TRAIL NOTES

Reflections from the path of alcohol-free living — and the bold life that follows.

This blog is where I document what comes after

the decision to stop drinking. The real stuff.

The inner shifts, the outer challenges, and

the unexpected joys that show up when we choose presence over numbing and growth over comfort.

As The Sober Sherpa, I’ve made it my mission to help others turn recovery into their greatest adventure.

Trail Notes is a space for insights, stories, and tools from the journey — mine, and those of the incredible people I meet along the way.

Whether you’re just starting out or already miles from where you began, I hope these notes offer you a moment of clarity, a spark of inspiration, or simply the reminder that you’re not walking this trail alone.

Let’s keep moving — with intention, curiosity, and courage.

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What I Knew... And Pretended I Didn't

June 22, 2025

There’s this idea that denial means you don’t know.

But I knew.

I knew the nights I couldn’t remember weren’t normal.
I knew the mornings I woke up in a panic weren’t sustainable.
I knew that apologizing — again — for things I said and didn’t mean wasn’t who I wanted to be.

I knew.
But I wasn’t ready to own what that meant.

Because if I admitted the truth, I’d have to do something about it.
And the idea of quitting — really quitting — felt impossible.

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What Alcohol Was Really Masking: Learning to Read the Signs Beneath the Pour

June 15, 2025

My drinking had always been tied to an insatiable desire to connect, fit in, and be accepted. I wanted to make people laugh. I wanted to be seen as confident, adventurous, and endlessly fun.I was never a casual drinker. I had no off switch.

Once I started, I had a very hard time stopping — and more often than not, I took things way further than I would have otherwise. I made it my personal mission to make every night out wild and unforgettable… even when no one asked me to.

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