'I tried the dry-tripping trend - I feel brand new, everyone should try it once'

Toni says she wanted to free herself from alcohol, so tried the ‘dry-tripping’ trend, and it did wonders for her mental health

A woman has shared how she felt after trying out a new trend that has gained in popularity on social media lately. The trend is known as 'dry-tripping', the concept is based on avoiding alcohol whenever you go on holiday aboard.

Embarking on a personal journey of healing and self-development, Toni Jones, 47, from Norfork decided to challenge herself to a ‘sober 2024’ by taking on 'dry-tripping'. Eager to build new, healthy habits, she decided to cut out alcohol, recognising it as one of the best things she could do not just for her mental health, but physical too.

Speaking to Omio, she shared why this lifestyle change was so important to her. She also discussed some of the sober travel experiences she has had this year, and how it has made her feel.

"I wanted to free myself from alcohol," she said. "I've been thinking about, and attempting short stints of alcohol-free living for almost 10 years.

"Since I interviewed the founders of an organisation called Club Soda back in 2015 and started learning more about the idea of 'mindful drinking', it inspired me to look at my drinking habits. Over the last decade, I've also been on a personal journey of healing and self-development.

"Finally, I admitted to myself that removing alcohol from my life would be the best thing I could do for my mental and physical health. I felt like 12 months was a good time to start to free myself from alcohol and create new healthy habits, as well as to try everything sober at least once, including holidays."

Toni went on several sober trips this year, one to Miami, a destination known for its alcohol fuelled nightlife. However, Toni explained that this holiday made her realise that you don’t need booze to have fun.

“Previously, I have always drunk alcohol on holidays, seeing it as an integral part of any trip," she added. "Starting with airport beers and aeroplane bloody Marys to toast the holiday.

"I visited Miami earlier this year, somewhere that I have visited several times before, with my husband and also with friends. It has a reputation as being a party city and previously I have embraced that side of it.

"But this time I arrived sober and left feeling great after swapping late nights and cocktails for early mornings and juices. It was a really different holiday experience and made me realise that time off in the sunshine is something to celebrate, and doesn't need booze to make it better."

Falling back into a habit is easy, especially on holiday, where drinking often plays a part in how people socialise. However, Toni made small adjustments to help her avoid alcohol as much as possible – and it even saved her money in the process.

"A holiday for me is full of triggers to drink, so I had to do a bit of planning to make sure I could avoid as many of them as possible," she continued. "I asked the hotel to remove the mini bar from my room and stayed away from bars as much as I could.

"We went for glamorous breakfasts and brunches instead of dinners. I made sure that I had a couple of 'go-to' alcoholic-free drink choices – alcohol free beer, root beer, and iced coffee.

"One of the biggest challenges was being poolside and hearing the sound of cocktail shakers. Also, it was difficult to resist happy hour offers and the groups of loud, tipsy friends hanging out on the boardwalk. However, Miami is a pretty expensive destination, so not drinking saved me hundreds of dollars which worked out in my favour!"

Toni says the benefits were truly worth it. She added: "After not drinking, I felt truly relaxed and rejuvenated – like you're supposed to when you come back from a holiday. I really enjoyed the long days and early nights, feeling energised and positive.

"And I was able to get over jet lag pretty quickly. I also had the mental space to spend time making exciting plans for when I got home. And not drinking alcohol on a long-haul flight was a HUGE revelation."

After 'dry-tripping' Toni agrees with the common saying ‘you don’t need a drink to have fun’. "This saying is 100% true, although sometimes that fun looks a little bit different", says Toni.

"On this holiday I made different choices such as going for a swim in the ocean versus getting drunk at a rooftop bar. And - as my friend Jack says - not drinking is only boring if you have boring friends, so if you want to keep having fun then plan interesting things with great people."