What if recovery were not only about leaving substance use behind, but also about discovering a life filled with purpose, connection, and possibility?

Check out the video here: https://youtu.be/SZNgUR30Qsg

For many people in recovery, finding supportive relationships and meaningful ways to enjoy life can be an important part of moving forward. Through sober activities, outdoor recreation, and community connection, recovery can become more than a destination, it can be the beginning of a new and fulfilling chapter.

At CASA-Trinity, Adventures in Recovery (AIR) is helping people discover just that: recovery can be active, fulfilling, and filled with opportunities to connect with others. Launched in 2021, Adventures in Recovery is a sober, active recovery community that introduces individuals in recovery and their families to opportunities centered on health, wellness, outdoor recreation, and connection. Through hiking, kayaking, fitness activities, and other adventures, AIR creates opportunities for people to experience recovery in a new way.

And behind the program is a story that illustrates why connection can make such a difference.

Finding Recovery When Everything Feels Impossible

Long before helping others discover the possibilities of recovery, Sean Smith, Director of Recovery Services, was navigating his own struggles with alcohol.

From an early age, he found that alcohol helped him feel comfortable in his own skin. Social situations became easier, conversations felt more natural, and for a time, drinking seemed to offer something he had been missing: the ability to feel normal. But over time, something that once felt like a solution became something he depended on and by the time he was 18, drinking had become a daily part of his life.

He later joined the military, hoping the structure and discipline would help him change his relationship with alcohol. Instead, his drinking continued to progress. Following a deployment to Afghanistan, he returned home struggling with undiagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Sleep became difficult, he felt constantly on edge, and alcohol became a way to cope with feelings he didn’t yet know how to manage. Eventually, his drinking reached a point where he could no longer manage it on his own. His early attempts at recovery were difficult. He moved through detox programs, hospitals, and treatment centers, often believing that if he simply tried harder, he could overcome his struggles.

But something was missing.

It wasn’t until he found himself at a veteran’s halfway house in Rochester, having lost much of what mattered to him, that things began to change. There, he met a group of men who were serious about their recovery. They invited him to join them for morning workouts, hikes, bike rides, and 12-step meetings. They encouraged him to find a sponsor, work through the steps, and become part of something bigger than himself. For the first time, he began to understand the importance of allowing other people into his recovery. He didn’t have to figure everything out alone.

That experience would ultimately change the direction of his life.

Discovering That Recovery Can Be Fun

One of the biggest misconceptions about recovery is that life without substances means life without excitement, adventure, or enjoyment. For someone who once couldn’t imagine the two words being used in the same sentence, discovering otherwise was life changing. After beginning his recovery journey, he returned to the activities that had helped him along the way. He started organizing early morning workouts, weekend hikes, and kayaking trips with other individuals in recovery. What began as a way to maintain his own sobriety gradually grew into something much larger. Others in the recovery community began asking if they could join. More people showed up, relationships developed, and a sober, active recovery movement began taking shape. He eventually helped establish Recovery Fitness, a community organization focused on health and wellness through sober activities. That experience helped lay the foundation for the work he would later bring to CASA-Trinity through Adventures in Recovery.

Today, AIR continues that same philosophy by introducing people to experiences that may have once seemed out of reach. Because recovery isn’t just about what someone stops doing. It’s also about everything they can begin doing.

Building a Community Where Recovery Can Grow

The stories shared during the interview also highlighted a broader truth about recovery: the environment around us can influence how we heal, grow, and imagine what is possible. During the interview, Sean discussed the well-known Rat Park experiments, which are often referenced in conversations about addiction, environment, and connection. In these studies, researchers observed how rats’ surroundings: including access to space, stimulation, and social interaction, appeared to influence their substance-seeking behavior. The findings are sometimes simplified, and Rat Park should not be viewed as a complete explanation for addiction or recovery. Substance use is complex and can be influenced by many factors, including trauma, mental health, biology, stress, and environment. Still, the research offers a meaningful way to think about how isolation and connection can shape a person’s experience.

That idea reflects what Adventures in Recovery works to create: a supportive environment where people can build relationships, try new activities, and discover experiences beyond substance use.

Rather than navigating recovery alone, participants have opportunities to become part of an active and encouraging community. They can meet new people, explore unfamiliar places, develop friendships, and reconnect with interests they may have forgotten or never had the opportunity to explore. This vision was described as creating a kind of “Human Rat Park,” with the goal not simply being to fill a calendar with activities, but to help create a community where people feel welcomed, supported, and encouraged to experience a fuller life in recovery. For someone who has become accustomed to isolation, that connection can be an important part of finding their footing.

And sometimes, recovery begins with something as simple as showing up for a hike.

