Solace and the City

This week I am so excited to share my conversation with Sarah Levy, a writer and author who explores sobriety, relationships, culture, and identity. Sarah has appeared in The New York Times, TIME, The Cut, Vogue, Glamour, Elle, Refinery29, and Cosmopolitan, among other publications. She just released her first book, a memoir called Drinking Games, where she discusses her journey to sobriety, among so many other things. Sarah's memoir resonated with me in a way that's difficult to even describe. I encourage EVERYONE to listen to this episode -- whether or not you are even considering going sober. I promise you will find solace in her words. You can follow Sarah on Instagram @sarahllevy and be sure to buy her book Drinking Games!

I am officially 50 days sober! And what better way to celebrate than by releasing a new episode with Carl Radke from Bravo's Summer House! 

Summer House is a reality show featuring about ten professionals in their twenties and thirties who work in Manhattan and spend their summer weekends in a share house in Montauk. The show centers around the drama that inevitably unfolds over the course of the summer and the season. Carl has been a member of the cast since its 2017 inception, and the world has watched him go through numerous ups and downs. Perhaps one of the most heartbreaking of these intimate moments occurred in Season 6, when Carl discovered that his older brother had passed away from an overdose after a long battle with addiction and mental illness. The death of Carl's brother was a major reason why the reality TV star decided to reexamine his own drinking habits and eventually cut alcohol out of his life for good.

In this episode, I speak to Carl about his experience becoming sober after enduring such a tragedy. We also dive into other topics, including the invaluable role that alcohol plays in reality television. Be sure to listen to our conversation and then watch the newest episode of Summer House tonight at 9:00 PM EST. You can also follow Carl on Instagram @carlradke.

This week, in the spirit of Valentine's Day, I was so lucky to have Lindsey Metselaar BACK on the podcast. Lindsey is the host of one of my favorite podcasts of all time, We Met At Acme. Three years ago, I had the opportunity to interview Lindsey and talk about when and if we should disclose our mental health conditions while dating. (Check out the episode titled "We Met At Therapy" to hear the OG conversation). This week, Lindsey discusses her own journey to sobriety and answers some burning question I have about sober dating. Be sure to follow Lindsey and her podcast @lindzmetz and @wemetatacme, respectively. We Met At Acme has a new episode every Sunday!

I have officially hit my one month of sobriety milestone! For the first time in a really long time, I feel truly proud of myself for putting my mind to something and sticking with it. My conversation with Elizabeth was definitely a motivating factor to help me push through the tough days, and I am so grateful that she agreed to be a guest on Solace and the City. In this episode, Elizabeth talks about her previous life as a party girl and why she decided to stop drinking. We also talk a lot about the intersection between mental health and "alcoholism" (I am using quotes because I still haven't decided what this term means to me). Before she quit drinking, Elizabeth thought that she had some sort of mood disorder because of the way her temper would drastically change after a glass or two. Now, she realizes that alcohol was not so much a coping tool to deal with her mental health conditions but rather the cause of them. Be sure to check out Elizabeth on TikTok and Instagram @elizabethdopp and elizabeth_dopp, respectively.

I am officially 29 days sober! This is also an exciting time for me to share my conversation with Chris Shatek, a Life and Sobriety Coach for High-Functioning Drinkers. 

Before becoming a life coach, Chris spent over 20 years in the radio business as an on-air personality. He entertained hundreds of thousands of people and met celebrities from Taylor Swift, Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Hulk Hogan, and Will Smith. While he loved his job in radio broadcasting, he wanted to do something that was more fulfilling. But before making this career switch, Chris had to overcome a 15-year habit of excessive drinking. Now he helps people find the peace that comes when alcohol is no longer running their lives. Chris works with people to change their relationship with alcohol, because what was once his weakness, is now his strength. You can follow Chris on Instagram and TikTok @sobercoachchris!

When I first started my sobriety journey, I spent hours scrolling through TikTok to not only search for potential guests, but also to find a sober community that I could lean on in the inevitable tough times that I would face down the road. And then I came across Ally, this beautiful, radiant, successful woman exuding a sense of confidence a self-assurance that I was striving to emulate. At the time, Ally only had one video on TikTok where she talked about her sobriety. However, because she spent the entire 3-minutes talking about all that was to be gained through sobriety rather than what would be lost, Ally was the inspiration I needed to jump into my new life without alcohol. 

Without a doubt, my interview with Ally was one of my favorites to date. She shed light on all of the benefits of being sober, the ways in which the binge drinking culture has become so normalized in our society, and how removing alcohol from first dates has made dating so much more productive. (Don't worry -- we'll talk more about sober dating in episodes to come). I encourage everyone who has ever wanted to reevaluate their relationship with alcohol to listen to this episode. I promise you will NOT be disappointed!

I am officially one-week sober! In this week's episode, I had the incredible opportunity of interviewing my friend Hope Woodard to learn more about her decision to cut out alcohol from her life. We talked about SO much, including Hope's views on the gray areas of sobriety, the ways in which meme culture has normalized binge drinking, dating while sober, how alcoholism leads to disconnection with oneself and one's friends, and so much more. A huge theme of this podcast episode can be summarized by a quote I recently heard from Dr. Brené Brown: "The opposite of alcoholism isn't sobriety. The opposite of alcoholism is connection." I left my conversation with Hope feeling a huge sense of serenity, relief, and, one might say, solace. You can keep up with Hope's life by following her on TikTok and Instagram @justhopinalong :)

New Year, New Beginnings? In this solo episode, I discuss a recent life choice that I have decided to make after months, even years, of reflection. To be completely honest, this may have been one of the most difficult recordings that I have ever released. However, I truly hope that sharing my thoughts with the world not only holds me accountable for my actions but also resonates with anyone who is going through a situation similar to my own. 

2023 is going to be a year of implementing new habits, incorporating lifestyle changes, and learnings from incredible people who have accomplished something I have just begun to dip my toes in: sobriety.

...But maybe you'll listen?  In this 22-minute episode I talk about my return to Austin, my new life as a graduate student, my intense field work placement, my part-time job, and many meltdowns I've had in the past two months.  I hope to shed some insight into how I'm navigating a difficult time in my life and share that recovery from anything isn't linear.  At the end of the episode, I ask for feedback on what I should be sharing on Solace and the City while I'm unable to have weekly podcast episodes.  Anyways, I hope those who listen enjoy!