The Airport Pint - One of the Greats?
After a couple of difficult months coming up with fresh topic ideas, this one picked itself. It's holiday time and, for many people who have contemplated going AF, this really is a no go zone for taking a break or stopping. Pub gardens, holidays, summer sports, the sun being out; lots of events that seem hard to imagine without alcohol and I know exactly where you’re coming from. When I think of the pints that promised the most over the years, the Summer ones were some of the most exciting.
5 years ago I never would have believed what I’m about to say, but I don’t think I’m missing out at all as I embark on another AF Summer. This blog post is more specifically focused on the holiday experience and how I see it so differently now. As always, whatever you are enjoying on your holiday is absolutely none of my business. I have no judgement towards anyone who drinks alcohol on their holiday, none at all. I just want to show those who might want/need to hear it, that AF holidays are not about sacrifice, they are about enjoying every minute of your time away.
Reframing the family holiday
Like much of life in the AF lane, learning to enjoy AF holidays is largely about reframing and positive psychology, these are commonly used tools when attempting to make any kind of lasting change. In a nutshell this means, choosing to focus on what you gain rather than what you miss, changing your perspective on familiar situations, and actively seeking out the positives. In this case that could be a clear head, a new sense of freedom, or never having to worry about that horrible wearing off of the effects of alcohol. So that’s what I plan to do here, tell you the fun parts about holidaying AF and how I’ve found such joy in it.
A couple of life’s great drinks
As we enter this latest holiday season, the ‘mandatory’ airport pint is starting to receive its usual acclaim in life's great pints category. There was certainly a time that I would have had it there too. The pre-flight beer is one that I had my doubts about before I stopped drinking though, as I began to realise that using it to feel more relaxed for the flight relied on perfect timing, or continued access to alcoholic beverages. It’s pretty well established that when the initial buzz of the first drink wears off, you are left with a more heightened sense of anxiety than you had before, like symptoms of a mini hangover. So I would find myself at a crossroads of either powering through the slightly more anxious, dehydrated and tired phase, or having to get another drink from the in-flight menu to keep me topped up. Hence, I no longer even consider the airport pint to be relaxing, other than for the half hour that you are drinking it maybe. I do still love a refreshment though, a coffee or even an AF beer can hit the spot without the need to mess with my neuro-chemistry for the sake of 30 minutes in a more relaxed state.
Another of the perceived great pints, is that first one when you arrive at resort, finally letting you hair down so it seemed. Much like the airport though, this would only lead back to an all to familiar crossroads and asking myself, do I have another or let this one wear off. With young children now, I do my best to stay present. I know I could still do so much better but, alcohol come downs are not going to help me connect with my children, not on a genuine level. It keeps coming back to something I have reiterated when talking about moderation. Is it actually worth having any drinks at all if it’s only going to make you feel worse in half an hour or so? Maybe for you, but not for me.
Choosing AF on holiday
Once I had started to consciously weigh up the pros and cons of drinking on holiday. I had to think about how an AF holiday might look and, admittedly, I was dubious at first. I had little reason to be. Most people figure out pretty quickly after having children that the way they holiday is going to have to change, for us it took a little longer. From firstly trying to continue in our old ways, just wine on the balcony instead of in the bar, we have eventually decided to free ourselves of it completely. The truth being that most of the things we did with alcohol, we can do without. Admittedly, partying until 4am would be a struggle without it, but that’s not what we want now anyway. Beachside cafes and restaurants, sitting on the balcony, chilling by the pool, enjoying the evening entertainment, none of it needs alcohol, certainly not one or two drinks. They just make me feel worse for such temporary gain! Not to mention that we now get more time to enjoy on our holidays; it turns out that the instant gratification of a long ‘lie in’ is also of zero benefit to me and leaves me with a subsequent negative feeling to start my day. On the flip side, I love nothing more than being the first one on the beach front for a morning run, a family walk, or chilling on a sun lounger with a coffee before it gets too hot. Absolute bliss.
We might spend a short time in a bar having an AF beer, no longer than is necessary to enjoy a nice little refreshment, and no crossroads and no wearing off effects to think about. The positive to take from going back to drinking is that I have tried again and, last year, I had a good go at stimulating some of the atmosphere and excitement that an all day session might bring. With United playing City in the Community Shield and Oxford playing their first Championship game, I persuaded that family to station ourselves in a bar where we could watch both games. Three ‘big beers’ later and my 9 year old son was calling me out, asking ‘why do you need another one?’ I could either brush him off, like I would have in the past, or accept that having raved about how great living AF is for the past 4 years, this was all very hypocritical. That pretty much killed any vibe I was trying to create as I realised once again that another drink wasn’t going to enhance anyone's day.
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