activities

Not long ago, I think I told y’all about a sober networking app.

(Yep, that’s the one.)

But whether you’ve accrued pals in rehab, the rooms of recovery, or just the checkout line of your local Whole Foods – what happens when you and your newfound, fellow, chemical-free companion finally hang out? Do you just sit around in awkward silence at the local cafe? Go sit in a darkened theater where you don’t even interact? Turn the whole thing into a sober Tinder affair that fizzles by sunrise? Ghost on eachother if there’s zero friend chemistry? It could be difficult, stoking the fires of a new dynamic – especially if you’re nervous about meeting new peeps. Because, when you’re worried, the last thing that comes easily is trying to creatively generate recreational activities that don’t entail libations.

Lucky for some younger drug-free folk, a whole juice-crawl culture is evolving.

That’s right. It’s not about grog or rum they’re after, but swilling chlorophyll. The interesting thing? Not all of them are recovering addicts, either. Sure, some are in their 30’s. But some are also just millennials (reluctant to bear that label) who simply want to join what’s now the counter-culture antithesis of Miley and her Mollies. The new rebellion is sobriety. Why? Because more kids are seeing the unproductive, depressing stupor and stupidity suffered by their parents and cohort group alike. Seeing how opposite-of-cute that is, they’ve come to value mindfulness, spirituality, and – ya know – actually having their faculties instead. (Who’d’ve thunk it?) It may sound basic, but it’s anything but that. It takes some next level self-awareness to realize that numbing the pain induced by a confused culture and society is not the answer.

And that’s why they’re going against the “grain” – to see things ever clearer.

Enter sober bars and raves.

(*Obviously* I’mma rock my onesie too for sunrise clubbing. Duh.)

There’s a place called “The Other Side” in Chicago, for instance. It’s not like an A.A. meeting with disco lights or anything. It’s your regular venue style club – but just sans the spirits at the bar. (And the age min is 17.)

Even “day raves” are a thing now, too.

Daybreaker’s is this buzz-free pre-meridian party that happens in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, for example. It kicks off just after the crack of dawn (er… 7:00 A.M.) and parties til nine-ish (again – in the A.M.). It’s fantastic because, for those who loathe rising early to hit the human hamster wheel for fitness (but wanna keep a pre-work cardio routine), you get epic exercise dancing to EDM amongst randos. What’s more, they’ve got a bar full’ve coffee and fruity water to replenish you and enjoy the sole legal high you permit yourself: caffeine. (Do they serve Starbucks? ’cause if so, I’m there yestermorning.) The nice thing? They move from place to place. And since they initiated a couple’ve years ago, I wouldn’t be surprised if they haven’t branched out by now. Google sober raves in your area to see what pops up, if that’s something that “resonates” with you.

Or mayhaps you’re one of those mature millennials.

Bars and clubs are dumb to you whether or not they come with drinkable drugs.

In which case, I say forget the above… and click here now.