For most of my life, I’ve had a complicated relationship with the idea of belonging.

Becoming sober was one of the most conscious decisions I’ve ever made. It was also one of the first decisions that made me feel further away from other people.

Suddenly, some of the things that had once made socialising easy didn’t work for me anymore. I could go to the same places, but I didn’t necessarily want the same things. And sometimes choosing what was right for me meant feeling like the odd one out.

I don’t want Sober Plans to be another place where people have to choose between being themselves and having friends.

I want it to be a place where we can make the choice to be present — even when being present is uncomfortable, even when we’re anxious, and even when we don’t know exactly what comes next.

So I started making plans. And I thought maybe other people would want to come.