Culture shock. I just moved from Los Angeles, California to Pavia, Italy. How will I stay ever sober? Four weeks later, I celebrated my 3rd AA birthday at the 3rd annual EURYPAA Convention in Copenhagen. Being the only person from Italy, I was excited to represent the beautiful country of Italy. Out of 400 attendees, only four of us were from southern Europe, 2 Spaniards, a girl from Paris and me. I couldn’t believe that the young and young of heart came from all over Europe with the sole purpose of celebrating sobriety. If all these people could stay sober in Europe, so could I. Finally, hope had entered my heart.
Top 5 reasons you should go to EURYPAA 2014 in Prague:
1) This is a program of attraction not promotion. In a letter of support from the Swedish GSO, “We need young people to attract other young people into this program.” I got sober at 27. My experience getting sober as a young person puts me in the unique position to help another young alcoholic who relates to my story. We need you. We need your story.
2) We are not a glum lot! How do you find joy and happiness in our new way of life? Thankfully, you don’t have to do it alone. I’ve personally witnessed the moment when my young friends took the plunge into the AA pool of life. After an entire day of meetings, 50 of us (or so it seemed) went dancing. The light bulb went on when my friends realized that they were simultaneously having fun AND staying sober. One young man let out a war cry for the spirit of the universe to enter him. Another one lit a cigarette, his shoulders dropped, and upon exhaling he said, “I’m so glad I can be myself around you guys.” Fast friendships and moments like these keep me coming back. This is an experience you must not miss.
3) You never have to be alone again. It’s easy to be lonely in a crowd, but the laughter of AA is cunning, baffling, and powerful! Often, I will find myself laughing until my sides hurt. Then, I ask myself, “Why do I insist on taking life so damn seriously?”
4) Nothing will ensure immunity from drinking so much as intense work with other alcoholics. The EURYPAA convention not only makes 12th step work possible, it gives people like me the opportunity to be of service. You may find yourself inspired or impressed by the courageous young people who organize this convention.
5) Create the fellowship you crave. I have sober friends from all over the world. We are people who normally would not mix. We have no other common affiliation besides being saved from the perilous sea of alcoholism. How amazing it is to see friends again after one whole year of sobriety! A lot can happen in 365 days: graduation, new job, new relationships, children, and also the tragedies. By our collective experience, we show that the alcoholic can stay sober no matter what. I am reminded that whatever my current problem, if I am willing to apply these spiritual principles, it shall work for me too.
Diana T.
Italy
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