I stopped drinking on vacation in Nicaragua with my family. It took time to get used to being social again.

The author quit drinking two and a half years ago.

Courtesy of Adam Meyer I had my last drink in Nicaragua, just over two and a half years ago.

I realized I was softening the edges of my days for no good reason and decided to stop.

Since then, my life has improved, but readjusting to social life without drinking was awkward.

I remember my last drink clearly.

It was New Year's Eve , just over two and a half years ago.

My family was on vacation in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, and we were on the beach in the middle of the afternoon.

My daughter was 9, my son was 7, and they were playing a game in the sand with my wife.

I had a piña colada in my hand that had cost me $10 USD, which felt absurd for a Canadian, and it was my second or third of the day, on top of a few beers.

I looked at my kids and had a thought I couldn't shake.

Why was I choosing to slow myself down with alcohol? What was the drink accomplishing? Was it making the afternoon better, or just softening its edges? I was numbing myself on a beautiful beach next to my family, and I couldn't come up with a single good reason.

I put the drink down , and I haven't had another one since.

I didn't quit so much as stop I want to be clear that there was no plan when I quit drinking .

I didn't announce it, set a 30-day challenge, or even tell anyone.