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Tonight I got to go to a meeting in Hyderabad, India, a city unlike anything I've ever experienced. It was held on the athletic field at the YMCA and ultimately consisted of 4 Indian men and me - or should I say 5 recovering alcoholics... It was such a treat to experience raw AA in such a strange place. As I was heading back to the hotel, I thought about how so far I've experienced chaos and differences here, but in that meeting there was serenity and relatedness. Thank God for AA.

Oh, and yesterday marked my 5th year of sobriety. How cool to spend it overseas, in places I'd likely never be were I still drinking?!?

I got to my first meeting in Bangkok tonight. It was a good meeting and very close by. We talked about early sobriety and I shared a bit. There was also an Alanon there; she and I talked quite a bit after the meeting. I told her of Alanon speaker tapes and how I get so much from them, in addition to AA speaker tapes. She's going to try to find them, for Alanon in Bangkok is very small. I gave her my email address to contact me if she needs some help locating them or just wants to talk. I did something else tonight, but will talk of that later!

Sawadee krup!

I got to my first meeting in Asia tonight! It was at 6:30pm at 12 Borrett Road on Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. It was a men's meeting and I'm so glad I got to go. I not only enjoyed and related to those who shared, but just being with my people while traveling is such a big thing. I love checking out meetings when I travel. I took pics of the meeting space, too... all the signs on the walls and such. I also picked up a couple of the little pocket cards that have the 12 Steps, 12 Traditions, Responsibility statement and Preamble (I think...) all in Chinese writing. One is for me and one (along with another piece of literature in Chinese) is for a friend back home who likes such things from abroad.

Tomorrow, I'm off to Bangkok, where I'm sure there will be some good "war stories" available!

(Though the timestamp says 11:59 AM on June 13, it's really 11:59 PM on June 13, in Hong Kong...)

Today, while with my grandmother at the grocery store, I happened upon someone on my amends list... someone I haven't seen or talked to in about 15 years. While the moment wasn't appropriate for me to fully clean up my relationship with her (she was with her mother and I was with Granny), we exchanged contact information and I will follow up with her when I return home at the end of the month. Still, just the simple act of being able to look her in the eye and being sincere in my joy of hugging her and being happy for her life going as it is... I am so grateful and happy that I became willing to make amends with her several years ago!

Later today, I was meeting with a sponsee and a potential sponsee at a coffee shop. We had the Big Book and other materials out on the table and were freely talking about recovery. A woman stepped over to the table and said how happy she was that we were doing this. I introduced myself to her and she to me. Then she started to step away, paused, came back and told us just how much she needed to see this today. It really touched all of us.

Tonight's discussion reminded me (once again!) that what alcohol did for me (when it worked...) is what God is doing for me today... A LOT BETTER!!!

Went to a meeting tonight I haven't been to in a long while. I'll definitely be back... next month! It's a Big Book study that is slow, methodical and the people who share really have something good to say. I liked it!

I listened to a speaker last night who has what I want. I find I'm being pulled into the Big Book and its simple solution. I want to be a better sponsor, one who works from the book and knows it well. I'm taking action, slowly but surely.

It amazes me how a good habit dies such a quick death. My posting frequency here has sucked. Well, it's not going to get a lot better for awhile. I'm heading to Asia on business for several weeks and access to the internet will be spotty. I've already got my meeting lists ready for my destinations and am looking forward to getting to some meetings over there. It's cool that I'll be celebrating my 5th sobriety anniversary while I'm there! How cool would it be to pick up a chip while there?

Thanks, God!