I love the idea of going out and having tasty drinks with friends without the pressure of needing to be intoxicated. Think of it this way - if alcohol was the only reason people were going to bars, why even have cocktails to cover up the taste of it? To me it seems to fall very much in line with the other trends of society lately, like with bubbly fruity waters or healthier versions of soda. I’ve seen more and more people abstaining from alcohol for reasons beyond addiction. Wanting to be healthier and live life without a hangover, taking care of their bodies, challenging social norms of what’s considered fun, replacing alcohol intoxication with other kinds, trying to connect in more authentic ways.

Personally I find myself drawn to these new ways of living too, and even though I still drink on occasion, I feel a lot better when I don’t and I’m glad there are alternatives that are all-in (rather than just ordering a soda at the bar).

I’ve had some good times journaling, but it’s been hard for me to start up as a regular practice. I never know what to write about. Do you have any suggestions from your own experience on what to focus on for someone that’s just getting started?

PETG is truly a pain!! You’d think with a plastic used in water bottles, it would do better with moisture. I recommend the brand CC3D if you want something reliable (and ultra cheap!) Also remember that PETG needs more room between the nozzle and the build plate (higher z offset) so that the filament doesn’t stick to the nozzle and make a mess :)

Prusa is top of the line for open source and very much falls into “works out of the box”. The other bed-slinger style printers like Ender are cheap but tend to have issues and are a money-sink for upgrades to get them working (lots of mods there). If you’re into hacking and modding stuff though, look into Voron printers. I’m not sure if any of the Voron versions fall into your budget, but you can buy a kit or do open-source. They’re self-built, extremely fast, customizable, and really meant for the people in the printing community who like to program and mod things.