A Love Adventure with Costas and Shauna
Style / / Apr 13, 2018
What does sobriety look like? In our Style section, we look at different answers to this question through photo shoots with some of our most eye-catching sober friends! Recently, we got the chance to go on some scenic adventures with another one of our favorite sober couples- Costas and Shauna! We chatted about style, energy, sobriety, and relationships!
All photos taken by the amazing Ali G.
NSH: Thanks so much for coming on this adventure with us! Can you please tell our readers a little bit about yourselves?
Costas: Hi, my name is Costas Vasilakis. I am 27 years old and my sobriety date is 11/11/14. I was born and raised in Connecticut, I love to travel and I am a huge soccer fan (I follow Liverpool, Real Madrid and Juventus). I am 50% Greek from my dad’s side (my father is a Greek immigrant) and that side of my family is exactly like the family in My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
Shauna: Hi my name is Shauna McCormick. I am 24 years old and my sobriety date is 9/5/13. I was born and raised in Costa Mesa, CA. I am a HUGE animal lover and follow a plant based diet. I absolutely love to surf and the ocean is my happy place. I too love to travel and experience different cultures. I also love concerts and music festivals.
NSH: What do you guys go for when you’re putting together an outfit? How would you describe your style?
Shauna: It all really depends on my mood when it comes to my outfit. Sometimes I like to go for the classic laid back comfy yoga look and sometimes I like to be a little bit more fierce with my outfit. My favorite places to shop for clothes are Urban Outfitters and cool thrift shops. I also like shopping online for awesome yoga pants with cool graphics on them. If you haven’t checked out Tiki yoga pants you need to!
Costas: I like to switch my styles up. Mainly it’s business casual, or my personal favorite, black on white/black on black outfits. I am a huge fan of shoes and jackets. The shirts and pants are usually pretty standard but I love throwing things like my red Nike Air Max’s and a black leather jacket into the mix from time to time. I like to shop at Crossroads and I am, surprisingly, a big fan of Forever 21’s men’s section.
NSH: Getting more personal, can you tell us about what kind of relationship you have?
Costas: I would say our relationship is very transparent, loving and supportive. It didn’t take us long to realize that we could be super weird around each other, which is a huge deal. I know we can be our true selves around each other and that’s very important. We are also both very different people, which allows me to be exposed to things that Shauna is passionate about and vice versa. We’re also very competitive (in a loving way!) when it comes to games and challenges. When we play Call Of Duty, I let her win sometimes 😉.
Shauna: Like Costas mentioned, it is very loving and supportive. Honesty is a huge thing too, even when the other person might not necessarily like or agree with what you have to say. Being supportive of the other’s dreams and passions even when we might not have an interest in it ourselves is a major key as well. It makes Costas and I feel like we are loved, important and valued. You never know what you will or wont like if you don’t give it a chance. Also, FOR THE RECORD, I beat Costas in Call Of Duty at least 70% of the time, and that’s a fact!
NSH: Shauna, if you had to describe Costas in 3 words, what would they be?
Shauna: Outgoing, driven, gregarious.
NSH: Costas, same question to you. What 3 words would you use to describe Shauna?
Costas: Passionate, determined, loving.
NSH: Both of you exude an aura of confidence. It’s obvious that you’re both assertive but also easy going at the same time. Where do you guys draw your energy from?
Shauna: I draw a lot of my energy from surrounding myself with like minded people that are passionate about the same things I am. I also love being in and around nature, which allows me to feel a lot more connected to myself and the world.
Costas: I love being around people and having different interactions. I have a lot of love for myself, and the love I receive from other people is the love I try to give back. I also see a lot of good in people and in the world, which helps me believe that my own hopes and dreams are possible. That gives me a TON of energy.
NSH: What has sobriety been like for you guys, both as individuals and together?
Costas: Sobriety for me has been the greatest gift I never knew I wanted. From living under a bridge 3 ½ years ago strung out on heroin and meth to where I am today is nothing short of a miracle. It has shown me how to grow up and show up in the areas of my life where this is necessary, while also allowing myself to let my inner child run free. I have learned how to chase my dreams and to not fear failure. For me, it is of utter importance to try with the chance of failure rather than to never try at all, and I owe this approach to life to what I have learned in sobriety. I also have the people that mean the most to me back in my life, and that’s a beautiful thing.
Shauna: Sobriety has been absolutely amazing for me. That does not mean that it has been smooth sailing the whole time. I have gone through some of the toughest things in my life in sobriety, like suffering from severe anxiety sometimes. At one point it caused me to have a complete mental breakdown and a few weeks of insomnia. I was able to walk through this sober though and not resort to a temporary solution that I used for so long, and that is so amazing to me. For me, it’s not only the good times, but also walking through the tough times (with the help of my higher power and others). Even when I’m not sure I can make it through I somehow always come out stronger on the other side, and that reassures me that this life of sobriety is truly a beautiful and amazing thing. I have also discovered so much about myself in sobriety- who I am, what I like, what I don’t like, what my dreams and passions are, that I am capable of achieving my wildest dreams, and that I am amazing!
NSH: Do you guys have any parting words for our readers?
Costas: Never be afraid to chase your dreams and don’t fear failure. Failures aren’t always what they seem to be. Maybe your higher power just has something different/greater in store for you. In a world and time where it is easy to be swept up by the negativity around you, I urge you to stop and look around. There is much more beauty than there is ugly in this world and this life we have is truly an amazing thing. Lastly, in the great words of Albus Dumbledore “Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light”.
Shauna: Treat everyone you encounter with love and respect regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation etc. Allow yourself and others to be who they truly are, whether you agree with it or not, and just do your best to be a good and kind person. Lastly if you are reading this and you are someone who is struggling with addiction, anxiety, depression or anything in between, just know that you are not alone and you do not have to go through this alone. Reach out for help and don’t stay silent. There is no shame in going through these struggles and you never know what kind of help and life could be waiting for you. Much love to anyone who took the time to read this article and thank you to David and Alejandra for asking us to be a part of this!
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