On Saturday, November 3, Phase III clients at Turnbridge Drug Treatment and Sober Living for Young Men took part in their latest recreational outing: go-kart racing at On Track Karting in Wallingford, Connecticut. Vinny, who came to Turnbridge following his 28 day stay at Mountainside drug rehab  in Canaan, CT, said that the trip was “awesome, and a good experience.”  He said recreational activities like those organized at Turnbridge are very important to the process of recovery. “It’s good to do something fun while you’re sober,” Vinny said.  “It’s exciting to see that you can still have fun while you’re sober.  I didn’t think that I would be interested, but I was.”  Out of all the recreational activities planned by Turnbridge, the go-carting event was Vinny’s favorite so far.  “I’m grateful for the experience that Turnbridge is giving me,” Vinny said.  “I’ve learned that you don’t have to use drugs or alcohol to have a good time.  When I saw that I could have fun in sobriety, it was uplifting.” Dave Freedman is the Activities Coordinator for Phase I clients, and a member of the Turnbridge Support staff. He is responsible for planning regular recreational activities for the clients, including flag football, paintball, hikes, skiing and much more. David said these recreational activities are important for a number of reasons. It’s about “letting clients know by experiencing firsthand that they can have a good time and hang out with their friends while sober, “ Dave said. “Sobriety doesn’t mean life has to be boring with no excitement and nothing to do.” Michael, a Turnbridge client in the transitional period between Phases II and III, said that the drug treatment program he was at prior to coming to Turnbridge had a few recreational activities, but nothing as exciting as the ones organized at Turnbridge.  “Turnbridge is not like a regular sober house. I think it is very important to have recreational activities,” Michael said.  “It’s good to have fun while sober.  It keeps the boredom away and brings the group together.  Go-carting was definitely my favorite.  I didn’t want to go at first, but once I got there I completely changed my mind and had a really good time.” Upcoming recreational activities in December include skiing excursions to Bromley, Vermont, a trip to MetLife Stadium for an NFL game featuring the New Giants against the New Orleans Saints, Shrek the Musical here in New Haven at The Shubert Theater and a sightseeing expedition in Boston. David also has planned Xmas tree cutting, indoor water parks and paintball trips, college basketball and more. Check out our calendar of events for a complete list of recreational activities in December.