I finally took my dream trip to Hawaii. I’m glad I did it sober.

• Terri Peters has been sober for nearly two years, and last month visited Hawaii for the first time.
• Traveling with girlfriends who don’t drink made it easy for her to skip Mai Tais.
• Visiting Hawaii sober allowed Peters to fully appreciate the beauty of Oahu.

There’s a glass jar in my living room that my family has been tossing loose change into for years. “One day,” I always say, “it’ll be full and we’ll use it to pay for a trip to Hawaii.”

I’ve always wanted to visit the Aloha State. Its stunning beaches looked like the perfect escape from everyday life.

Through family deaths, job losses, health scares, and the stresses of raising small kids, Hawaii — and that glass jar — served as a promise of easier times ahead.

I’m glad I waited until I was sober.

Like so many adults, I turned to a few nightly glasses of wine to handle stress. Over time, a glass or two became a whole bottle. Eventually, I decided I wanted a change. It’s been almost two years since I gave up alcohol completely, and I’ve truly never been happier or, ironically, less stressed.

Sober travel has been an unexpected perk of my alcohol-free lifestyle. I’ve explored everywhere from St. Vincent to Italy without drinking and found each trip more rewarding and hangover-free.

So when a few sober girlfriends and I started talking about planning a girls’ trip to Hawaii, I got excited. A stay at Disney’s Aulani resort on Oahu felt like the perfect way to celebrate being alcohol-free.

I dove into research about things to do at our resort and on Oahu, and daydreamed about waking up hangover-free on the beach and sipping mocktails while watching the Hawaiian sunset.

An alcohol-free itinerary

In my drinking days, I’d have started throwing down Mai Tais as soon as my plane touched down in Honolulu and alternated between feeling buzzed and nursing a hangover. I’d have missed the sunrise and spent the trip living the same life I was trying to escape.

This time, with good friends who also don’t drink, we spent mornings sipping macadamia nut coffee, signed up for sunrise yoga, went snorkeling on a catamaran, and even attended an open-bar luau that I enjoyed more with a Diet Coke in hand.

One morning, I splurged on a character breakfast with Mickey and his friends and used the money I’d once have spent on alcohol for activities like swimming with native fish in the resort’s private lagoon.

Setting myself up for success

As cheesy as it sounds, I think of my sobriety as a gift I give myself every day. While I don’t consider myself an alcoholic, alcohol was stealing moments and memories from my life. Waiting to visit Hawaii until I was sober wasn’t intentional, but I’m so grateful the timing worked out that way.

Traveling with friends who also don’t drink made things easier. Staying at a Disney resort was a no-brainer for us — we’re regulars at Walt Disney World and even take girls’ trips on Disney Cruise Line.

The best part? My teens, who say they are “too old” for Disney, weren’t even jealous.

At our resort, the focus was on meeting rare Disney characters like ShellieMay from Duffy and Friends and eating Hawaii-exclusive Mickey-shaped treats like Spam musubi.

Being sober helped me appreciate all Hawaii has to offer.

Looking back on a magical few days in Hawaii, I’m so glad I waited until I was sober. Visiting Oahu as a non-drinker allowed me to be open to learning about the Hawaiian people and the stunning islands they call home.

Visiting sober helped me appreciate all Hawaii has to offer. From the employee at our resort who gave us a tour of the distinctly Hawaiian touches throughout the property to the catamaran crew who excitedly showed us a pod of spinner dolphins, the people in Hawaii were one of the best parts of the trip.

If I’d been too buzzed to chat with them, I’d have really missed out on something special.

And that glass jar in my living room? It’s still being filled with loose change. I can’t wait to share Hawaii with my husband and kids. A second sober trip is definitely in my future.

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