EP 58 The Ultimate Sober Retreats for Women With Izzy From Sobertopia

Navigating social situations without alcohol can feel like walking a tightrope. But what about going on a trip without your usual support network? Sounds tough, right? Well, that's where Izzy van Zuilen steps in! As the founder of Sobertopia, she's all about sharing the tips and tricks that helped her on her own journey to sobriety. From reviewing drinks to organizing amazing sober retreats for women, Izzy's got you covered if you're even a little curious about living alcohol-free.

In our chat, Izzy tells us her story, from her teenage binge-drinking days to finding happiness without alcohol. We discuss the inception of Sobertopia, her infamous list of bubbly reviews, as well as the incredibly luxurious sober retreat opportunities that she crafts with so much care. Trust me, after hearing all about it, you’re going to want to pack your bags immediately! So tune in now and gain tons of inspiration that will fuel your own journey towards a happier, healthier lifestyle.

Get in touch with Izzy!
Website | Instagram
Learn more about Izzy’s Sober Retreats!

Read up on Izzy’s Bubbly Reviews

Thanks to Giesen 0% Wines for being our exclusive non-alcoholic wine sponsor!

Connect with Deb: @Mocktail.Mom

• Snag a FREE Guide for Ordering Out Made Easy
• Join the Mocktail Mom Membership, Thriving Alcohol-Free
• Website: MocktailMom.com
• Support the podcast & celebrate Authentic Freedom

You are loved. Big Time Cheers!

Transcript

Deb: 0:01

Welcome, friends, and welcome to the Thriving Alcohol Free Podcast. I'm your host, deb, otherwise known as Mocktail Mom, a retired wine drinker that finally got sick and tired of spinning on Life's Broken Record called Detox to Retox. Let this podcast be an encouragement to you. If alcohol is maybe a form of self-care for you or you find yourself dragging through the day waiting to pour another glass, I am excited to share with you the fun of discovering new things to drink when you aren't drinking and the joy of waking up each day without a hangover. It is an honor to serve as your sober fun guide, so sit back and relax or keep doing whatever it is you're doing. This show is produced for you with love from the great state of Kentucky. Thanks so much for being here and big time cheers. Hey friends, it's Deb. Welcome back to Thriving Alcohol Free.

Deb: 0:51

I'm having the best day ever, recording some podcasts today, and Izzy is in the house from Sobertopia. If you are not following her on Instagram, please do. We have been following each other for a long time. I've been following you for a long time. 2019, I think, 2019. All right, I'm so excited that you are here today. I love that you join me in the podcast. I know this is not something that you do very often, so, thank you, thank you. Thank you because I just I love you, I love following you. You've been such an encouragement to me and you host Retreats, which is something everybody needs to know about, so we're going to talk about that. But I want to hear a little bit about your alcohol-free journey, about your Instagram page. What you love sharing For those who are just listening right behind Izzy is a number of alcohol-free options the AF Bubbles, the alcohol.

Deb: 1:37

Look at all the drink options. There's so many things to drink. Right, I've drunk so much already. You've had so much. You just got a puppy yesterday, right? Yes, we're on a Monday, monday, monday, okay, okay, a brand new. So congratulations. Okay, you're from Holland. You just got you told me, you just got your cream card. That's huge. You live in San Francisco, which is called the City. I used to live there. I can't believe you live there. It's so beautiful. The City by the Bay, it's gorgeous.

Izzy: 2:05

Yes, we love it. Yes, I never wanted a dog in my life, for the record ever. My daughter wanted one since she was born and she's 14 now, but everybody in San Francisco has a dog, so I had to cave in.

Deb: 2:16

That's so cute. What area of the city are you at? You're in the marina, yes, marina, yeah, okay, oh, that's like the Lots of nature around here. It's the nicest, nicest part of the city. Yes, and you see the Golden Gate Bridge, probably when you I don't know if you can see it from when you walk out your door, but it's right in that area.

Izzy: 2:32

Elftrace is opposite me.

Deb: 2:34

Really. Oh, that's so cool. Yes, have you gone over there? Have you done the tour? I'm sure you have. You've done everything.