Recovery Looks Like Climbing a Mountain

One of the most meaningful stories shared during the interview involved a woman who joined an AIR hiking trip to Whiteface Mountain in the Adirondacks. At the time, she was struggling and unsure whether she could maintain her sobriety. She reached out before the trip, explaining that she would have approximately 36 hours without alcohol and wasn’t sure she was strong enough to participate. Despite not meeting the program’s usual 48-hour continuous sobriety requirement for physical activities, she was encouraged to come.

When the group began the hike, it quickly became clear that she was struggling. Less than half a mile into the journey, she began questioning herself. She didn’t think she was strong enough, didn’t believe she could make it, and wanted to return to the comfort of the car. Rather than letting her give up, the group encouraged her to take things one step at a time.

First, they suggested reaching the one-mile mark. Then, the halfway point. As the hike continued, something remarkable happened. The other participants began stepping in to help. They took some of the weight from her backpack, carried her water, and helped lighten the load. Eventually, someone took her entire backpack. Together, they helped her reach the top of the mountain.

The story is a powerful reminder of what recovery can look like. People often begin their recovery journey believing they aren’t strong enough, capable enough, or deserving of a better life. They may feel overwhelmed by everything ahead of them and wonder how they’ll ever make it through. Sometimes, the people around us see something we can’t yet see in ourselves. They remind us that we don’t have to carry everything alone. They encourage us when we want to turn back, help shoulder the weight when things become difficult, and remind us that we’re capable of more than we realize. As Sean reflected during the interview, that’s recovery.

And the story doesn’t end at the mountaintop. The woman who joined that hike is still in recovery today, nine years later.

Recovery Is Not a Straight Line

It’s important to recognize that recovery doesn’t always follow a predictable path. There can be progress, setbacks, unexpected challenges, and moments when moving forward feels harder than it did the day before.

Sean shared openly about his own experiences with relapse and the importance of reconnecting with the things that helped him find recovery in the first place. After regaining parts of the life he had lost, he gradually stepped away from some of the connections and practices that had supported his recovery. Eventually, he found himself drinking again. But he also knew something he hadn’t known before: recovery was possible. He understood the importance of reaching back out, reconnecting with others, and continuing to work through the challenges rather than facing them alone. Today, connection and service remain central to his recovery. He also shared a phrase that has become part of the AIR philosophy: Walk Through Fear.

For him, that means recognizing when fear or discomfort is keeping him from something that could be good for him and choosing to take that next step anyway. Whether it’s meeting someone new, exploring an unfamiliar place, or participating in an activity that once seemed impossible, those small steps can open the door to new experiences and opportunities. Recovery isn’t about having everything figured out. It’s about continuing to move forward, even when the path isn’t always clear.

Changing the Way We See Recovery

Beyond helping individuals develop healthier lifestyles and meaningful relationships, Adventures in Recovery has another important purpose: challenging the stigma surrounding substance use and recovery. Too often, people are defined by their past experiences, their diagnosis, or the challenges they’ve faced. The assumption that someone will always be defined by their substance use can make it difficult for individuals and families to believe that change is possible.

AIR works to tell a different story. Look at the photographs from an AIR adventure, and you’ll see people hiking trails, exploring waterfalls, kayaking, exercising, laughing, and reconnecting with loved ones. You’ll see parents spending meaningful time with their children. You’ll see friendships forming and people discovering interests they may have never thought possible. You’ll see people living their lives. These moments matter because they help change the conversation around addiction. They remind communities that recovery is possible, that people can rebuild relationships, and that life after substance use can be meaningful and fulfilling. People are not defined by the hardest chapters of their lives. They are capable of growth, change, and discovering new possibilities.

Sometimes the best way to challenge a misconception is to show people what recovery actually looks like.

Your Next Chapter Can Start With Connection

One of the most important messages from this interview is that no one should feel they have to navigate recovery alone. Whether someone is just beginning to explore recovery, has years of experience, or is supporting a loved one, having opportunities to connect with others can make a meaningful difference. Adventures in Recovery welcomes individuals in recovery, their families, and community members interested in participating in a supportive, sober environment. For physical activities, the program asks for 48 hours of continuous sobriety but will not exclude individuals who have not reached this yet. Participants can also bring loved ones, creating an opportunity for family members and friends to experience these activities together. You don’t have to be an experienced hiker, athlete, or outdoor enthusiast. You simply have to be willing to show up and explore what’s possible.

To learn more about the AIR program or to see this month’s events, please visit our AIR page at: Adventures in Recovery (AIR) – CASA-Trinity

To hear Sean’s full story: https://youtu.be/SZNgUR30Qsg