What’s a good way to spend the holidays? Why camping at East Cape of course. We took our time to pack our VW Westfalia and off we went on the morning of the 24th. I prepared a lot of food to put in the refrigerator and Greg got all the things we’d need piled on top of the van and off we went.

The drive over was pretty easy except that Kailani, our 2 year old German shepherd, wanted to be up front with us and it was annoying. Other than that, it was a smooth ride to our spot. Most people were off doing other things and the surf wasn’t supposed to be good, so we figured we’d have the beach to ourselves.

Arriving in mid morning to a secluded spot we let Kailani out of the car and off she went in search of a stick.

The water looked pretty nice, though not in terms of of surfing. But all we wanted was some down time in a beautiful place.

Setting up takes some time, but it’s worth it. We had 4 days of hanging out, exploring, reading, napping. Oh glory days.

Nobody for about a mile. It was mostly like that the whole time. A few day trippers down about a half mile and a couple who were fishing.

Time for lunch and then we’ll take a walk.

Here’s my outdoor kitchen. Everything in its place and the refrigerator in the van held everything we needed. We have the van on solar, so the sun was definitely a boon to the trip.

Greg sets up our umbrella and we put up our shower tent. Pretty cool.

We spent a lot of time in those beach chairs, but we took off for hiking too.

Kailani led the way, then Greg, then me. I like following the leaders.

We mostly followed the cow trail, complete with cow poop. Watch your step.

If you look closely you can see our camping spot at the end of the arroyo right on the beach.

Early morning brings the sun over the water. Such a thrill to wake up to.

It’s fun getting up in the morning with the sun, spending some time in our beach chairs at night looking at the stars and watching the myriad of satellites and even airplanes in the sky. Then getting to bed to read and sleep. So cozy in our VW van.

One early morning before breakfast, we hiked up the arroyo behind our camp. So much to see.

There had been a storm bringing 10 inches of rain not that long ago. You can really see the path it took, washing everything down, leaving rock exposed.

You can see the ruts the rain creates.

Life in harsh places.

Plant living off the tree

Such diversity. Do people have strong roots like these trees and shrubs? They hang on for dear life.

They just keep on thriving.

Can’t get enough of that blue sky

The views on the way down are spectacular and we’re ready for another swim.

The cormorants were. posing for me.

I guess you could say I was posing too.

On the last morning we were there, it was a bit cloudy and you could tell the weather was changing a bit.

But you can’t beat that blue sky.

Greg is feeling grateful I think.

The osprey caught a lot of fish while we were there.

Bye Bye East Cape.

Back at home and just in time for unpacking and watching the sunset.

Living such a great life here in southern Baja.

What do you think sobriety is? Do you think it’s just not drinking? Of course it’s not drinking. But it’s so much more than that. 

Sobriety is a journey of rediscovering yourself. I had to admit I was powerless over alcohol. I  had to do the work to get sober, but this work provided a magical self reconnection, a resetting, and resting in recovery. I found financial wellness, educated myself in many areas, and began prioritizing self-care. 

In sobriety we learn how to set boundaries and find purpose In our lives. Instead of playing old narratives and blaming others, we accept responsibility and we grow and learn how to match our values with our intentions. 

In order to manage stress in healthy ways, we may find ways to learn new things. I have taken up yoga, meditation, and expressing myself in creative endeavors like watercolor, and making shell sculptures, writing and illustrating children’s books. At my age, I know how important it is to keep moving! Exercise class on the beach once a week, yoga three times a week, and walking every single day.

The routine I’ve set for myself is to get up very early, make my bed, grab the coffee that Greg has made for me as we head to the beach with our dog. Feeling my feet in the sand, watching the sunrise, seeing and hearing the waves crash on the shore, witnessing whales breeching, and seeing female turtles laying eggs, and then, in time, baby turtles hatching before working to get to the ocean. Blessings abound, and gratitude swells.

Drinking alcohol is giving up everything for one thing, while sobriety is giving up one thing for everything. I’ve been sober for 45 years and 8 months. This journey has taught me to live one day at a time. It’s not always easy, because life isn’t easy. There is always something. But now I have the clear headedness and courage to face whatever problems present themselves. It’s easier to have a graceful approach to problems without the alcohol clouding my brain. And matching my values with my intentions, as I mentioned already, is my ticket to a better life. 

Am I perfect? Hell no. I work on myself all the time. If I’m upset with someone, and I want to react, instead of pausing and using my words with integrity, I can ask myself, “Does this need to be said? Does this need to be said right now?” I admit that I still have trouble with this. Many times I’ve said things in anger that I can never take back. 

But I’m getting better. With a more cheerful attitude I can sustain powerful responses.

It’s also my intention to appreciate more of what is, instead of wanting things to be different. (My way). If I can’t control something, I can work on my breathing, and remember to have patience with myself as I learn to let go, to embrace calm. I want to control my thoughts and actions. Controlling myself is a big job, and a good focus for me. Most of the time I have less distortion, and I accept the small joys of being alive.

What is sobriety? Not drinking. Yes. But in these sober years, I stop to notice how much better I feel. I savor my life now. I want to be more loving and slower to anger, to take longer to eat my meals, to taste before I swallow. Now I realize how precious and rewarding living a sober life can be—it’s pure freedom. I can be as happy as I allow myself to be.

If you think drinking has become a problem and you’ve been toying with the idea of sobriety, there is a lot of help out there. Many 12 step programs, including AA. Give it a shot. You have everything to gain by giving up that one thing—alcohol.