Izzy: 2:39

Triggering, intriguing. I liked it.

Deb: 2:41

Isn't it? It's so weird. I remember doing that tour and they put you in a cell, they close it at least when I did the tour 100 years ago and yeah, it's like a very strange feeling. Yeah it's creepy, very creepy. Yeah, a prison door close on you. Okay, do you want to tell? Can you tell everybody a little bit about your alcohol-free journey, how you got to this place of starting Sobertopia and hosting sober retreats?

Izzy: 3:03

Of course yes. So like many of us, I think, started drinking at Teenagerie. I was 15, I think, when I got drunk for the first time, just like at school parties and I played field hockey. So field hockey parties were always quite wilds alcohol-wise. So, yeah, 15 onwards, I started binge drinking. Immediately I loved it. I was very shy and after a few drinks, all you know, losing up blah, blah, blah. So, yes, I absolutely loved it and I always went right till the end. From the start. No stop button inside. It's in the beginning. You're young, doesn't really matter, does it? Everybody does it? Blah, blah, all good. Yeah, I kept doing that until I don't know.

Izzy: 3:45

When I was a student, same thing Still binge drinking. I've only been. By the way, I've never been like an at-home drinker. I was always drinking only when I was going out, but definitely more than a social drinker, I mean, I was a party binge drinker, so kept going. And then in my starting 20s maybe it really kind of got me down, got a bit of depression. So I went into therapy for it Out. What do you say out? External therapy, like one session a week.

Deb: 4:15

Oh, uh-huh, uh-huh. One session or whatever, okay.

Izzy: 4:18

Yes, yes, did that for a year. Uh, also to look at my alcohol. But they just try to kind of like make me moderate. So it wasn't drinking, but it was more to I had to diary I had to when I was drinking why I was drinking. I did that for a little bit and I was like this is boring, I'm going to start drinking again. So that was only for a short while. And 20s, still the same. A lot of binging holidays, but always too much, you know, like doing things that you kind of regret sometimes the next day, things you would have never, ever done, like without alcohol. I don't want to go too deep into it, but I was quite not like that.

Izzy: 4:58

I think it was more towards I was turning 30. And then, when I was 30, I think 33, I moved from Holland to Spain. I was single. I didn't have any pets, no husbands, no children, nothing. So I was like, yes, it's time for a new adventure. So I moved to Spain in 2006.

Izzy: 5:17

Back then this is 2006, I already decided, ooh, new country, I have to be careful, I'm not going to drink a drop for the first three months. I get there just to make no mistakes. Oh really, I want to hang out with the right people. I don't want to do anything stupid at my new job. So I didn't drink a drop for three months. Two weeks later, after my arrival there, I met my current husband. By the way, he was a drinker, but I wasn't at that time for three months. But after the three months we started partying together again. So Elko was back in my life. I love to play poker in casinos and stuff. So we played all night long and in poker clubs and drinking and smoking. So that was all back in our life.

Izzy: 5:56

Then, a few years later again, I got pregnant. We moved to Malta, a little island near Italy. You lived in Malta really yeah, for five years the first five years of my daughter's life we lived there, wow. So that was very nice to live there, and it was again party drinking to the dudes. But, yeah, it didn't make me feel happy. It made me more and more impressed. The hangovers became worse and worse and worse, so I kept thinking I have to do something and then fast forward, otherwise I'll really talk forever. We moved back to Spain in 2013 and then forward to 2019.

Izzy: 6:33

May 2019, I had a ginormous hangover and I was like I can't do this anymore and I stayed in bed the whole day puking. I had a daughter, obviously with horrible, horrible role modeling, so I was like I have to stop. So that day, it was the 4th of May 2019, I decided I'm not going to drink anymore, but I can drink in airplanes. Okay, it's weird, but I thought that's my only ounce, because I've tried so many times to stop drinking with every. If you tell me you can never drink again, I want to drink.

