Posted by on February 5, 2017

My name is Kelly Fitzgerald and I am a person in long-term recovery from a substance use disorder. I’m also a daughter, sister, aunt, friend, fiancé, full-time writer, and athlete. Part of my path has been sharing my story through my personal blog The Adventures of a Sober Señorita.

Why: I started my website in January 2014 on a whim because I was working in social media and blogging while living abroad in Cancun, Mexico. I had written several blogs at work that my co-workers loved and they suggested I start my own blog. I was 8 months sober at the time and I wanted to incorporate “sober” into the title. My sister came up with name The Sober Señorita – sober and living in Mexico.

Adventures of a Sober SeñoritaAt first my blog was about being an American girl living in Cancun and all my posts described weekend travel, local events and historical sites. I was too scared to write about sobriety and I never dreamed that’s what my website would become. When I reached my one-year sobriety anniversary I was proud of myself and wanted to get my feelings down in writing. I published my first blog about sobriety called A Year Without Alcohol. Much to my surprise, this post ended up going viral. It was picked up by The Huffington Post, republished in 5 different languages, and shared across the world. It is still being shared today, two years later.

This lead me to believe that I was on the right path in life and that I should continue to write about my sobriety journey. People wanted to hear about the sober life, and so that’s what I did. I wanted to show that anyone can live a healthy, fun, exciting life without drugs and alcohol. I wanted people to know that you can be sober and still be “cool” and that if I could get sober, anyone can.

History: Like I mentioned earlier, my blog started out with “an American girl living in Mexico” premise and it has evolved into a blog about the life of a sober 30-something woman. I eventually moved back to the U.S. from Mexico and now I write mainly about sobriety and my life, not much else.

My readers get to do life with me, hear about my ups and downs, my good times and my bad, and how I survive it all in sobriety. I offer advice, tips, and resources for those seeking or in recovery. My blog has also been the catalyst for me getting a full-time job doing the work I love – writing and sharing about recovery.

What: Today writing on my blog not only helps others, but it is a huge component to my own recovery. I am able to express my emotions and receive feedback from my readers. On my site I have my blogs about my sobriety and my life, a resources section that includes other blogs/sober websites I follow, as well as recovery advocacy sites, podcasts, and sites that can help people get sober. I also have a media section where people can read other articles I’ve written on external sites or read/listen to interviews with me. The community I’ve build on Sober Señorita also includes my Facebook page with 8,000+ followers where I share my writing as well as important addiction and recovery news, other sober writers’ articles, and inspirational quotes. My intent remains the same, by sharing my story I hope others out there who are struggling will know it is possible to live a sober life and that anyone can get sober.

As time goes on I hope to devote more time to my blog and community. I’m currently writing an eBook with another sober writer Carly, from Miracles Are Brewing.

Read more: Sober Senorita

 

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