6 Years 357 days - Just a Walk6 Years 357 days - Just a Walk
I'm Quitting Alcohol
Comedian David Boyle talks about getting his learner's permit, going on a late-night comedy walk and wandering past extravagant mansions near his home. The episode mixes everyday frustrations with humour and quiet reflections on success and life in sobriety.
8:05•6 May 2026
Learner Plates, Late-Night Walks and Laughing Through Sobriety
Episode Overview
- Passing small, practical milestones like a learner's permit can be part of rebuilding life after alcohol.
- You can turn simple routines, such as an evening walk, into creative time for yourself.
- Seeing extreme wealth up close can spark reflection on what success really means to you.
- Humour and self-deprecation can make everyday frustrations feel lighter during recovery.
- Progress in sobriety does not have to be dramatic; ordinary days still count as wins.
“Imagine that I fucking wrote jokes good enough to buy a mansion out the back there.”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This short, punchy episode of *I'm Quitting Alcohol* drops you straight into comedian David Boyle’s day as he inches through yet another very ordinary, yet oddly significant, milestone: becoming a learner driver. Aimed at people who like their recovery talk with plenty of swearing, self-deprecation and zero fluff, this five-minute check-in follows Boyle’s trip to the RMV to sit his learner’s permit test.
He jokes about not studying, reverse-engineering multiple choice questions, and somehow scraping through: “Who gives a shit? I passed anyway. I got 18 correct and 3 wrong.” It’s classic Boyle – chaotic logic, sharp timing and a steady undercurrent of someone rebuilding life one small task at a time. The episode then shifts to his nightly “comedy walk” – a stroll around his neighbourhood where he works on material.
He realises that just a hundred metres behind his modest place sit huge, multi-million-dollar mansions on acres of land. From there, Boyle riffs on class, money and fantasy, imagining what it would be like to write jokes good enough to move into one of those houses, then undercutting himself by saying he probably wouldn’t want to live there anyway.
Fans of recovery content who prefer honesty and humour to self-help slogans will appreciate the way Boyle casually folds sobriety-era routines (tests, walks, family life) into his storytelling. There’s no grand lesson, just a reminder that staying off the booze can mean showing up for the boring stuff, laughing at yourself, and still daring to dream a bit on the walk home.
If you like recovery stories told as raw, funny diary entries, this one’s worth your five minutes – what small, slightly ridiculous step towards change might be next for you?
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