I'm wrapping up a business trip more than halfway across the country from home. It's been a very productive and rewarding trip, helping a client solve a problem where the solution actually means something to the client's clients. But, this is the first significant trip I've taken since getting sober and I admit I felt a little trepidation as the trip neared.
Business travel had always been accompanied by booze and there was some fear that the disease would come back to hit me with "you're away from home and no one will know" and "hey, you can find a way to write it off!" Fortunately, I have a brilliant bride and a strong sponsor and both made sure I was prepared not only for the business part of the trip, but for all the other hours as well.
I made sure I knew where the meetings were closest to my hotel and, after checking the schedules, knew that with my Higher Power's protection I would just be able to make an 8 p.m. meeting after arriving at my destination. Even with a layover in Atlanta I got to Denver right on time, there were no hiccups with the luggage or the rental car and the hour drive to where I was going to be went as smoothly as I could hope. And 8 p.m. found me just walking into the door of the club that would be my home away from home for the next almost two weeks.
One of the beautiful things about AA is that when I walk into a group anywhere it's like I've been there all along. There's absolutely no difference in a drunk in my hometown and a drunk in Colorado. What we share goes much deeper than a difference in accent and the fact that this Southern boy was not exactly sure he would survive a Colorado January! I was welcomed into the group I walked into with open arms and, even better, they had never heard some of the ice breakers that are often heard back home. Things like: "Look around you. It's [insert time] on [insert day]. Do you realize how much safer the streets of [insert town] are tonight because we're all here?"
I did try a couple of other meetings while in Colorado, but I kept coming back to the warmth of that first one. And they had some sayings of their own, many aimed at welcoming the newcomer. A couple of my favorites were "Don't be left home group-less" and "if you want to be a member of this group you just have to say you are -- Y'ARR!"
I'll tell you this. As long as welcoming groups exist in places like the Rocky Mountain Serenity Club in Fort Collins, Colorado there will never be a reason for any alcoholic to be home group-less! I'm looking forward to being home tomorrow, but I couldn't let the evening end without saying thanks my friends. You're my home group away from home! Y'ARR!
Until next time.
