Sober Adventures in Rome: Alcohol-Free in the Eternal City

In this episode of the Sober Butterfly podcast, host Nadine shares her experience exploring Rome sober and solo. Documenting her 3 days in Rome, she contrasts it with her previous, alcohol-fueled visit in 2019. Highlights include a Hinge date, savoring non-alcoholic drinks, indulging in Rome's culinary delights, taking a pasta-making class, and the empowerment of solo, sober travel. Listen in for travel tips, personal growth anecdotes, and a celebration of living life without alcohol.

Places mentioned 📍
 Rome Cooking Lab for fun pasta-making class
Drink Kong for solid NA cocktails
Two Sizes for the best tiramisu in the city

👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾
🇮🇹⭐ Guide to Sober Adventures in Rome⭐ 🇮🇹

Connect with Nadine 💕
 Instagram: @the.soberbutterfly
Subscribe to YouTube:@thesoberbutterfly
Sign up for the monthly newsletter

This episode's sponsor 🦋

 Drink Moment
 Use Code: TSB23 for 18% off your order
 
Audible

Free 30 Day Trial

https://www.audibletrial.com/tsb24

 Thanks for listening! New episodes available every Friday.
 
 Please follow the show and leave a 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review! 

Transcript

the-sober-butterfly_3_11-14-2024_064353: 0:02

Hello, hello, and welcome to the Sober Butterfly podcast, I am Nadine, your host. And in this week's episode, I'm taking you on a little trip with me, Rome, to be exact. We are sober in Roma. If you've been following along on Instagram, you know, I recently spent three days in the eternal city and let me tell you, it was a completely different experience from my last time there. This time, I was exploring Rome sober. solo, and honestly, I had a blast for context, I visited Rome back in 2019 before I quit drinking. I like to refer to this time as the dark period. Um, there were plenty of late alcohol fueled nights, some questionable decisions on my part, and even a night where I got stranded outside of Rome at a party with a waiter. Yes, you heard that right. I will share more on that later, but for now, First, let's talk about this trip and all the fun alcohol free things I did in just three days.

the-sober-butterfly_15_11-14-2024_071439: 1:09

I had a hinge date while I was in Rome. I'm all about new experiences, and I wanted to go out with a nice Italian man, by the way, don't know if it's relevant here, but I'm going to share. Italian men obsessed with black women. I, I don't make the rules. I've never been hit on more in my life. And I'm not just basing that off of my singular experience. I have talked to other black women who have felt similarly I was called Naomi Campbell. I was called Beyonce. I was called every black celebrity basically you can think of while there. Anyway, I digress. I decided to set my hinge location to Rome before I left, because I wanted to go out with a nice Italian man. What ends up happening is now I'm in Rome and I'm like, I want to go out and I'm okay with going out by myself as a sober woman, I feel like I have control, right? Like I have all my faculties. I know I'm not going to be drunk or get drunk. I. Have street smarts, like I can maneuver social situations in a foreign place and feel confident, but I want a company and so I ended up matching with this man who. Is from London and then maybe 30 seconds later, he sent me a message and he was like, I just touched down in Rome. And I was like, oh, I just got here today as well. And then he asked if I wanted to meet up for a drink. And so I said, yeah, let's meet up for a drink. Why not? So I met up with, let's just call him Frank, I met up with Frank at the bar. I can't think of a name right now, but I'll link everything in the show notes for people who want to. Visit some of the places I went to, but this bar was really cool. It had non alcoholic options on the menu. So that was a score and it was really refreshing to be able to order something alcohol free and still feel like I was a part of the atmosphere. I went with a non alcoholic Aperol spritz, which was problematic because I forgot that I'm allergic to something in Aperol. Obviously, this was not actually Aperol, but whatever Aperol is made from, I'm allergic to it. So, later on, I ended up breaking out in hives, but okay, back to the story. The date was interesting. The conversation was flowing, but there were awkward moments I felt proud of my progress, because in said awkward moments, I normally would have drank more to ease some of the awkwardness or ease my nerves, but I did not do that. I sat with the uncomfortability of being with a man that I, a was not attracted to B was pretentious. I'm going to gloss over details here, but let's just say this man rated me. He ranked me in real life in real time. He said that I was a 9. 2 to which I responded, why am I not a 10? Um, but And, yeah, he was just very socially awkward. He was drinking. Not a lot. He had 2 drinks in the span of maybe 2 hours. I had time to kill, but it was amazing how much more confident I felt in that situation on the set date from a sober lens. I was present. I was listening and I was analyzing, not judging, but I was analyzing the situation and I was able to come to a very concrete conclusion, which is this is not a match IRL and that is okay. And this man has pursued me since that date, and I have kindly and respectfully told him that I'm not interested. So I'm proud of me.

