We received a letter to the editor from M.L. in Bellingham, Washington, who responded to our “Cheerz To Sobriety” story in the Winter 2022/23 issue of KMC.

In Kootenay Mountain Culture Magazine‘s Winter 2022/23 issue, there’s an article by writer Meghan Ward about alcohol and mountain culture. A few people, including the reader below, appreciated us shining some light on the issue.

M.L. writes:

I read the “Cheerz to Sobriety” article while at Sun Peaks today. Thank you for writing that! This is my first year skiing since going sober and it’s quite a strange experience being in an environment where it’s so normalized and encouraged. I read the article and felt so understood and validated in my sobriety and grateful there’s literature out there on it in connection to outdoor sports.

I would like to add, sobriety felt out of reach because I thought I’d be missing out on something, that these activities would somehow be less fun if I had to be sober for them, but I’ve found it to be the exact opposite. I’m there, fully, and I’m able to show up for myself day after day without the groggy, foggy, everlasting hangover I was experiencing when I was drinking. It can certainly be hard when all your friends are drinking and you don’t want to be the “buzzkill,” but sobriety isn’t synonymous with being boring. There’s lots of fun and growth and life to be lived in sobriety.

M.L.
Bellingham, WA