Staying Sober in Margaritaville

Friday May 12, 2006

My first trip to Isla Mujeres was at Christmastime in 1987. My kids and I took the rickety slow boat from Puerto Juarez on a day trip from Cancun.

I was newly single and newly sober. My kids, who were old enough to drink, gladly relieved me of the incessantly offered tequila slammers. I learned to tell waiters in my fractured Spanglish "No gracias. Yo soy alcoholica en recuperacion." "No thanks, I'm a recovering alcoholic." I felt extremely lucky to be traveling with my daughter and son. Considering the chaos of their upbringing they turned out to be wonderful kids. We had a great trip and life was good.

I credit the following 18 years without a drink to Alcoholics Anonymous, NOT to any power of my own. If my willpower or my brainpower could have cured my compulsion to drink, my life would never have become unmanageable. Any reader who wants to know more about alcoholism should go to http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.

My purpose in blogging this topic is to offer some tips to Isla travelers who want to maintain their sobriety on vacation. There is no doubt that there is a huge emphasis on drinking on Isla Mujeres and this presents a challenge to recovering alcoholics. This is NOT meant as a wet blanket on any reader who is able to drink "normally" and enjoys their cervezas and Margaritas.

AA does exist on the island. Although there are several meetings, the easiest one to find is in a clearly marked turquoise building which overlooks the basketball court in the Zocalo. This group meets every evening at 8:30 PM. Check it out! This may be a good place to meet other sober travelers to socialize with. Even if there are only Mexican members at the meeting, many speak English and you will be made a welcome companero. Later you will meet these folks around the island and get a special "Hola!" There are English speaking meetings in Cancun, also. (2008 update: There are now English meetings on Isla! During the high season they are Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday nights at 6:30. There was even a women's meeting on Friday night at the same time last winter. Low season English meetings may be reduced.)

Don't be afraid to "out" yourself as someone who doesn't drink. If you explain to the waiter urging you to enjoy his 2 for 1 Happy Hour, you may discover a kindred spirit - we did this twice during our trip in March, two waiters told us of their struggles with alcoholism and about how their lives have improved with sobriety. Other travelers who are normal drinkers can be very supportive if you don't come across as a total temperance nut. There are plenty of non-alcoholic drinks available, plus you can enjoy some great tropical drinks if you emphasize "sin alcohol" (without alcohol). My personal favorite drink is a "Nojito" - a mojito without the rum.

If you have been in recovery for a while, you already know that you don't need a drink to talk and laugh and swim and fish and snorkel and dance.....You will be able to demonstrate that Isla is a lot of fun without the booze. Enjoy!