In March of 2024 I walked into McCracken’s Irish Pub in Leesburg and downed my last drink. For dramatic flair, I chose to sip a pint of Guinness around St. Patrick’s Day in an Irish pub. I had spent nearly four decades savoring that velvety stout from countless barstools in countless Irish pubs on countless St. Patrick’s Days.

That was me for most of my adult life: have hip flask, will travel. Always the first to raise a glass and always ready to close down the club. Party girl, sorority sister, bartender, columnist, radio personality, and solo world traveler—booze was my constant companion, my bestie on each adventure and at every event. I even learned how to say “cheers” in a bunch of different languages. 

A guy once asked me,, “Why are you reading a book in a bar?” I clapped back, “Because libraries don’t serve beer.”

As my 30s blurred into my 50s, the endless personal pub crawl became exhausting. I finally realized that while being a young “party girl” may have been fun, becoming a middle-aged boozer wasn’t. At 57, I was over it.

So, last year, when Style publisher Kendra asked me to host The Healthy Living Podcast, I knew that was it. Call it vanity, but the idea of discussing life balance and wellness while secretly craving my next White Claw felt humiliating and hypocritical, which to me, was far worse than the most egregious hangover.

I also realized that moderation never felt like true freedom and “having just one” only kept me tethered to a habit I began to loathe. As I stare down the barrel of 60, I want to make the best of the life I have left.

It’s been a year now, and while I haven’t morphed into some Zen-like fitness guru, I’m free of hangovers, my finances are healthier and my mind is clear. I’ve still got the Guinness pint glass, but now it’s repurposed for better things like nourishing office plants or showcasing roses from my mom’s garden. 

Most importantly, I’ve proven to myself that authenticity and not alcohol, is what truly connects me to the world.