Sober Sisters Events

Something dawned on me today.

Maybe sometimes we drink because we’re trying to find that little version of ourselves again. The one who was unapologetically herself before the world got its hands on her.

Before she learned to tone herself down.

Before she started wondering if she was too loud, too silly, too sensitive, too much.

Before she cared so much about what other people thought.

Let’s really think about what alcohol promises us: You will be funnier. You can speak your mind. You can laugh louder. You can dance carefree. You can make friends with anyone. You will be more confident. You won’t care what anyone else thinks of you.

And then you get sober and slowly but surely, your true personality starts coming back. You realize you never actually needed the alcohol to tap into these things at all.

She was still there all along, just buried under years of insecurity, expectations, people-pleasing, trauma, shame, and the exhausting pressure to be who you thought everyone else wanted you to be.

Sobriety doesn’t turn you into someone new. It gives you the space to uncover who you were before you started hiding.

The funny, the silly, the confidence, the creativity, the weirdness, the honesty.. it all comes back.

Lots of “I don’t give a damn what you think of me” energy. I’m so here for it.

And it’s even sweeter now because she has wisdom, boundaries, self-respect, and a whole lot more life experience behind her.

Little you was never actually gone. She was just waiting for you to stop numbing her long enough to reemerge. 🤍

Happy National Sober Day! 🤍

Today is a day to be proud of how far you’ve come, no matter where you are in your journey, and to celebrate the changes you’re making to create a beautiful life for yourself.

Ironically enough, today I got to hop on a call with the Executive Director at FAVOR Piedmont, an impactful organization that promotes long-term recovery from substance use disorders. I was presented with so many different opportunities and ideas for how I can make an impact in the recovery community moving forward.

I’ve truly always felt the pull to do good in the world, but I never knew the best way to do it. For years, I volunteered with different organizations, helping wherever I could, but I always knew I could do more.

As I got sober and started tapping more into my personality, my strengths, and who I really am, I began to realize that this is my purpose. This is my calling.

Whether it’s making people feel a little less lonely through Sober Sisters Events or now diving deeper into Peer Support work, I know this is where I’m supposed to be.

Getting sober was the greatest gift.

There are no happy accidents. The universe has a way of presenting you with what’s meant for you right on time.

I don’t know exactly what the future holds, but I can feel it in my bones that I’m going to make a difference in at least one person’s life.

And every time I see someone change for the better in real time, I think of my mom and I smile.

We live for the ones we’ve lost.
We keep going for the ones who need us.
And we continue to make them proud. ❤️

Happy National Sober Day.

The future is bright for all of us.

Let’s keep going. ✨

Talk about a full-circle moment. ❤️

We celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary at Fig Tree this year, and I couldn’t help but think about the last time we were here.

Our 9th anniversary. 2023.

I was eight months sober.

I remember sitting at that table, staring at Ryan’s glass of w**e while he was in the restroom. I knew nobody would ever know if I took a sip. I remember that feeling so clearly.

The temptation.
The bargaining with myself.
The immediate guilt and shame that came over me for even thinking about it.

And then I remember the moment I told myself: Not today. Not ever again.

That decision gave me back so much more than sobriety. It gave me my power back.

And three years later, sitting in that same restaurant celebrating another anniversary, I couldn’t help but think about how much we’ve both grown and how far we’ve come together.

When I stopped drinking, our entire dynamic changed. We had always been drinking buddies. It was part of how we celebrated, relaxed, connected, dealt with stress… pretty much everything.

And then I made a decision to change and suddenly, we weren’t the same couple.

We had to relearn what it meant to have fun together. We had to learn how to actually talk through our problems instead of numbing them. We had to figure out how to navigate parenting, stress, hard seasons, and all the messy parts of life without alcohol being the buffer.

It hasn’t always been easy. Sometimes, it still isn’t. But it has always been worth it.

Ryan still drinks occasionally, but so much less than he used to. And I’ve changed in ways that go far beyond not drinking. We are both changing.

Maybe that’s one of the most beautiful parts of growing together-realizing that you don’t have to stay the same people you were when you said “I do.” Twelve years into this marriage, we are not the same people we were standing there in 2014.

I’m really grateful we get to keep growing, changing, and becoming better versions of ourselves, together. Proud of me. Proud of us. Cheers to 12 years! And many more.

Last night was quite the adventure. What started off like a typical Friday night ended with fire trucks lining our entire street. 🚒

Ryan was finally home from a three-day work trip, and we were happy to have him back. Dinner with the family, crazy kid shenanigans, bedtime routines, and some true crime for us. A pretty solid start to the weekend. I turned off the TV around 10:30 and was happy to drift off to sleep.

