5 Ways to Prepare for a Summer Trip

If you are going away this summer, it’s important to keep in mind what support you might need when out of town. For some people, being away from their normal routine can be a trigger of sorts. If you are going to a place where people will be drinking, especially touristy destinations like beach towns, you don’t want to be caught off guard and tempted to join in.

Here are some steps you can take to prepare for a summer trip.

1. Location, Location, Location.

If you’ve already planned your destination for summer vacation, this one may be too late to consider. However, it’s important to think about where you are going, and if it’s the right place for you at your particular stage of recovery. People in early recovery might not want to go on a cruise, for example, where drinking and eating are the main activities on the boat. There’s nothing worse than being trapped at a resort or on a boat where everyone else seems to be intoxicated. Choose wisely when deciding on where you want to spend your summer vacation.  I heard a story about a woman just out of treatment for bulimia whose family decided a cruise was a good idea – yikes! Food is everywhere on cruises, and overindulgence tends to be the norm. She was at high risk for relapse, and indeed she did.

2. Get Your Ducks in a Row

Call ahead to the Central Office of the 12-step group you attend so you can have a list of meetings on hand. You don’t want to be in a panicky situation trying to find a meeting last minute.  Map them out if you can so you know exactly where to go, or be sure you have a GPS device or smart phone that will make it easy to find the closest meeting.

3. Have a Back-Up Plan

If you have a hard time getting to meetings because of the location or if you are on a tour that limits your freedom, have your phone numbers handy. If you will be overseas, be sure to find out what the data and phone plans are for International calling. You might want to set up a plan in advance so you aren’t surprised by a shockingly huge bill a month after returning home.

4. Bring Your Tools

If you have certain things that help you on a daily basis – meditations, Big Book readings or the like – bring them with you. If you don’t want to carry a bunch of materials around, copy some of the content and carry those critical pages with you. If you are carrying a laptop, iPad, or smart phone with you, you can also scan in some good materials and email them to yourself so they are available electronically. If you have a Kindle or other reader, you may be able to download materials or save them to that device as well.

5. Know Your Limits and Have an Exit Strategy

If you are honest with yourself, you will know your limits – what you can and can’t do if you want to stay sober. Do an honest appraisal of your triggers and risk factors, and avoid any events or places that might tempt you and lead to relapse. The best defense is a good offense, and the last thing you want to do is be caught off-guard.  If you need to get out of whatever situation you are in, be ready to do it – your sobriety and your life are more important than another day away. If you get in situations -say you meet new people who pressure you to have “just one,” be ready to say what you need to say to get them to back off. Or simply leave the situation. I remember once someone was haranguing me to have a glass of wine – oh, one isn’t going to hurt you! That’s ridiculous. I finally looked right at her and said, “I’m not drinking it because I’m an alcoholic.” She was so shocked she backed off and never brought it up again.

Vacations in sobriety can be amazing – you get to remember everything you did! Just be sure to plan ahead so you can have fun without risking your sobriety.