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Hello dear fellow passers!

Does time fly by so quickly for you? It seems like the weeks are flying by faster and faster and hello…. Not too fast. I want so much more and if it goes so fast I don't have much time.

I work full time from Monday to Friday, so those days fly by anyway and then I come up with plans for the weekends, but before I blink my eyes it's already Monday and back to work.

For example, last weekend was completely 'short', because I was used as an official in the competition swimming on Saturday. Something I regularly do as a volunteer. Then Sunday remains and the household is crying out for attention. But yes, it is also nice to be able to spend time on hobbies again. So after a whole morning of being busy, I took out my painting again. I paint by number and that may sound very childish and simple….but it is not. Hadn't had an opportunity to paint for weeks and I usually do this on a rainy Sunday afternoon for example. Often while enjoying a glass of red wine or whiskey. But now without alcoholic beverages. And suddenly something struck me. I had a much steadier hand! Of course very nice with painting, but it actually scared me quite a bit. I never would have imagined that there would be a difference in this. It's also a little bit in the family, and 1 of my children also has it and never drinks a drop of alcohol, so it's not that. But it is less.

In terms of birthdays and parties, it's a bit boring month. But next month it says a girls' drink night on the schedule. IkPas is officially over, but what am I going to do? I still suspect then I. It gives me the creeps when I think about how I would wake up the next morning. I certainly don't miss that now. And I always said tough that I never had hangovers. That seemed so indeed. No, I didn't have a headache. But also far from fresh from how I wake up these days. But I only realize that now. I am slowly starting to notice more and more (small) differences. It's also not surprising that my body might take a little longer than someone else's. I can't forget that I drank alcohol almost daily for almost 30 years, except for my pregnancies, and maybe a day off here and there. And my body was set up for it.

I don't only notice the benefits of being AV though. I have had rheumatism for many years and the pain was numbed by the alcohol. Now it bothers me much more. Even though it is the time of year: cold and wet. So longing for spring is even more intense! Sleeping has not improved for me either. I still lie awake longer. But I definitely wake up fresher! Now that I'm starting to notice more and more pros, it definitely outweighs the cons! I have therefore not regretted for a minute that I started IkPas with the start challenge Dry January and that I extended it.

And no, I'm not Karen who wants to convince others to drink less or not more. That's everyone for themselves. You often see that in people who stop smoking and then have the biggest mouth about how dirty and unhealthy it is. Everyone really knows that. Wine and I were bound forever, I thought. And yes, wine is really delicious! The taste for sure. But I don't miss the alcohol. And non-alcoholic wine; I haven't been able to find a tasty one yet.

On to the last half of this IkPas challenge. And for all of you: hang in there!!!

Regards, Renate