When I first got sober, my biggest worry wasn’t actually staying sober. It wasn’t even the idea of never drinking again. What really scared me was the thought that I wouldn’t have fun anymore.
If you’ve read my story, you know I’d been trying to get sober for a while. By the time it finally stuck, I was exhausted—tired of feeling terrible, tired of the cycle, just done. So the fear of drinking again wasn’t really the issue. What lingered, though, was the question: What does fun look like without alcohol?
Would anyone want to hang out with the sober guy? Would I even enjoy anything without a buzz?
Over time, I started discovering new things that kept me entertained, connected, and actually excited about life. And now, these have become part of my weekly routine.
Here are five sober adventures I take almost every week.
5: The Movies
I know it’s a pretty common sober activity, but I go to the movies a lot. And before you say, “But movies are so expensive,” hear me out, because if you can spare under $30 a month, you can basically see everything that hits theaters.
AMC has a monthly membership called A-List that lets you see up to four movies a week for just $28. And just to be clear, I’m not sponsored by AMC—it’s simply one of the best deals out there. Go to two movies and the membership has already paid for itself. If you’re anything like me, and you love both movies and the whole theater experience, you might actually end up going three or four times a week.
I love going on my own, but I also host the occasional sober Sunday movie night. And if you can get a group together, it’s an amazing way to connect with others in your local sober community.
4. Rediscover Live Entertainment
In my 20s and 30s, I was an actor, so theater has always been a big part of my life. But when I was drinking, most of my money went toward bottles of wine or vodka and nights out. I still wanted to see shows, but the bar always won.
When I got sober, I made a promise to myself: one show a month. Over time, and especially after moving back to NYC, that turned into one show a week. Sometimes it’s Broadway, sometimes it’s a free performance at the library. The point is, I go. Movies give me something fun to look forward to during the week, and theater gives me something to look forward to when the workweek wraps up.
And maybe theater isn’t your thing. That’s fine, find your version of it. Go to a concert, a sports game, a comedy show, whatever lights you up. Just get out there and start doing the things you used to push aside because drinking or using always came first
3. Find a Hobbie or Return to an Old One
Sobriety is the perfect time to reconnect with the parts of yourself you set aside along the way. Maybe there’s something you always said you’d do “one day,” or an old passion you haven’t touched in years. Choose one and explore it.
Learn guitar. Start running. Take dance lessons. Join an LGBTQ hiking group. Sign up for a writing workshop at the library. Grow a garden. Pick up photography. Whatever sparks excitement or passion and brings you back to your old self.
When drinking was the priority, hobbies were the first things to disappear for me. Sobriety gave me the space to start fresh. I began writing again, trained for and ran a half marathon, and even learned to play the ukulele (not well, but joyfully). And that’s the point, there’s no pressure, no perfection. Just fun. Just growth. Just something that’s me.
4. Host Sober Social Nights
You don’t need alcohol to have a social life you just need a couple of people and creativity. Gather some sober and sober supportive friends and rotate themed nights or meet once a month.
Game nights
Awards Nights Parties
Movie Nights
Cookie Baking Night
Book Club
Connection is a huge part of recovery, and creating alcohol-free spaces gives you and others a chance to bond without the awkwardness of navigating drinking environments.
- Plan a Sober Adventure with SGA or Another Sober Friendly Trip.
Have something to look forward to. Have something to work toward. Sober Gay Adventures is offering two trips this summer designed to give LGBTQ people in sobriety a safe, fun way to travel together. One is our group trip to Italy, and the other is a yoga and meditation retreat in Crete, Greece.
But maybe our trips aren’t exactly what you’re searching for. Fellow-ship hosts sober-friendly travel experiences. Gay and Sober and Here Queer Sober offer conferences where you can connect with others, learn, and explore different aspects of your recovery. And in most major cities, you’ll find local round-ups if you’re part of a 12-step program.
Whether you join Sober Gay Adventures or choose something entirely different, give yourself something meaningful to plan for. It might be a big trip, a local event, or even a getaway with friends you already know. Whatever it looks like, find something exciting to look forward to and build toward.
Of course, there’s more to sobriety than having fun and those things still matter. Whether it’s working the steps, going to meetings, making gratitude lists, meditating, or whatever keeps you grounded, those practices are essential.
But having fun is important too, especially in early sobriety. So make space for it. Create it. Because sobriety is fun, it’s just a different kind of fun than maybe you’re used to. You had fun before drinking, now you just need to find it minus the booze.
Give yourself permission to enjoy this new version of life.
[…] I mentioned in my Five Fun Things To Do In Sobriety, I love the theater. So if your sober friend loves the theater, bring them to a show. If they love […]