I have been working for the past year on buffering with wine. I have allowed hundreds of urges, and there are probably at least 100 bottles of wine sitting on the shelf at my local liquor store that I didn’t drink in this past year. Every time I go to take out the trash, I remember the tote filled with empty bottles and I’m so grateful for this work but I am still struggle every couple of weeks with unplanned overdrinking. In the fall, Brooke asked me if I could see myself not ever drinking again and I couldn’t. I think I have worked through that challenge and I really can see my life without any alcohol. Now I feel like I am so close yet so far from being there and it’s so frustrating. I am trying to be compassionate and have my own back but also be real about what is holding me back from moving through what feels like the final phase of this work on this issue. The spring has always been a time of overstimulation and high energy and I have a lot of exciting things happening in my life. When I feel overstimulated I want to drink wine to “calm down.” The sensation is itchy and like I’m going to crawl out of my skin. Sometimes I can work through it. I am getting ready to go to a week long event where there will be a lot of new people, stressful and exciting possibilities. I want to use this opportunity to not respond to all of this by drinking, do you have any suggestions. I know Brooke wanted us to answer our own questions, so what I come up with now is imagining myself, visually imagining myself in the situations I will be in with a beautiful glass of seltzer. I am also trying to build in space during the day to discharge some of the energy with walks or meditation. Do you have any other thoughts or suggestions to move through this moment in the process or this particular event. so much gratitude to you all!