Izzy: 7:04

So I said I can drink in airports and airplanes and that's it. So I did that for two and a half years. I only drunk on airplanes and then airports. So nothing at home or holiday or nothing ever, just in airplanes and airports. I was very happy doing that, and then, until one day, which was the 16th of November 2021, so two and a half years later, I flew back from Amsterdam to Spain and I was walking to the champagne bar at Schipel Airport, where I always had a few champagne before I would go on the airplane to have more drinks, and I was like no, I don't want it, because I drunk so much at the airports and airplanes that I almost had a hangover by the time we would land and I felt so sick and I was like I don't want it, so I had a coffee instead, and I never had another drink again after that.

Deb: 7:51

Really it just, it was like I'm just done, I'm done.

Izzy: 7:55

Just out of my system. So I drunk my whole life, then two and a half years only in airplanes, and then I was just done with it. Now I'm a happy non-drinker.

Deb: 8:04

Happy non drinker I'm the same way. Is he so happy, so happy? Yes, there's so much to be happy about.

Izzy: 8:09

Yes, you keep doing it right All the hangovers. You feel sick and depressed and you think I'm never drinking. Again and again, and again and again, and you have no idea what it does to you, your whole. How do you say how you?

Deb: 8:23

Yeah, your whole well-being, your whole body, yeah, your whole system is being depleted.

Izzy: 8:28

Yeah.

Deb: 8:29

We don't realize it. Yeah, yeah, we don't realize it.

Izzy: 8:32

But also it stops everything, your growth. You just go through life doing what you're doing and now I think about everything and I don't know I do new stuff and everything's different and better and clearer.

Deb: 8:46

I don't know. Yeah, you're actually experiencing life now, as opposed to just going through it. You're just really experiencing it in a whole new way. So, okay, being in the city. So you've been to Josh's oh my gosh, his car, of course Ocean Beach Cafe. Ocean Beach, I'm like, has the name of his place just escaped my mind, even though I know it totally? Yes. So you've been there, you've been to Ocean Beach Cafe. How fun, yes, multiple times.

Izzy: 9:09

Yes, very fun.

Deb: 9:11

Oh, I'm so glad you've been there. Is that in the sunset? Is he in the sunset or the Richmond district?

Izzy: 9:15

He is. What is it called over there Is?

Deb: 9:18

it the Richmond or the sunset.

Izzy: 9:19

It's called the beach, like the beach itself, yeah, yeah, yeah, the one in the neighborhood.

Deb: 9:24

Yeah, I used to live on. Okay, I used to live on Lincoln Way, right across the street from Golden Gate Park.

Izzy: 9:29

No way.

Deb: 9:30

Uh-huh, I was in the sunset district.

Izzy: 9:32

Okay, on the other side of the Presidio.

Deb: 9:35

Yes, on the other side. Yeah, yeah, it was beautiful, so beautiful. Yeah, I lived there in 1996 to 2000 and then moved to Southern California and then to Kentucky, of all places, and then to Kentucky. Okay, but that's not what I want to talk about today. Sorry, I don't know. I just started asking, telling you where I lived in San Francisco. No one cares, I'm sorry, that's where I lived. Okay, nobody wants to know. Okay, so, but let's talk about your retreats that you do, that you host, which you're so sweet that you host these amazing retreats. So you have one coming up in Spain. It's already sold out, right? That one sold out, is that right?

Izzy: 10:07

Yes, I have one coming up in June in Spain, but that sold out, and then I just released another one in California, santa Margarita, which is the fifth till the ninth of September this year.

Deb: 10:19

Okay, so at the retreats, what do people expect, what can people expect when it comes to?

Izzy: 10:23

retreats. It's kind of the same concept that I have. I started this back in 2021. So I had like six so far. I do like two a year, more or less. The whole idea, the concept, is all the same. I rent a beautiful house, so I source them myself. I drive all around until I find the perfect house. I always try to change it up as well. Different houses, different places. So a beautiful house. I always rent a house. I book a beautiful, really good chef. I work with the same one in Spain for the whole all the years that I worked there. So I have to find a new one here in California, which is exciting. So beautiful, catering, super fun. Activities like zip lining, wim Hof, icebot, workshop, yoga every day. What else? Workshop sports variety, lots of chatting and laughing. There's always, always nice weather, so just like cocktails at the pool, non-alcoholic, just fun. Connecting this.

Deb: 11:17

Yeah, connecting.

