Confessions of a Non-Drinking, Social Media Dropout
Confessions of a Non-Drinking, Social Media Dropout
Vol. 1: A Weekly Love Note and Welcome to my Substack!
Nearly 4 years ago I started an Instagram account called Sober in Wine Country. Social Media (at the time) felt like a safe place to go when you were seeking inspiration and wanted to look at pretty photographs.
I had created my account because I had seen other people posting about their sober journey. They’d share how they were feeling, obstacles they encountered, exciting milestones, and were pretty much using this platform as one heck of an accountability tool. I knew the accountability piece was exactly what I was missing from my toolbox, so… I began posting.
Months into my journey, I renamed the account Decidedly Dry and was shocked at how quickly my page was growing. I remember in the beginning, I had this feeling that no one else quite felt the same way I did when it came to their relationship with alcohol. But watching that account grow every single day proved there were actually thousands that felt the same.
Why am I sharing this memory with you?
Somewhere around year 3 of my sober journey, social media changed for me. It no longer felt like a safe place with pretty photographs. Instead, it felt like a loud, competitive, hustle-driven, always changing space. For a creative like myself, I’d spend countless hours creating beautiful images and writing motivational messages, only to cross my fingers and toes that the Algorithm Gods would give it a stamp of approval and actually give it the visibility it deserved.
This didn’t seem fair. Not to mention, I was actively avoiding the “hustle” mindset. I wanted to create, serve, inspire, repeat. But not necessarily lose myself and all of my time in the process.
So it’s no surprise that after recently chatting with a friend, the moment she mentioned this magical land called Substack, a place where creatives can host their podcast AND write AND connect AND send newsletters, I was sold. In my head, it checked the box of working smarter, not harder.
It was like the whole enchilada! And friend, I never turn down Mexican food.
So yes, I’m doing all things Decidedly Dry here on this new platform and I’m so happy I was able to bring you with me.
If you’re curious about how this impacts you - I’m confident this’ll be a beautiful, seamless transition. I’ll continue to release a weekly episode over on the show. I’ll be writing posts that not only focus on embracing a sober lifestyle, but also about motherhood, homeschooling, fitness, and of course, all the other topics I’m passionate about. My hope is that it leaves you wanting to read more.
Newest Episode on Decidedly Dry:
In the latest episode, I'm giving you 5 tips on how and when to talk to your kids about alcohol. Remember, I'm not a doctor, I'm not a professional, but I am a mom who has had some great chats with her children about this topic and thought it might be a great one to bring here on the show. Along with my personal experience, I've done a little bit of research for this episode and am thrilled to share it with you! So listen with an open mind, take what ya want, leave what you don't.
Things I’m Digging:
I made the ginormous leap and decided I’ll be homeschooling my 6th grader this Fall. I never ever thought I’d homeschool my boys, but as you all know, I’ve never backed down from a challenge and I cherish time spent with my family. I’m nervous, excited, and unbelievably grateful to start this new chapter with him. If you’re a homeschool parent, I’d love to hear from you! Tell me what you’re most excited about this upcoming school year.
My God Curious Journey. As some of you know, I’ve been reading the Bible for the first time. I’m currently wrapping up the Gospel of Luke this week and have (finally) found a new love for the parables. When I first began my study, a lot of what I was reading sounded like a totally different language! I felt lost, confused, and almost like I must be doing something wrong. Kinda like our alcohol-free journey, right? Except one day it slowly started getting easier. Words began to sink in and my Bible study is now one of my favorite parts of the day. I’m super duper grateful for The Bible Recap podcast. Episodes are under ten minutes long and are an excellent tool for Bible newbies.
Speaking of great books… I’ve been absolutely devouring: The Call of the Wild and Free: Reclaiming the Wonder in Your Child's Education, A New Way to Homeschool by Ainsley Arment.
Our latest favorite game to play as a family is Monopoly Deal Card Game. Don’t let that name scare you off. Unlike the classic, this version does not take hours to play.
Lastly, I’m definitely digging NOT being in marathon training. Running and I have a very love/hate relationship and I’m not saying I hate it right now, but it’s been refreshing to focus on strength, cycling, and other activities I love. I put together a great strength routine that I’m super excited to share with my paid subscribers shortly!
This weekly newsletter and podcast is a free offering from my Substack newsletter, Decidedly Dry. There’s an option for you to purchase a subscription, which basically means you’re interested in supporting me and my work with your dollars. A paid subscription also means you’ll have access to different features beyond my weekly newsletter. Features *might* include: additional writings, bonus podcast episodes, resources, recipes, journal and doodle prompts, workout routines, etc. I’m not 100% sure yet and that’s what makes this kind of exciting. It allows me to experiment as I go and figure out how to build (what I hope to be) a long lasting, supportive, entertaining resource for you.
Why Subscribe?
There is a free subscription and a paid subscription. The paid subscriptions to Decidedly Dry are $5/month or $50/year.
Paying subscribers get:
My regular newsletter, where I talk about sobriety, motherhood, homeschooling, my ever-growing God curious journey, books, and more
The ability to send me questions that I answer in my newsletters
Recipes I’m digging
Workouts that make me want to cry, but I naturally end up loving
Journal and doodle prompts
Ability to comment and join the community
One Last Thing…
I just want to take a minute and say thank you for sticking with me. If you’re receiving this email it’s because you’ve either purchased a journal, participated in a wellness challenge of mine, loved my content, purchased coaching, etc. No matter what it was, our paths crossed at some point and you’re still here. That means so much to me and YOU, my sweet friend, are the reason I continue doing what I do. Regardless of which you choose, free or paid, we’re still bff’s.
xo,
Jess
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