Recovery on Holiday

Before beginning FA four years ago, I traveled overseas with my family at least twice a year. These holidays were an escape from the stress and routine of everyday life. I relished partaking in the buffet breakfasts, sampling exotic cuisines, and dining at different restaurants every night. Traveling back home, exhausted from the hectic pace during the time away, I was often so overwhelmed that I needed to recover from the holiday, which would delay my return to work and daily responsibilities.

I continue to travel now, whether it’s to the FA business convention or on family vacations. These trips require thought and planning, and I consider my motive for the trip. Is it to boost my recovery? Is it to spend precious time with family? 

I discuss my ideas for the trip with my sponsor, taking a weighed and measured approach to all aspects of the time away. The greatest priority is to make sure my food is organized for my journey. Rather than staying in a hotel, I book an apartment with kitchen facilities and a lounge or dining area. When I arrive at my destination, I shop and prepare meals for the coming days. Then I am ready to explore the sights.

I also check if there is a local FA meeting I can attend. I have visited FA meetings in Los Angeles, New York, and Miami while on holiday. It’s wonderful to meet different people in our fellowship and be of service. Last year while in Lisbon, Portugal, I traveled across town on a train to get to an AA meeting in a beautiful beachside location. I have discovered some amazing places just by being willing to work my program.

When traveling to the US or Europe I reach out to FA fellows in that time zone. It’s an opportunity to forge new connections, strengthen old ones, and reach people who may not have in-person fellowships. I download recorded FA stories to my phone to listen to between meetings and when in transit, and I take several issues of connection magazine to catch up on reading.

I am amazed at how smoothly I can work my FA program while traveling, and it has always enhanced the holiday experience. I heed the slogan, “Don’t eat no matter what; no matter what don’t eat!”

Returning home, I sometimes lapse into negative thinking and self-pity, but I choose to get into action and be in gratitude for the opportunity to experience recovery on holiday.