009: "A Modern Gypsy"- Sarah C. shares her 10 yr story of addiction, drug abuse and alcoholism until she finds recovery!009: "A Modern Gypsy"- Sarah C. shares her 10 yr story of addiction, drug abuse and alcoholism until she finds recovery!
The SHAIR Recovery Podcast
Sarah C recounts ten chaotic years of addiction, travel and blackout drinking before describing how AA, sponsorship and small daily choices helped her build a stable, sober life as a mother and teacher. Her story highlights denial, spiritual turning points and practical advice for anyone new to recovery.
59:21•14 Apr 2015
From Modern Gypsy to Sober Mum: Sarah C’s 10-Year Ride into Recovery
Episode Overview
- Denial and minimising consequences can keep someone stuck long after the damage is obvious to others.
- Saying “I’m an alcoholic” and asking for help opened the door to support, sponsorship and a new way of living.
- Early sobriety may mean rebuilding from nothing, one small action at a time: a safe place to sleep, a job, a regular meeting.
- Spiritual growth often shows up through unexpected “coincidences” that solve practical problems when all options seem exhausted.
- Newcomers are urged to look for similarities rather than differences and keep going to meetings until something clicks.
“"The only thing I’ve done perfect in this whole time is not drink or use a drug. I flail through the rest of it."”
What makes a recovery story truly inspiring? Sarah C, self-described “modern gypsy”, talks through a decade of addiction, chaos and blackout drinking that stretched from suburban Chicago to Costa Rica and Europe, before finding a life she never imagined: a sober, married, primary school teacher with a very full, very noisy home.
You’ll hear how her early sensitivity, anxiety and need for attention from boys blended with daily weed, heavy drinking and cocaine, leading to dangerous blackouts, risky travel, and tangled relationships. Sarah is brutally honest about dating drug dealers, waking up in strange places, and realising she could blackout in any country because the common denominator was always her.
The turning point comes when a woman in Costa Rica quietly hands her a Big Book and later, when Sarah reads “how it works” and recognises herself in the stories.
She talks about that moment of denial cracking, walking into a young people’s meeting in Portland terrified, and saying for the first time, “My name’s Sarah, I’m an alcoholic… and I really need help.” From there, she explains how recovery was built one small, very practical step at a time: finding a sponsor, throwing away the drugs, getting a bed and first safe flat, taking service positions, making amends, and slowly rebuilding trust.
There are some brilliant “God shot” stories too, including a Ben Harper concert that helped her put the bong down, and a random chihuahua that led to the perfect childcare solution. Sarah also shares how she got clean heartbreak, single motherhood, graduate school, meeting her husband at an AA childcare room, and walking through serious medical crises without picking up.
If you’re wondering whether sobriety can lead to a life that feels ordinary in the best possible way, this one’s worth your time. What small step could you take today that your future self might thank you for?
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