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FROM THE DESK OF THE FOUNDER
Happy Monday, Sober Sip crew.
Euphoria Season 3 is finally here, and no, I am not okay. In the best possible way.
This week on The Sober Curator, we went deep on Sam Levinson's sobriety story and what it means that the man behind one of TV's most unflinching portrayals of addiction is actually living in recovery himself. We also tackled analog living, digital detox, and why sober retreats are basically the antidote to 2026.
If you've never ordered a flight of waters at a restaurant, we need to talk. Also: Anthony Kiedis is your Sober Celeb of the Week and yes, he absolutely earned it. We've got a movie review of “If I Had Legs I'd Kick You” that you will want to read before you stream it. And our girl Krysty Krywko is back with Unpolished, her bi-weekly creative practice for sober and sober-curious women who want to make things without needing to be good at them first. Yes please.
Janey Lee Grace's Alcohol Free Life podcast is also in the mix this week with a conversation about people-pleasing, boundaries, and what Catherine Gray calls "little addictions." That one hit.
Okay. There's a lot this week and I am not sorry about it.
Now let's get to it...
— Alysse Bryson (*AB That’s Me 💋) / Seattle, WA 🌃 05.01.2006
SOBER ENTERTAINMENT
From Addiction to Advocacy: Sam Levinson's Sober Leadership
The creator of HBO's 'Euphoria' opens up about his harrowing journey through addiction, revealing how he went from accepting death at 16 to becoming a powerful voice for recovery. His story reminds us that our darkest chapters can become the foundation for our greatest contributions. Through his art and advocacy, Levinson transforms personal pain into universal hope.
SOBER TRAVEL
Analog Living in 2026: Why Sober Retreats Are efining Presence and Digital Detox
By the afternoon, I sit in a planning meeting for our retreat offerings, half-listening while scrolling through my phone under the table. Someone mentions "digital detox," and I look up, suddenly paying full attention. The irony isn't lost on me: here I am, building wellness experiences for others, while if I’m being honest, I'm often unable to be completely present in my own life.
This moment becomes a turning point. Not just for me personally, but for how we think about (sober-friendly) retreats and what they need to offer in 2026. Because here's what I know: you can remove alcohol from your life and still be numb, checked out, unavailable to yourself and others if you're living through a screen.
HAPPY EVERY HOUR
A Flight of Waters, Please
I did not expect to have opinions about water.
And yet here I am, remembering the exact moment I realized I could taste the difference between something pulled from an ancient iceberg and something drawn up through mineral-rich earth. Not in theory. In my body. On my tongue. One sip made me sit up a little taller and another made my shoulders drop.
LIFESTYLE
Unpolished: Make It Anyway | Krysty Krywko
A bi-weekly creative practice for sober and sober-curious women exploring identity, creativity, and life after alcohol. No art skills required.
RECOVERY PODCASTLAND
People-Pleasing, Boundaries, and Sobriety: What Catherine Gray Teaches About “Little Addictions”
Our recent live Alcohol Free Life Podcast event with the brilliant Catherine Gray left me buzzing and thinking long after we wrapped. Catherine has that rare gift: she can talk about the hardest things with humor, honesty, and a kind of grounded vulnerability that makes everyone in the room exhale.
We spoke about the extraordinary success of "The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober", a book that didn’t just sell, but shifted culture. Catherine reminded us that when she wrote it, she had no idea it would resonate so widely. She simply told the truth. And people recognized themselves in it.
Adventures led by women, designed to make a difference.
Imagine a vacation that’s not only transformative for you but helps open doors for the local women you meet along the way. That’s what Intrepid’s new Women’s Expeditions in Peru, Cambodia and Bhutan are all about.
Designed specifically for women travellers, these trips offer immersive local experiences that support women-run and owned businesses in each destination. With an expert local leader out front, you could trek the lesser-known Chinchero to Urquillos route in the Peruvian Andes alongside an all-female crew, dive into Cambodia’s street food scene on a women-run tuk tuk tour, or unwind with a traditional herbal hot stone bath at a women-owned farmhouse in Bhutan.
First launched in 2018, Intrepid’s Women’s Expedition range is designed to break down barriers, foster discussion and create meaningful connections for travellers and locals alike.
MOVIE NIGHT
Sober Movie Review: If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Sober Curator Contributor Patti Clark takes us through this unflinching portrait of addiction, following Linda (Rose Byrne) as she spirals deeper into chaos with each attempt to numb her pain. It's a raw reminder of that AA wisdom we know too well - and a powerful mirror for anyone who's walked this path. Sometimes the most healing thing we can do is see our stories reflected honestly on screen.
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