A whole new caravanning life
I have been caravanning or camping all my life. We would travel to Fraser Island yearly, sometimes twice yearly, we would travel to various parts around Australia most school holidays leaving a week before and returning sometimes after school resumed.
It seemed only natural to me to live this life as an adult, marry someone that also loved the lifestyle and bring our kids up knowing the amazing world of adventure.
What also seemed as normal as brushing your teeth in the morning, was to embrace “happy hour” and when packing for trips the “booze” was just as important in the process to getting away as the grocery shop.
Holidays became about earning the right to spend 2 weeks relaxed kicked back on a chair for as long as possible each day and drink in hand.
Not to mention the platters of cheese and biccys, fish and chips for lunch, bacon and eggs for breakfast.
It all was “normal” right!!
That was until 6 months ago, when hubby and I completely gave up drinking. For no other reason than to experiment with our health and wellness and see what, if anything we were missing.
Never in a million years would I have thought either of us would ever get this far into this process, however here we are and caravanning, travel and life has never looked so freaking amazing.
When I say hubby gave up beers, I am not talking a beer here and there kind of guy, I am talking full blown carton could disappear and we won’t go into how quickly this could go either!!! And this is totally classed in society as acceptable and normal social behaviour.
Well, we are now on the outside looking in, we are totally living life alcohol free! OMG I know right, I have to pinch myself when I even say it, like who does that, we don’t even have family or friends that could class as non-drinkers, don’t get me wrong our family and friends are super supportive of our decision, but we are riding this wave SOLO.
6 months in and our holidaying and caravanning has changed, and so much for the better:-
- We eat healthy all the time – even on holidays and we don’t feel we are missing a thing
- We wake before the sun rises most mornings – and don’t feel or want to sleep in and miss the best part of the day
- Exploring our surroundings and the region is actually a thing for us now, not just the perimeter of where we are staying
- Focusing on amazing cuts of meat and local produce and purchasing for our lunch and dinners is our go to
- Finding the best acai bowls in town to add to our list, also gets us out of bed
- We tend to leave the town empty of soda water and sparkling water when we are not utilising our soda stream
- Board games, conversation, walks and cards has replaced our drinking holiday habit
- Finding bed by 8pm (or if I am completely honest sometimes 5pm) to watch some re-runs is something we LOVE doing and our normal these days
Benefits
- NO HANG OVER
- No brain fog
- No moods
- Better parents, partners and company
- Better conversation
- Healthier, fitter and stronger
- More energy
- Quality time
Never did we feel this life was in reach, like seriously from the time you are 18 all you know is to socially drink.
Even if it would have been in reach, never did we think life would ever be this much fun without a drink in hand.
Yeah yeah we hear you, saying how boring we are (don’t forget we also once thought this), however here we are and we would not change a thing.
They say don’t knock something until you have tried it!! We totally knocked it for so many years, and here we are not trying it but living it.
We are living our best life and this works for us. It not for everyone, but it definitely is what makes us bounce out of bed every day.
Eat – Sleep – Travel – Train, we are living our dream.
Happy Travels
Benny & Hayles
@thelifestylecleanse