Izzy: 11:18

Do most words.

Deb: 11:20

Is it just for women? Is it men and women? It's only women for that Women. Okay, well, that's fine. Yeah, no, my membership is only women. Yes, I love men, I'm married to a guy. Nothing wrong with our men, but yes, yes.

Izzy: 11:29

But at the same time, it's nice. It's just everything's open and closed, Like it's just yes.

Deb: 11:35

It's just a different. Yeah, nothing against the guys, but yes, there's a different vibe. Okay, so do people come normally and they don't know anybody else and they're getting to know other people, or they come like people, come like groups, come together, or how does that normally work?

Izzy: 11:47

No, Almost I think 95% of my guests come alone to meet people. That's the main thing. Yeah, I connect with new people.

Deb: 11:54

And.

Izzy: 11:55

I also have this really nice actually at every retreat Well almost every retreat so far I had a mother and daughter as well, oh really yes. One time a really nice Dutch lady with her 16 year old girl. Normally it's 21 and up to age, but you know, mother daughter, 16 is perfect. And then last year I had a really nice lady, 63, and then the daughter was 35.

Deb: 12:16

Also really nice. Wow, Wow. I wish I had been able I was trying to make it happen to come to one of your Spain retreats and then I just yeah, Maybe in San Francisco or maybe in California one day. I know Okay, so can you say about how many people will be you're hoping to have at the one in California?

Izzy: 12:33

It's between nine and 12 people. Okay.

Deb: 12:37

So that's a nice size.

Izzy: 12:38

Small. It's like cozy, Like so if you have a group talk or you're sitting eating, it's just like. If it's like 15 or more, it's becomes a bit like impersonal almost, and nine, 10, I really like that. That's size of groups.

Deb: 12:53

I love that. Yeah, yeah, you can really get to know, really get to know people. That's nice. Yeah, and is that your background? Is running retreats or doing events? Is that kind of the space that you're coming from?

Izzy: 13:05

No, it's more like so, in when I stopped drinking, I was like I'm not going to drink when I stopped drinking in 2019. Well, except airplanes, yeah, I started my website as well. And my sorenthopia retreats Sorry, my sorenthopia Instagram yeah, okay, I'm going to put an Instagram account on the website at the beginning and I loved it immediately from the start, like, instagram is amazing, right. I mean, I met all my sober friends, sober buddies. I met them all on the line.

Deb: 13:32

Isn't it funny? Isn't it like the? It's so fun, isn't it?

Izzy: 13:36

Yes, you get to learn so many people and places and activities and things. It's just amazing. So, and then it was a lockdown. When it was done, it was 2020, wasn't it so? And I met and I was super active at that time. I met so many people online, but it was like this is awesome, but I also really want to meet people in real life, and back then there weren't a whole lot of retreats, sober retreats, sober holidays it wasn't really a thing back then. Yet I think there was one other company in the UK that did it as well.

Deb: 14:06

That's for the rest of the day.

Izzy: 14:08

So I thought what to do. Well, I want to go to, I'm just going to make whatever I want to go to, you know. So I kind of thought I want a nice house, I like kind of luxury and like food to come to me. I don't like to cook or whatever. I like all that. So I'm just going to do my personal dream retreat I'm going to create myself.

Deb: 14:28

So that's why it's so nice. Yeah, make it what you're like, what's missing in the world. You know what? If you're wanting it, then obviously, then definitely other people are wanting it too. For sure, You're not the only one.

Izzy: 14:37

Yeah, it was really cool because my first retreat in Spain that was in 21,. I think there were five ladies from the US. They came all the way from the US to visit. I was so like there were people from this. Naked mind coach Was there.

Deb: 14:51

Really.

Izzy: 14:52

Yeah.

Deb: 14:53

Really, oh my gosh, that's incredible. That's incredible. Ok, I'm so excited to see who comes to the California one. That's very exciting. Ok, as you guys know, I love Giesen 0% wines. Their Sauvignon Blanc is my go-to on a regular basis. They recently launched a delicious sparkling brewed 0%, which is quickly becoming a fan favorite. I am so proud to have Giesen as the exclusive non-alcoholic wine sponsor of the Thriving Alcohol Free podcast.