4:46

And now a quick word from our partners. It really feels like you're having a moment, pun intended, when you're sipping on the lovely and refreshing moment. Now what I love about moment is that not only does it taste delicious, I have my favorite flavors. I love the blood orange. I love the spicy mango, but it's also good for you, which is exactly what I need in my life right now as I'm in my early 20s. 30s. It's infused with L theanine, which is great for mental clarity. It also is packed with ashwagandha, which is great for helping to fight stress. It's made with all of these natural botanicals, which really enhances your vitality. It does not contain any added sugar. It's caffeine and of course alcohol free. And you can purchase it in still or sparkling. I love a good sparkle moment, so that's typically the route I take. In the morning it's great for a boost to start the day, versus in the afternoon if you want to beat that afternoon slump and enhance your mental clarity, purchase it in still. Or if you just need like a simple pick me up, like for me, I love to have a moment after the gym versus going into the gym because it just really helps re energize me. And then in the evening, if you want to wind down after a long, busy day and enjoy a delicious mocktail without the hangover, then Moment is great for that too. One of the best parts for me with Moment is I feel like it's a really conscientious brand. They donate 1 percent of all their sales to mental health non profits. So you can feel good about supporting greater causes as well. Head over to drinkmoment. com and use my code TSB23 to receive 12 percent off your very first order. Let's be moment buddies. We can both have moments together.

the-sober-butterfly_9_11-14-2024_065939: 6:33

Now let's talk food, because what is a trip to Rome without indulging in some of the best food on the planet?

the-sober-butterfly_13_11-14-2024_070757: 6:41

I think it's safe to say that I ate my way through Rome all three days.

the-sober-butterfly_14_11-14-2024_071251: 6:46

I probably ate More carbs in three days than I have all year, but it was worth it. It was worth every single bite.

the-sober-butterfly_13_11-14-2024_070757: 6:54

Their culinary scene is incredible.

the-sober-butterfly_10_11-14-2024_070107: 6:57

If you're in Rome, you have to go to Two Sizes for tiramisu, this place is pretty unassuming, and the name is quite deceptive, quite possibly the best tiramisu I've ever had in my life, and will ever have. The line was wrapped around the corner, and it was pretty daunting to see about 40 people deep on a Sunday afternoon when I went. A good rule of thumb is if there is a line, it's worth the wait. So there are two sizes of tiramisu per flavor, hence the name, but do not kid yourself. Get the larger one the original and the pistachio versions were my favorite.

the-sober-butterfly_12_11-14-2024_070427: 7:38

Traditionally, tiramisu is made with expresso soaked ladyfingers, marscapone cream, and a dusting of cocoa powder. And sometimes it can include a splash of alcohol like rum or a coffee liqueur. I know some sober people have varying opinions when it comes to eating anything that has traces of alcohol in it. So, If that is something that is a concern of yours, make sure that you request an alcohol free version.

the-sober-butterfly_4_11-14-2024_064630: 8:07

So one of the highlights of my trip was taking a pasta making class because hello, it's Italy. And instead of doing the typical wine pairing that usually comes with these classes, I decided to get creative and I sipped on some Coke zero from a wine glass. It felt fancy. And honestly, I did not miss the wine one bit. The class was so much fun.

