March 23, 2023 at 11:37 a.m.
Northwoods Recovery: Be sure to pack your sobriety
By Jeff Frye-
Vacation is no excuse for taking a break from recovery. When leaving on vacation, be sure to pack your sobriety.
Typically, during winter I'll spend a week here and there well below the frost belt. But this year I got a bit carried away, signing up for a six-week educational/travel program that saw me further south than I'd ever been - South America, high in the Andes mountains in and around Cusco, Peru.
I was barely off my final flight when the altitude - 11,000 feet - knocked me for a loop; my host family insisted I needed to drink coca leaf tea to combat altitude sickness, and the headache and dizzyness I was suffering cleared up immediately. I got in the habit of drinking coca tea and on occasion chewed some coca leaf, which is of course what cocaine is derived from, but the tea I drank daily while in Peru was nothing like the drug I'd been addicted to. It simply alleviated the otherwise crippling symptoms of altitude sickness, allowing me to stay active in a high mountain culture; including clambering all over Machu Picchu twice.
Unlike their delightful Peruvian coffee, coca tea is not missed now that I'm home. A companion suggested I take some coca leaves home with me, appearing genuinely surprised when I declined. He's certain coca is a cure-all for whatever ails you. I was equally certain U.S. Customs would not see it that way. I ran into the usual temptations that crop up while traveling - Carnaval is celebrated most of February in Peru and frequently I was offered my choice of a local cerveza, Argentine wine, or some toxic-looking clear liquor said to be locally distilled from corn. A simple statement that I didn't imbibe was politely accepted without further comment. Peru is a most courteous culture. Heading home I had an exhausting red-eye flight from Lima to LAX and some very long layovers in which to grapple with the impulse to seek comfort at one of many "Welcome travelers!" airport bars. I overcame the urge but must confess I found the notion tempting.
Only my last flight into Rhinelander didn't include a vocally unhappy infant seated nearby.
There is real benefit in getting away and spending time in a different society; always I return with a deeper appreciation for Northwoods culture, especially our recovery culture.
Both serve to say to me "Welcome home!"
Do you think you may have a problem with alcohol?
Alcoholics Anonymous can help. Call our Hotline at (715)360-4637 or visit our website at www.northwoodsaa.org for questions or to find a meeting in your area.
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