Imagine it’s Friday night.

You’ve had a long week at work, and just want to relax. You’d love to meet up with your friends, but they all want to go out somewhere. Thing is, you really don’t feel like drinking because you want to have a productive weekend. It would be fun to hang with your boys (or ladies), but the idea of drinking tonight is a little nauseating.

What do you do?

If you’re like most people I know, the answer is probably “stay in and chill.” It’s easier than going out and dealing with the idea of forcing down a few Moscow Mules just to catch up with friends.

And I get it, believe me. We’ve all been conditioned since our college years to associate socializing with drinking, making it tough for us to separate the two. The mere fact that “going out” usually means spending time in bars and other places that serve alcohol makes it especially difficult to avoid the temptation to drink, even when we don’t really feel like it.

It makes sense that many of us choose to simply stay home whenever we want to take a break from alcohol. Removing the temptation to drink altogether seems like the easiest way to ensure we don’t partake in the activity, with peer pressure and social convention playing no small part in this decision.

Yet despite sound logic, the solution is a bit overkill. Avoiding social situations because we choose not to drink is a bit like never riding in a car because we’re afraid of getting into an accident. Technically it will work 100% of the time, but how many fun life experiences are we missing out on in the process?

It’s a fallacy that we have to decide between socializing with friends in a public setting, and abstaining from drinking alcohol. The truth is, we can always socialize without drinking, and it’s not even that difficult.

To put it bluntly, we don’t have to drink to have a good time.

How do I know? From experience, if you know what I mean.

Last weekend marked the end of a month-long alcohol-free period for me. (It was actually part of a broader elimination diet, but that’s a different topic for another day). For 31 straight days I did not drink any wine, beer, or hard liquor. This meant I had to navigate social outings, meals, and dates without our culture’s favorite social companion—alcohol.

And you know what I found? Not drinking is really not that big a deal. In fact, my experience revealed a few uncommonly held truths and basic facts about “not drinking” that everyone should be aware of.

Before I continue, I want to be clear—this is not a soap box piece about why sobriety is more virtuous than having a few drinks. I’ll let you grown folks decide for yourselves whether or not drinking is an activity you want partake in, and how often.

But for those of you who have had more than a passing thought about whether or not you’re capable of socializing and having fun without alcohol, read on to learn why it’s much easier than you think.

Uncommonly Held Truths & Basic Facts About Not Drinking

1) Nobody cares

Really. The people around you couldn’t give less of a damn whether the glass you’re holding contains vodka, tequila, or soda-water with a slice of lime. Most of them are too busy worrying about themselves to pay attention to whatever you’re doing, let alone whether or not you’re babysitting your first cup of water or your 10th beer. (This actually goes for most things in life, not just drinking)

The key is to relax and have fun. If it looks like you’re having a good time, most people won’t even notice you’re not drinking.

Which brings me to Not-Drinking-Truth #2…

2) It’s just as easy to have fun

Contrary to popular belief, alcohol is not some kind of magic fun elixir. In fact, you can just as easily have a really shitty time drinking as you can have a euphoric night out. Which is to say, the amount of fun you have with your friends truly has nothing to do with the amount of alcohol you consume.

Again, I’m not trying to be a drinking curmudgeon. Just keeping it real.

Sure, a few shots can make you lose your inhibitions a little. But guess what? When you drink, you’re still YOU. Which means when you choose not to drink… Ta-da! Still YOU. Whatever your natural inclinations are in social settings will remain intact; you might just end up making better decisions.

If you’re inclined to joke around with your friends, it’s not any harder to be a little goofy just because you’re not drinking. If anything, the conscious decision to act a fool becomes even more enjoyable, since your frame of mind isn’t altered by the alcohol.

In my case, hitting the dance floor is not something I’m shy about when I’m in the right mood. But when I first started my alcohol-free month, I wondered what it would take to get in the mindset to let loose and dance if I wasn’t drinking. It turned out I only needed two things: Good music, and good friends. Dancing without drinking felt no different, aside from having much better rhythm and coordination!

