Harmony Over Hangovers: One Woman’s Global Journey to Sobriety

Hey friend — this episode feels like sitting across from someone who’s telling you the truth over coffee. Yvonne shares her raw, honest journey from a childhood of feeling out of place to a drinking career that snuck up on her, across continents from Uganda to Sweden, and finally into the rooms and pages of AA that changed everything.

She talks about the big moments — losing her sister, hitting that long slow jumping-off point, going to rehab, and the many near-misses — but also the gentle, surprising turns: the kindness of sponsors, the power of a community that calls you out with love, and the steady comfort found in a spiritual practice that isn’t about perfection but about showing up.

Yvonne is refreshingly real about how she resisted the program for years, tried doing it her own way, and finally found help in the simplest things: a phone call, a line in the book (hello, page 68), and people who practiced what they preached. She mixes moments of painful honesty with hopeful insight — like discovering that nothing outside you (money, fame, relationships) fills the hole, and that recovery is a daily, imperfect practice.

If you’re new, or you’ve been trying to fix things alone, listen for the practical heart of her message: find a sponsor who’s actually working the steps, find a group that will hold you accountable, and get into the Big Book with someone who can explain it. Her advice is simple, fierce, and kind — progress, not perfection.

This share is full of small miracles and real tools: how service deepens recovery, why community matters, and how a relationship with a higher power can become the steadying force when everything else fails. It’s a story of grief transformed into a life that vibrates with purpose — imperfect, beautiful, and ongoing.

Stay for the warmth, the humor, and the hard-won wisdom. And if you like what you hear, consider subscribing, leaving a review, or popping into a meeting — sometimes the next right thing is as simple as showing up.

 

A Shot Glass of Recovery

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