I worked out the date a while back, and put it on my calendar. 1000 days sober.

I was almost scared that knowing it would cause me to relapse, as in the past, i.e. "ok, experiment over, I've proved it to myself and everyone else" but I shouldn't have been worried.

The first 6 months to a year were the hardest. After that, this weird thing began to happen - I started to meet other sober people. People began to reach out to me for help. I date, and whilst I state that I am sober yet maintain that it is ok if you are not, I find myself almost exclusively drawn to other sober people.

I don't know if it's just my perspective, but I think we are growing in number.

I still suffer 'the horrors', of things I might still learn I had done in blackouts. I still occasionally wake up with phantom hangovers. But not real ones.

I recovered my life. And I'm not surrendering that. No more self-destruction, enabling of others. It's done.

"I don't drink" always works. People congratulate me. People aren't like I used to be, rolling their eyes and calling me boring.

Either the times have changed or my friend group has, both, hopefully.