Alcohol-Free Podcast have a Feel it 21. So it's a evergreen program where you can, you know, do it on your own, and then we are going to launch it like I don't know. We did it for Dry January Live with a little group, or probably do Dry July, like just sort of a few times when people might be yeah, April, October or something. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1:

When people are doing challenges. Yeah, that's really nice. That's nice.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, if you're a super private person to be in a group speak up. I mean, there is the value of a community where you hear just you and I telling our story and we're like me too, me too, me too, and you're like yeah, my people. But you know, if you have some deep things and I had deep things too that I had to work through and it was really the worthiness and that's why that's in my bio.

Speaker 2:

It's like it's, and you know the deep reasons why maybe we drink, especially if you've. You know, keep going back to it. And also with Jolene Park, what I trained with her it's a lot about regulating your nervous system and trying different resources, and so the resources are very specific to you, and so then you know you try them. I also am available I wouldn't say 24-7.

Speaker 1:

Sure, sure, sure. But yeah, yeah, Obviously. Yeah, you have more of a connection with people.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, they can maybe have you on speed dial or whatever. Yeah, yeah, that's nice, I like that yeah.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that's good to have that availability with your one-on-one clients. Yeah, Susan you are doing amazing work.

Speaker 2:

Really Thank you.

Speaker 1:

I we're definitely going to put it in the show notes, for it's the vacation bootcamp. Is that what we'll put in there?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, or the free workbook. The free workbook Okay, let's do that, let's do that I love that.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, just to really prepare, especially as people are coming into going on spring break and yeah, we're always going on a trip, right, we're always planning a trip. I am, at least I know.

Speaker 2:

I want to.

Speaker 1:

It's nice to have something to look forward to.

Speaker 2:

Even if it's just like a weekend away with my sister, or the next one is not going to be a nine, the next one's going to be like a three or four.

Speaker 2:

You're right, yep, because you just are like, oh yeah, because, actually, because your body experiences, because it's pretty amazing to feel good on vacation. How many times did I come home from vacation and have to take a vacation from my vacation or we would joke I need to go to detox after my vacation because we would drink so much on vacation Yep, and just come home feeling awful.

Speaker 1:

So true.

Speaker 2:

So now you come home feeling amazing and recharged and refreshed, you know.

Speaker 1:

Yep, yep, and it builds momentum, because you're like, ok, I did it. That time I went to Mexico with my brother's 50th birthday I didn't drink. And then the next time yeah, I could go away for the weekend, or I can go away on this trip. Go to Vegas.

Speaker 2:

Right, you can go to Vegas and not drink, it's possible. Yeah, and especially now to the Italy thing, because you know people have that in their head. Yeah, I realized, because I was saying, oh, what about what if I ever go to Paris, what if I? And I realized, oh my gosh, I did go to Paris when I was six months pregnant. So I have gone to Paris and not drank and had a great time.

Speaker 1:

And it was fine Right. It was fine Right and we did great. We did life for years without drinking. It was fine right. For whatever reason, we got caught in that.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah I've been to spain and I've been to austria. Now, and you know what europe is amazing with the alcohol-free options on their menu. So you don't, you can. They almost always have a beer. They also many times have wine. They have mocktails. They are so much more accessible. I think the united states is getting better too, yep, but yes, they're ahead of us. Europe is great. They're ahead of us in that.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so, yes, everybody can plan a trip to Europe. Yes, plan your travels, yes, okay, we'll have that in the show notes. Make sure everybody's following you on. Instagram Drink less with Susan. Everybody is Susan Larkin's Instagram. And she's the co-host of Feel Lit Alcohol Free with Ruby Williams and you guys yeah you guys are just a power power, a dynamic duo, so yeah you guys are just awesome.

Speaker 1:

Just such great energy. So thank you. Thank you for being my guest. This was so much fun. Love, love, love you Big time. Cheers to you for tuning into the Thriving Alcohol Free podcast. I hope you will take something from today's episode and make one small change that will help you to thrive and have fun in life without alcohol. If you enjoyed this episode and you'd like to help support the podcast, please share it with others, post about it on social, send up a flare or leave a rating and a review. I am cheering for you as you discover the world of non-alcoholic drinks and as you journey towards authentic freedom. See you in the next episode.