Pro Tip: Turns out dancing is actually a great equalizer for those who aren’t drinking. It’s difficult for anyone to dance with a full glass in their hand, so most people on the dance floor will be sans drink. You’ll blend in nicely without anyone even noticing you’re not drinking. Not that they’d care anyway, as we’ve already covered.

3) The bars are the same

Yes friends, it’s true. The bars, clubs, taverns, and watering holes do not change simply because you choose not to order an alcoholic beverage. From the bartenders to the coed clientele, the cast of characters remain the same (for better or worse).

Since everyone else will likely assume that all other bar patrons are drinking (including you), use this to your advantage. Make sure to have a glass in hand by ordering your non-alcoholic beverage of choice (mine is soda-water with a slice of lime), and mingle as you normally would. You’ll have your wits about you the whole night, which makes it easier to put yourself in position for optimal fun.*

And those clubs you think you can only go to wasted? I’ve got a surprising bit of news for you—they can be just as fun when you’re sober.

For instance, there’s a notorious mash-up party that happens every Saturday night in San Francisco called Bootie SF (if you click that link, don’t judge). I hadn’t been to this party in over 4 years, and it was one of those places I always thought you had to be drinking to enjoy. Lo and behold, two weeks into my no-drinking challenge, a group of my friends decided they wanted to go to Bootie one Saturday night. “F it,” I thought. “Why not?” We ended up having an amazing time, dancing and partying until about three o’clock in the morning (something I rarely do these days).

The next day my legs were a little sore, but my head was fine. I felt refreshed, rejuvenated, and thankful for a fun experience with my friends. I can’t comment on whether they felt the same way.

*Being sober also helps if you have friends prone to getting into fights at random bars. I’m looking at you, NA…

4) Your friends are still your friends

Speaking of friends, they’re not going to disown you because you choose not to drink. Yes, you will likely receive a few curious questions at first, so be ready to explain yourself and stand by your choice. But after a few minutes everyone inevitably goes back to worrying about themselves and just trying to have a good time (see Truth #1).

During the first weekend of my alcohol-free month I was invited to a friend’s apartment for a pre-game before going out later that night. I was nervous about attending, since for some conceited reason I didn’t think people would accept that I wasn’t drinking in their presence. I didn’t want to drag the party down, but decided to go anyway.

When I arrived at the apartment, our host introduced me to her friend visiting from out of town. Rather than making fun of me for carrying two bottles of seltzer water and fresh limes to a pre-game, she said, “Oh cool! I’m not drinking this month either!”

What a relief that was. Rather than spending the night defending myself and explaining why I wasn’t drinking, I chatted with this girl for over an hour, and we bonded over stories about having fun without alcohol at the center of it. On top of that, our friends didn’t treat us any differently. It was a normal pre-game, and when we arrived at the bar later that night, they were just happy they didn’t have to buy us a round of drinks!

Which is a perfect segue to Not-Drinking-Truth #5…

5) You save money

A wonderful side benefit of not drinking is the amount of money you save. Most bars will let you order a soda-water for free, and the most you’ll pay for a non-alcoholic beverage of that sort is around $3. If you typically order two drinks for every hour you’re out at a bar, you can easily end up saving $50-60 on a casual Saturday night.

Most people also don’t realize how much drinking adds to their bill when they eat out. Sticking with water out of necessity drastically reduces this total, leaving you more money to spend on other things. (I typically just order more food with the meal, but that’s me)

6) You feel better

Not drinking makes you feel a whole lot better. I probably don’t even have to say this, but it’s so true I couldn’t leave it out.

The lack of negative physical ailments are obvious—no headaches, queasy stomachs, or aching joints—but what surprised me most is how much more alive I felt. The fun experienced without drinking is pure and real; you’re fully conscious, meaning you can embrace every aspect of what you’re feeling. Because your mind isn’t in an altered state, the emotions seem to penetrate at a deeper level. It almost makes the fun you experience while drinking seem numb in comparison.

And what good is having fun if you can’t feel it anyway?