Deb: 15:18

Giesen 0% wines are created through the magic of advanced spinning cone technology to remove the alcohol from their full-ended wines. The award-winning winemaker Duncan Shuler and his team have done wonders in Marlboro, new Zealand, by creating an entire family of 0% wines with all the flavor and deliciousness you expect from traditional quote full-ended wine. Their non-alcoholic wines maintain the aroma and the body to create a low-calorie wine that never contains more than 0.5 ADV. Globally available, look for Giesen 0% wines wherever you shop for your non-alcoholic options. Their family of alcohol-free wines include the most effervescent member of the family, the sparkling brewed 0%, which is absolutely delicious for any celebration. My personal favorite, although I do love them all, is the Sauvignon Blanc, coming in at only 100 calories for the entire bottle and, not to be missed, the other members of their 0% family the Riesling, the Premium Red Blend, the Rose Day, the Pinot Gris.

Deb: 16:08

With Giesen 0% wines, there's a de-alcoholized wine for everyone and every occasion. Give Giesen a try and let me know how much you love it. And if you want to meet their winemaker, go back to episode 33 of the podcast, where Duncan Shuler joined me to share about the Giesen story. Ok, all right, so let's tell everybody. Can you tell everybody a little bit about your Instagram and reviewing the dry bubbles and what you like to share, because you share such fun stuff? Thank you.

Izzy: 16:35

Yes, I started my blog and the Instagram account purely based on non-alcoholic drinks. To start with, my bubbly pub was my name originally. I changed it into Sobertopia at some points, but mainly my bubbly pub because I'm obsessed with bubbles. Champagne was my favorite thing and now non-alcoholic bubbles are my favorite thing and I'm so happy that there are so many good ones.

Deb: 16:55

Yes, there's so many good ones now, right.

Izzy: 16:57

Crazy. It's crazy, but in the beginning, in 2019, when I started the blog and the websites and the Instagram, there weren't that many bubbles yet. So with more spirits, it started out. With spirits, lyres was the first one I tried and always loved. I mean, lyres is so good, isn't it?

Deb: 17:14

Yep agree.

Izzy: 17:15

Bubbles as well. Classico.

Deb: 17:16

Their Classico is delicious, and I love that it's available in cans too.

Izzy: 17:19

Really nice. Yeah, it's amazing. And the apalphi in the can is also really nice.

Deb: 17:22

Yes, yep, yep, yep.

Izzy: 17:24

And the pink rosé.

Deb: 17:27

So good yes.

Izzy: 17:29

So that was the first one I tried, and then after that, more and more came, and then at some points the bubbles came as well, or they started, I think, with alcohol-free wine. They didn't really have good ones, but then they started. Oh, the first one bubble naughty from the UK. So good, that was amazing. First I had the white one and then the pink one, and now the pink one is one of my favorites Is that?

Deb: 17:51

what you're drinking right now. The pink one.

Izzy: 17:53

No, that was Lyres gin and tonic.

Deb: 17:56

Oh good, ok, OK nice.

Izzy: 17:59

But naughty. Yeah, that was the first really nice one that I tried from England that was and then I became my mission to try all the non-alcoholic bubbles in the world. And we're getting there. I tried over 50 different ones. Now I have a page on them all with little reviews and stuff, but I need to update it because I tried so many more. I need to add them still to the page, but I just love to try everything.

Deb: 18:23

Where? Ok, where can people find the page? I want to make sure we put it in the show notes.

Izzy: 18:27

Let's do Sobertopialife.

Deb: 18:29

Sobertopialife and they can find the reviews there. I love that. Do you follow Sarah Kate up in Some Good Clean Fun? In Canada she does a lot of reviews of the wines and stuff. Her Instagram is some good clean fun.

Izzy: 18:44

Oh, Sobertopia.

Deb: 18:45

Yeah, she likes to review a lot of the wines and stuff, so I don't know. Just a little bit, check it out, jess, so long. Sorry, is he Somebody I think you might like? Yeah, I think the two of you would get along. Let's go over here for connecting. Connecting is everything right. Yes, ok. So how many views did you review? 50?.

