There was a time in my life when I assumed alcohol was part of the magic. A glass of wine before dancing. A cocktail before a date. Champagne during celebrations. Not because I was unhappy or out of control. Quite the opposite, actually. I genuinely loved life. I loved restaurants, music, laughter, dressing up, long conversations, romance, travel, and celebration. Alcohol simply felt woven into all of it because culturally, it often is. Then one day, I slowly realized somethi