the-sober-butterfly_6_11-14-2024_065052: 8:32

We learned to make three different types of pasta. We made a carbonara from scratch. We made an arrabiata and we made a stuffed ravioli. The best part was obviously eating the pasta afterwards. So if you do find yourself in Italy, I highly recommend taking a cooking class. It's hands on, you get to eat everything you make, which is a win win in my book.

the-sober-butterfly_14_11-14-2024_071251: 8:56

Lastly, I'll touch on pizza. Pizza is a love language. In New York, we like to think that we have the best pizza in the world, but come on, it's Italy. So, while there, I had margherita pizza, hands down my favorite pizza. You cannot go wrong with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil. It's a must try. So, those are the three things I would say if you are in Italy. You have to have pasta, you have to have pizza, you have to have dessert.

9:24

Really quickly, guys, I've got something amazing to share with you today. Something that I think will transform the way you experience books and make reading time more enjoyable. Have you ever wished you could dive into a great story while on the go? Maybe that's during your daily commute or even while working out. Well now you can thanks to audible audible is the leading provider of spoken word entertainment and audiobooks and with audible you can turn any moment into a story time adventure imagine having access to an unmatched selection of audiobooks Exclusive podcast and more all in one place on your phone or your computer or whatever listening device you choose Audible is not just a library. It's a whole experience With a vast collection of genres from mystery to romance to self help and business Audible has something for everyone and here's the best part Your first month is on me That's right! A free trial to explore the world of Audible. Check the show notes below and visit audible. com slash tsb24 to start your free trial today. Don't miss out on an opportunity to discover the joy of listening. Whether you're a seasoned book lover or just getting started, Audible is the perfect companion for your reading journey. So why wait? Head over to audible. com slash TSB 24. Audible, because the best stories are meant to be heard.