Izzy: 19:02

Yeah, I must have over 15 out by now. Yes but I think there's 35 or 40 on my website now I need to add the last ones I tried. French blooms are good.

Deb: 19:11

Oh, very good. French bloom is very good. Okay, do I dare ask you like some of your chest? How about some of your favorites?

Izzy: 19:18

bubbles, you mean.

Deb: 19:20

Yes, what's your favorites?

Izzy: 19:22

Absolutely naughty. The pink one I love Copenhagen sparkling tea. Okay, no, I don't think I've had that it was the first sparkling tea, I think, that came on the market and they lose a little box and blah. They are from Copenhagen, obviously Copenhagen sparkling, and they're so good they sell them in America as well. Now I think I really like the classical from Liars. I love French bloom delicious another really good one wild idle. If you heard of that one, I Try this in the UK, I think.

Deb: 19:55

I don't think I've had that one no.

Izzy: 19:57

It's really nice as well. That's five for my favorites, I think okay, and how about in a can?

Deb: 20:02

What are your favorites in a can?

Izzy: 20:04

Yeah, I don't know.

Deb: 20:05

I love the ready-to-drinks, or just like.

Izzy: 20:09

Cocktails and things little RTDs.

Deb: 20:11

Yes, sorry, sorry, switch gears to some.

Izzy: 20:15

Oh yes, for bitter and worse. I really like so good. Yep, it's mainly. That's a really nice one. The Amalfi from Liars are really like.

Deb: 20:25

Mingle. I love mingle. Yes, yeah.

Izzy: 20:28

Okay, yeah, no, I can't wait to test them. I haven't tried them yet.

Deb: 20:31

Very good. I'm trying to think is it the Cosmo? The Cosmo that we like? I can't remember. There's my daughter Lily has like the. She's like oh, this is the one we like the best. I think it's the purplish one, and now I can't remember the name of it. It's next. It's like is it one? The one on the very end there? What's that called?

Izzy: 20:50

Uh cranberry Cosmo.

Deb: 20:52

That's okay. I was like Cosmo yes, that one is so good. Okay, yes, very nice. Okay, I'll be curious to see, yeah, hear, what you think. Yeah, they're very good. I like anything in a can. I love the cans. Yes, I absolutely love the cans.

Izzy: 21:05

Yeah, it's easier. Oh, you know, I also like, I love gin and tonics. Anyway, that's one of my favorites super simple, and one of my favorite drinks any gin tonics, the one from Um tankeray is so good. Have you tried it?

Deb: 21:18

I have not tried it.

Izzy: 21:19

It's like I don't think they have ready to drink, but just a normal tankeray zero, zero really good. And also the what is the other famous name. It's a well-known.

Deb: 21:30

D. I can hear Rich loud right now, probably yelling out the name of it, while he's listening to this podcast. Sorry, rich, I don't remember anything. You should come on as my co-host. You can help me remember all the names he does, he knows everything I know and we all love him. Yes, yes, yeah, I like. Have you tried a H2O Sonoma soft seltzer?

Izzy: 21:52

No, that's on my list. I need to try. It's from yeah.

Deb: 21:55

I think. I think they're only while. You can either go there right, the winery, I think but they're available on Amazon. I don't love the can itself, because it's a larger can. It kind of feels like a, like a Heineken can, like it feels to me Like a beer can, but I love what's inside of it, you know so, but like I just I wish it was like in a smaller, I don't know more feminine kind of can or something you know a little lighter can. But I do love what's in it. I love there's a lot in there because it's a big can but it's like H.

Deb: 22:23

H2O Sonoma soft seltzer. It's available on Amazon. I think that's the only way he sells it right now, but they are in California. It's a winery I love their.

Izzy: 22:33

I'm right here, I'm not wine spritz.

Deb: 22:36

It's a wine spritz, yeah. So maybe when you're up in wine country, if you go there, mm-hmm really good, I'm just thinking about it now.

Izzy: 22:42

California, talking a, free spirits is a also. It's like a range of non-alcoholic spirits. Yeah, nice, they're nearby, they're like 25 minutes for me, like a mill valley. Oh, are they really? They're so good, really nice.