About an hour later, we were jolted awake by the blaring sound of our smoke/CO detectors going off throughout the house. We both jumped out of bed and rushed into the kitchen and living room. No smoke. No fire. We checked upstairs, where all three kids were sleeping together in Lyric’s room. They were still completely sound asleep.

The alarms continued going off intermittently for the next 10 minutes, and eventually we made the decision: wake the kids up and get out of the house. We gathered everyone into the car, called 911, and waited for the firefighters to arrive. A little while later, the house was checked and cleared. No carbon monoxide. No fire. What a relief. It turned out one of our detectors was faulty, and it was setting off all the others. Better safe than sorry.

Once we got the kids back into bed and finally laid down again, the adrenaline started to wear off and the gratitude set in. I couldn’t help but think about sobriety.

If I were still drinking, I almost certainly would have been drinking on a Friday night. And in a moment like this? I honestly don’t know what that would have looked like. Probably a lot of confusion and total chaos.

Last night, we were able to think through the situation, make a quick decision, and stay calm. Crisis avoided.

It’s moments like these that remind me of my why. My kids are safe. They have someone they can always depend on to make the best decisions with them in mind. They don’t have to think like adults. They don’t have to worry about whether their parents are capable of handling an emergency. They just get to be kids, knowing that their parents have their backs.

No Friday night drink is worth taking that away.

Stay present.
Stay grateful.
Check your detectors.
Stay safe out there. 🤍

I checked my sober tracking app today just for funsies. I haven’t looked at it in forever and I really just wanted to see if I was sitting on a cool number.

1321 days.

3… 2… 1… LET’S GO.
I’ll take it.

I also found this new “health timeline” in the app, which lays out some of the things you may experience during different stages of an alcohol-free journey.

And honestly? I wish I could go back and show this to the version of me who was just getting started.

If you’re thinking about taking a break, trying sobriety, or you’re already in the thick of it, let this give you a little comfort:

This s**t isn’t linear.

Some things get worse before they get better. Some days feel amazing. Some days feel like absolute garbage. Your body is adjusting. Your brain is healing. Your emotions are finding their way back.

But over time, one day at a time, it gets really, really good.

So wherever you are in your journey…

JUST KEEP GOING. 🤍

🎳✨ STRIKES & SISTERHOOD: BOWLING NIGHT! ✨🎳

We’re taking Sober Sisters out for a night of bowling, games, food, drinks, and ALL the sisterhood vibes! 💕

Join us on Thursday, September 3rd at 6:30 PM at Stars and Strikes in Rock Hill, SC for a night of fun where you absolutely do NOT need alcohol to have a good time. 🙌

And your ticket includes all the goods:

🎳 2 hours of bowling
🎮 1 hour of unlimited games
👟 Shoe rental
🍕 Food
🥤 Non-alcoholic drinks

Whether you’re newly sober, sober curious, or simply looking for a fun night out with an amazing group of ladies- you’re invited. 🤍

Come have some laughs & experience what we already know:

Joy doesn’t need alcohol. And neither does sisterhood. ✨

🎟️ Grab your ticket on Eventbrite today! (LINK IN BIO)
Spots are limited, so don’t wait!

September 3rd • 6:30 PM • Stars & Strikes, Rock Hill

I never knew a bunch of 5-year-olds could scare me this much. 😂

Yesterday was my first day as a substitute teacher, and walking into something completely new had me feeling some nerves.

But I also had this little voice in the back of my head saying, “You can do this. And if it doesn’t go perfectly, you’ll be alright.”

That’s something sobriety has given me: the confidence to try.

To step outside of my comfort zone. To be uncomfortable. To not need to know exactly how something is going to turn out before I take the leap.

I trust myself now. And I trust that whatever happens, I’ll be okay.

So here’s to trying new things, being scared and doing it anyway, and discovering that we’re capable of so much more than we thought. 🤍 PS Teachers are the real ones.

Something really beautiful about celebrating your sobriety is realizing that you deserve to remember it. 🤍

The days, the years, the milestones, the little moments that once felt impossible—you made it here.

Why not capture that version of you? The one who chose herself. The one who kept going. The one who gets to look back years from now and say, I did that.

Your sobriety is worth celebrating. Your story is worth remembering. And this chapter deserves to be captured forever. ✨

What a beautiful gift to give yourself.

Sarah Jean is amazing, and I love that she created this specifically for celebrating sobriety milestones. If you’re ready to capture the moment forever, contact her directly. 📸🤍

Photos by Sarah Jean