Notes From Our Founders

  • A Very Dry World Cup

    By Vanessa Royle

    Soccer, football, the beautiful game. Every four years, the world turns its attention to the World Cup, generally played in June, this year, controversially, in November.  I’ve never been to a World Cup, but when I imagine what that experience...

  • No, I Didn't Drink at My Wedding

    By Vanessa Royle

    “So I know you don’t drink anymore, but you’re going to drink at your wedding, right?”  I heard this question over and over during my year and a half engagement. And when I answered, “No, I’m not planning to drink...

  • My Quit-Lit Book Recommendations

    By Vanessa Royle

    In the months after I quit drinking, I dove into the world of “quit-lit”—the genre of books focused on sobriety, sober curiosity, and the role of alcohol in society.  These books helped me come to terms with the reasons behind...

  • Don't Get Spooked By Sober October

    By Vanessa Royle

    It’s officially Sober October! Started in 2014 in the UK as a fundraising campaign for cancer research, Sober October has become a bona fide movement and is here to stay.  I first participated in Sober October five years ago. I...

  • Why I Quit Drinking

    By Vanessa Royle

    I stopped drinking nearly two and a half years ago. It still feels surreal to write those words. Alcohol was how I relaxed at the end of a long day or week, it was how I entertained people, and it was how I knew to have fun. In the years since quitting, I’ve been able to reflect on how my relationship with alcohol became one I no longer wanted in my life.