Deb: 22:57

Okay, okay, yeah, they're just over the bridge from you.

Izzy: 23:00

Yeah, super.

Deb: 23:01

Naked lady is here in Louisville. I need to get connected with her and meet up with naked lady. They're excellent. There's so many companies now it's. It's crazy how many companies are okay. So we're as, when we're recording this, we're recording this the very end of dry January. Our episodes get. This episode will come out in February, but what has been your favorite part of dry January 2024? Have you had a? Have you had a good dry January?

Izzy: 23:24

Oh my god, I had amazing dry January. I love it. So for me it's not very different, but for me it was a very exciting January because I did a lot of things. I got my green cars, I got a puppy Yay and I did 31 days of no snacking, which was really hard. I almost did it the whole month. I was really good. So normally I eat big family bag of crisps, like maybe three, four times a week. Chocolate every night, like unlimited. Everything needs to go in there. Everything I buy goes in. It's just like oh. So I was like gaining weight and it was like I'm in my menopause, so I'm gaining literally weight on the waist and I'm like I have to stop. So I did one month and well, it's completely out of my system. So after dinner I do all that eating, did all that eating. I haven't done it for a month. I don't even think about snacking anymore after dinner.

Deb: 24:19

It's bizarre how thickly, that goes. Really and.

Izzy: 24:22

I'm scared because tomorrow is the first of February and I can eat whatever I want again. So I'm like, oh, what shall I do?

Deb: 24:27

Just, maybe just eat snacks on planes in an airport, just do your sober method for your snacks and then, when you travel back to Spain for your retreat, you can eat, you can snack. Okay, so have you had results? Have you noticed a difference?

Izzy: 24:40

in your. I feel a lot better. Yes, I don't know. I think I lost only two kilos or whatever. I think that's fine. I think it's not lost, but I feel better. Yes, I feel a little more. You feel better yeah instead. Of.

Deb: 24:52

A little lighter, yeah, good, a little lighter, yes, january will be a big month.

Izzy: 24:57

Yes for a.

Deb: 24:57

I'm so glad you have a puppy, a green card. It's a amazing retreat coming up, and then you have one coming in California. So I want to make sure everybody knows where to find you. Sobertopia on Instagram, and then your website is sobertopialife L-I-F-E, and then you have also your reviews of the bubbles, all bubbles. So, izzy, thank you for doing this today. I know this is it's not easy always to come up.

Izzy: 25:21

It's different to come up with a podcast. No, I don't get comfort zone. Yes, it's out of my comfort zone to speak on the screen, but it was such a pleasure to meet you. I want to meet you real life.

Deb: 25:30

I would love to, I would really love to, and I just love the idea of a smaller retreat, a more intimate retreat, and I love to be served. So to go somewhere where there's good food, somebody's cooking, yeah and a nice Cocktails foods laughs, I know. I just met up for lunch last week with a friend and we were kind of like we were just going to have a casual lunch or whatever. I was like where should we meet Chipotle, or whatever. I was like let's go to a restaurant where you sit down and they actually serve us. And that sounds so silly. But I'm like how lazy am I that I don't even want to stand in line at the Chipotle counter.

Izzy: 26:02

I want somebody to just come serve me, I want you to? Yeah, your restaurant should have said no, no, no, no, we want to be served, I want to be served.

Deb: 26:09

Yeah, yeah, it's terrible. I was like I was just in the mood for someone just to serve. So, yes, Izzy, thank you. Thank you, I really appreciate your time and just the opportunity to just meet you and thank you for your generosity to me. I cannot wait to some day I'm going to be signing up one of these days for one of your retreats, so Yay, it would be so fun.

Izzy: 26:26

It's a fantastic day. Thank you so much Big time.

Deb: 26:30

cheers to you for tuning in to the Thriving Alcohol Free podcast. I hope you will take something from today's episode and make one small change that will help you to thrive and have fun in life without alcohol. If you enjoyed this episode and you'd like to help support the podcast, please share it with others, post about it on social, send up a flare or leave a rating and a review. I am cheering for you as you discover the world of non-alcoholic drinks and as you journey towards authentic freedom. See you in the next episode.