the-sober-butterfly_16_11-14-2024_072239: 11:04

One thing I really want to highlight is how empowering it can be to travel solo as a sober woman, I felt free. I felt confident. I felt completely in control of my trip, and I didn't have to worry about finding my way home after a night of drinking or waking up and wasting time, energy, money with a hangover. I was able to fully be present from sunrise to sunset. Now, let's compare that with my last trip to Rome in 2019. That trip was wild. I had so many drunk nights, including one where I got into a massive fight with a friend. And get this, one night I ended up at a party outside of Rome with a waiter I had just met. So long story short, My girlfriend and I, let's call her AJ, we go to dinner. this was actually our first night in Rome. Rome 2019, July, was 4th of July weekend. Bushy tailed, bright eyed, happy to be in Rome, soaking in all of the wondrous sights and also wonderful attention we were getting from men. And we ended up going to dinner and our waiter was this cute guy around our age. So late twenties at the time. And he asked us out, he's like, do you want to see real Rome and we kind of looked at each other and then looked at him and we were like, absolutely. Yeah, we want to see real Rome. We waited for him to end to shift and it's just crazy telling the story. Actually, now I'm thinking about it but we literally hopped on the bus with this waiter that we did not know. We went back to his apartment so he could change and get his car. We got into his car and we drove an hour outside of the city center to basically a field it was an outdoor club, basically, but it was quite literally in the middle of a field and there was a stage and people were dancing. It was giving club vibes, but also like a festival. I don't know if I'm really setting the scene for you guys, but it's quite hazy. If I'm being real, this is many years ago. And also I was drunk. So yeah, of course, naturally through the progression of this evening, we were drinking at dinner. Then we, I think even got a bottle to pregame on the way to said party. And this waiter was talking to both AJ and I, it was hard to see, like, who he was interested in. He's being super attentive. Buying us drinks and we're dancing. We're having a great time. Everyone is local. There are no tourists. We were like, this is real Rome. Amazing. this is what the nightlife looks like. and then at a certain point, he made it clear that he was interested in me through broken English then we started dancing and he was cute but I'm going to keep it real with you guys. He had a massive cold sore on his lip and I couldn't see past it. So he was very good looking tall, dark and handsome. But I couldn't see past blister on his lip. And so, you know, he's getting more friendly with me because He's also drinking and I'm keeping some kind of distance because I don't want him to kiss me. And just so you know, Italians are very emotive. And physical, even at the bar on that hinged date, there was a point where the bar got super crowded and people were literally on our backs. This one girl wrapped her arms around my hinged date. To talk to the bartender. And I thought that was so inappropriate. I almost said something in that moment, but then remember that I am not in New York because that would not fly in New York, even though I was not interested in this man, I'm like, how dare you hug my date from behind? A full on hug. I'm not exaggerating anyway. So Italians, I find are very expressive and physical. And so he was getting more touchy feely at a certain point in the evening. He goes to the bar to get us more drinks. And as soon as he walks away, it was perfectly timed. These 2 beautiful men came up to my friend and I and started talking to us, dancing with us. I think the waiter was gone maybe like 10 minutes. The line was long at the bar to get the drinks. So now we're like fully dancing with these two guys having a great time. And when he came back with the drinks, all hell broke loose. Broke loose, he flipped out. Now, we have no idea what he's saying to these two guys. This guy was tall. The waiter was tall, but these are two big black guys he was clearly outnumbered outstatured, but it did not matter to this waiter. He felt like they had overstepped clearly and so now some words are exchanged between the waiter who is drunk and these 2 guys things get physical. It escalates quickly into a mini brawl. They're like, literally shoving and aging and I are shocked. We're stunned. We're perplexed. We're like, Oh my God, what did we do? So we naturally just back up. We're just like, Oh, what's going on? This is crazy. bouncers come rushing over, break up the fight. And the waiter is just like yelling. And he's getting escorted out and he's now calling for us to come with him. We're not going anywhere with you, sir. So he gets escorted out and now AJ and I are debriefing the situation. We're like, he's. Wild. And then we realized though, that was our ride. So we're like, wait, how are we getting back to our hotel? Because we are a good hour and change outside of the city. And we're staying in the city. So we're like, Oh, crap. And I'm sorry. I'm skipping over something important when we were going to the venue on the way, he told us that he would drop us back to our hotel because it was really hard to get a taxi to go home. And I don't think Uber was as popular at the time in Italy, because that wasn't an option. Maybe it was outside of the bounds or range, but we immediately were like, crap, how do we get home? I think we'd even left something in his car, like a bag. And we were freaking out. So now we start. Rushing over to the entrance where he was escorted out to see if maybe we can hop in the car and just pacify the situation and take our happy asses back to our hotel. But he left, he was gone, he was nowhere to be found and we were stranded, we were stranded outside of this club and drunk and like, how are we getting back to our hotel? And so after. A lot of conversations. We talked to the staff at the place and they said, yeah, taxis are hard to come by, but they would call us 1 and we waited for, like, over an hour for a taxi to come and then take us back to our hotel. So I say that to say it was a mess and I cringe just thinking about it. This time, though, 2024 completely different. I left Rome feeling refreshed. I felt proud of myself. I felt filled with gratitude for how far I've come and solo travel is really. A whole vibe, but solo sober travel is a must. I highly recommend that you go for it. You will experience so much more and there's a chance that you really get to connect with yourself

the-sober-butterfly_17_11-14-2024_073412: 18:22

So that's a little taste of my three days in Rome. Sober, solo, and absolutely incredible. If you're planning a trip, I hope this inspires you to explore all the wonderful things you can do without alcohol, whether that's taking a pasta class, going on a walking tour, or just indulging in the amazing food. There's so much to enjoy. If you loved this episode, please share it with a friend and don't forget to follow The Sober Butterfly on your favorite podcast platform. And of course, I'll Leave a five star review. I love hearing from you all and it helps the podcast grow. Thanks for tuning in and I'll see you next time. Ciao.