Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of Recovery: The Whole Enchilada, hosts Peg McDermott and Heather Hagaman discuss how to navigate vacations in sobriety, including planning ahead like you would for a party. 

They share strategies such as traveling with sober people, gathering phone numbers and meeting locations, setting boundaries with drinkers, choosing accommodations and activities that support wellness, and having an exit plan when environments feel triggering. 

Peg describes her first sober beach trip where she redirected cravings into finding sharks’ teeth, while Heather reflects on early vacations that centered on drinking and how sobriety helped her enjoy and remember trips. Heather recounts a recent Ireland trip where she avoided romanticizing alcohol, found steadiness and ease through prayer, and unexpectedly met another person in recovery. 

They also cover cruise and retreat considerations, minibar risks, safe signature drinks, and small tools like removing wine glasses at restaurants.

00:00 Welcome and Topic Setup

00:48 First Sober Vacation Triggers

01:27 Sharks Teeth New Obsession

03:56 Safety Nets and Meetings

08:26 Planning and Boundaries

09:44 Ireland Trip Guinness Temptations

11:27 Steadiness Ease and Serendipity

16:41 Cruises and Danger Zones

22:52 Sober Retreats Buyer Beware

25:50 Signature Drinks and Exit Plans

30:54 Practical Tips Drinks and Glasses

31:54 Closing and Takeaways