Hello World!

Tough times don’t last, tough people do. – Robert Schuller

My name is Ciana ‘Ci’, and I am an alcoholic. I’ve struggled with addiction for most of my life. As a teenager I experimented with drugs and alcohol but was always able to stop using drugs without any significant withdrawals or impact. Alcohol on the other hand, was not so easy.

I’ve maintained sobriety in the past for long periods of time but always given in to ‘one drink’. For those of us suffering from addiction you know that one drink is too many, and one more is never enough. I wanted this time to be different, I needed this time to be different, because no matter how much I lied to myself and tried to lie to everyone else, I could see the effects in every aspect of my life.

So, I went to rehab! I started journaling as part of my daily routine in rehab. I kept thinking about something I heard there that really resonated with me. I watched a recording of Brene Brown who said, “One day you will tell your story of how you overcame what you went through, and it will be someone else’s survival guide.” I don’t know if this blog will become someone else’s survival guide or just my journal to reflect back on later, I will be stronger for it either way.

May you be sober and happy always! Ci

  • Grouchy

    3.26.25 Somedays are just more emotional than others. Now I don’t reach for the bottle. Instead, I reach for words in a book, prayer, podcast or a song searching for the instant comfort that alcohol used to bring me. These things do make me feel better but it’s different and I’m still getting used to…

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  • Many Blessings

    3.25.25 Today has been uh-mazing! Actually, the last 137 days have been amazing, but who’s counting. The more time I spend bettering myself, the more I want to keep making positive changes in my life. It’s becoming quite the new addiction. About a month ago I decided I wanted to also better my career. I…

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  • Cooking With Ci & Co.

    3.24.25 Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms Cook sausage with a shit ton of fresh garlic, salt, pepper, red chili pepper flakes. Once half cooled mix with cream cheese, goat cheese, parmesan cheese, and chopped baby portabella mushrooms. I wasn’t going to tell you, but the secret ingredient is lemon zest! Stuff the large portabella mushrooms, making sure…

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  • Another Day

    3.22.25 I had a great dinner last night downtown with a great friend and their family to celebrate birthdays. Downtown Boise is very different at 6 pm and with no intention of getting drunk. It was refreshing, and it was even more refreshing to wake up this morning without a hangover. I read, made a…

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