Booze Free in Music City

For the past 10 years, I’ve been lucky enough to have travel be part of my job. I have been able to travel to both domestic and international locations, and for many years having the ability to drink alcohol for free was a major perk. When I first started at my company, I always thought I especially wanted to drink while at work functions or on work trips. Why not!? How could I pass up an opportunity to drink for free? So last year, when I decided to stop drinking alcohol, I had to have a major conversation with myself- do I really want to give up drinking? Do I really want to cut out alcohol when I’m traveling? Is travel going to be the only time I’m willing to have a drink again?

I’ve stated here in previous blogs that I get major hangovers, and one of my hangovers in Switzerland last year was one of the reasons why I stopped drinking. Alcohol was free on that trip, and if anything, I was only drinking because I didn’t have to pay for it. I remember having 2 drinks before dinner one night, with some colleagues, and that was honestly enough for me- but then when we went out to dinner and were offered more free wine, and I had to split a bottle of white because only two of us at the table wanted it. I literally didn’t need to be drinking this but did simply because it was free, offered, and then in front of me. Not only did I wake up the next day with a twist in my neck (and that then led to me missing out on checking out the city on our only free day), but then I was also hungover on my travel day back to the US and it was literal torture having to navigate the metro, with my suitcase, stand in the airport security line and then go through ascending, descending and turbulence on the plane.

And on that note, I think back to other times I’ve traveled, and drinking has made me miss out on a lot of sightseeing. I was in Kyoto once with friends and had to miss out on a day of exploring because I was holed up back at the hostel puking my brains out. There’s nothing worse than having to puke multiple times in a communal toilet. My friends were able to stomach their alcohol after a late night of drinking, but I wasn’t. And this has happened to me all over the world- I have finally had enough.

So last summer when I had the chance to travel to the Azores Islands, in Portugal, and then South Africa- I had a major decision to make- do I still want drinking alcohol to be part of my travel experience? And trust me- it was a tough decision to make. I had a colleague join me in South Africa, and our travels ended in Capetown and we both decided to stay a few extra days. Capetown is known for their wines and vineyards, and I had always wanted to do a winery experience there. So, when my colleague mentioned this being something she wanted to do on one of our extra days- I had to decide how I was going to experience it… to drink or not to drink?

Ultimately, I told her I also wanted to go to a winery, but I wouldn’t be drinking. I asked if we could find a winery that offered a food tasting with it- chocolate? cheese? lunch? And to me, this slight change has been a wonderful way for me to continue exploring and experiencing new cultures. I don’t have to drink my way through various cities or countries- I can still have a fun time and immerse myself with food instead of alcohol. The Winery we ended up going to was called Beau Constantia, and they offered cheese plates in their top floor wine tasting room (not a huge selection for NA drinks, but the cheese plate was amazing), and then we also had a lunch reservation in their restaurant. Hands down, our lunch was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. They offered mocktails and teas in the restaurant, so honestly I didn’t feel like I was missing out at all. Then there was the food- we ended up having a 4 hour lunch and there were multiple courses, and the culinary journey I went on was incredible. I ended the lunch with purchasing a few of their chocolate truffles (I’m a huge chocolate fan, and couldn’t pass it up). Despite not having a drop of alcohol, I still experienced the best this Winery had to offer.

During my most recent trip to Prague, we had a scheduled a food tour on the itinerary and I honestly think this is going to become a major emphasis in my travels going forward. We stopped at a few restaurants, and I was able to sample a famous Czech soup, drink lots of lemonades, and eat a lot of desserts. At one of the restaurants, we went to, called Lokal, I ordered a Raspberry Lemonade and a Non-Alcoholic beer but as it turns out, they offer that combined in one glass and it was one of my favorite drinks in Prague. Here I was, still sampling Czech beer (or even a popular drink they make at this restaurant, but I got to have it with no alcohol). I truly feel like I didn’t miss out on anything.

Last but not least, one new thing I want to do, going forward, is setup photoshoots through AirBNB Experiences in as many travel destinations as I can. My colleagues and I did this prior to our clients arriving. We had to wake up at 4 o’clock in the morning and be down at Prague’s Astronomical Clock at 5:30 am. We were all on board, but at one point we did ask if we could move back the times, and the Photographer said we have to keep it at this time as the Old Town will fill up and be impossible to shoot in the later it gets. She was so right, and little did we know what she was talking about. So, we trudged along and met her at 5:30 am. Hardly anyone was there. The sun was just starting to wake up, and we had two hours with her to go around all of the most famous spots of Prague’s Old Town. It was cold, and you could see our breath. We had two guys walk up to us and ask us what we were doing up so early- it turns out they were leaving the bars just as we were arriving. We had the city to ourselves. As we made it over to the Charles Bridge- hardly anyone was there. We saw couples getting wedding photos taken, and runners, but that was it. We had such a special time. Later on in the day, around 5 pm, we ended our sightseeing tour at the Astronomical Clock and I can’t begin to describe how busy it was. It was nearly shoulder to shoulder in all of Old Town. There was no space to think, let alone capture a good picture. Low and behold, going to bed early and waking up at an insane hour meant getting once-in-a-lifetime photos taken- and I got those because I didn’t get wasted the night before.

So, there you have it- it is still worth exploring the World, and experiencing everything it has to offer but there are always work arounds when it comes to not drinking. I still have more work trips on the horizon, and I am looking forward to exploring these other destinations and their non-alcoholic offerings, and then sharing them with you all ❤

What are some of the benefits of not drinking while traveling?

1. Consistency
2. Being able to wake up early
3. Being able to remember all of your travels
4. Being alert and not accidentally putting yourself in any unsafe situations
5. Not having to cancel a day of activities because you were hungover