FROM THE DESK OF THE FOUNDER
Hey there, Sober Sip people.
Twenty years sober. Former Marlboro Menthol Lights smoker. And apparently still the kind of person who can get ambushed by a Hulu documentary on a Tuesday and feel a ghost craving crawl out of nowhere like an uninvited houseguest. That's what happened with our Cyclone Pods review, and it's a good one. Real story. Real moment. Worth reading.
This week also brought us Senior Sober Curator Contributor Anne Marie Cribbin's take on Lena Dunham's new memoir, Famesick, which is exactly the kind of complicated, recovery-adjacent, occasionally frustrating book we live for around here. And Senior Sober Curator Contributor Amy Liz Harrison went deep on something I did not know I needed until I did: 26 U.S. airports that have actual quiet, alcohol-free spaces for sober and neurodivergent travelers. No dedicated sober lounge yet (we're working on it, America), but meditation rooms, chapels, and sensory spaces that beat standing at a terminal bar pretending to enjoy sparkling water.
There's more waiting for you below. Stoicism. NA drinks. Amish Country. An ACoA lens on a book that earned it. A memoir about one last hit.
It's a full week. Now let’s get to it…
— Alysse Bryson (*AB That’s Me 💋) / Seattle, WA 🌃 05.01.2006
#ADDTOCART
Cyclone Pods Review: A Former Smoker Tests Nicotine-Free Vapes
Former Marlboro Menthol Lights smoker. Twenty years sober. And apparently still capable of being ambushed by a Hulu documentary and a ghost craving I thought I'd buried a decade ago. Here is what happened when Cyclone Pods showed up at exactly the right moment.
#QUITLIT
Famesick by Lena Dunham: A Review for the Curious and the Recovering
Senior Sober Curator contributor Anne Marie Cribbin reviews Lena Dunham’s Famesick, a memoir that explores addiction, chronic pain, rehab, fame, and the uneven process of telling the truth about your own life. Honest, complicated, and occasionally frustrating, the book offers a recovery-adjacent story for curious readers more than a traditional sobriety memoir.
TRAVEL
26 Airports with Alcohol-Free Calm Spaces That Support Sober and Neurodivergent Travelers
Senior Sober Curator Amy Liz Harrison explores the reality of modern air travel for sober and neurodivergent passengers and highlights 26 U.S. airports with meditation rooms, chapels, sensory rooms, and quiet spaces. While dedicated sober airport lounges do not exist yet, these alcohol-free spaces offer travelers a place to breathe, regulate, pray, journal, text a sponsor, or simply step away from the chaos of terminal bars and boarding-group mayhem.
BACKSTAGE: Where Recovery Meets Real Life
WED JULY 08 | 6 PM Pacific / 9 PM Eastern
BACKSTAGE with The Sober Curator: Edutainment Night | iPhone Content Creation with Sheena Kalso
You have a story worth telling. You have a phone in your hand. Now let’s make the two of them work together.
On July 8, BACKSTAGE welcomes Sheena Kalso of Behind Your Scenes for a practical, hands-on Edutainment Night dedicated to helping you shoot better content on your iPhone. No fancy equipment. No production team. Just your phone, the right settings, and one hour with someone who actually knows what she’s doing.
Sheena works with speakers, coaches, and leaders who know they should be showing up more on social media but aren’t sure how to make content that actually feels like them. Her approach is practical, real, and completely doable without a film crew.
By the end of this session you will know:
The exact camera settings to update on your iPhone right now
How to shoot video that looks and feels like you
What makes a Reel or TikTok actually worth watching
How to stop overthinking it and just hit record
Come with your phone charged and ready. This one is interactive.
Not a member? You are missing both. BACKSTAGE is our private culture club. Live events, member essays, brand drops, and a community of people deep into the long game. Join BACKSTAGE → Only $19/mo or $199/year (*includes two months free)
ALSO THIS WEEK ON TSC 📰
👉 Know Thyself: The Ancient Command That Recovery Has Always Been Asking You to Follow Read more here→
👉 Why NA Beer, NA Wine, and Zero-Proof Cocktails Are Getting Better Read more here→
👉"The Bright Years" by Sarah Damoff: A Review Through the ACoA Lens Read more here→
👉 Visiting Shipshewana, Indiana: A Sober Travel Guide to Amish Country Read more here→
👉 "One Last Hit" by Austin Rampt: A Quitlit Review Read more here→
Gif by lizzo on Giphy
