Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Coward.
Sarah, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I grew up in a small rural town in upstate New York. In high school, I took a trip with my French class to Paris, Provence, and Barcelona and I was absolutely bit hard with the travel bug. I had the best time taking photos and immersing myself in the culture and I knew that travel absolutely was going to be a major part of my future. I went to undergrad at SUNY Plattsburgh where I received my Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. At the time, I was dating someone who was highly emotionally abusive and after going through an extremely traumatic breakup during my senior year, I decided I needed to get out of New York State and start over with a fresh slate.
One of my teachers gave me a list of new graduate residency programs across the country, and I was drawn to Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Atlanta. I’m not sure what it was about the program but something about it felt right. I didn’t know anyone in Georgia, had never stepped foot in the state before, but I decided to apply for this program anyway. At the end of April 2015 flew down for a whirlwind weekend of interviewing and looking at apartments, and I found out on May 5, 2015 that I got the job. I was selected for a new grad residency at Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital on the Oncology unit. I was over the moon and felt like my life was really about to start.
In July 2015, I packed up everything that I owned, said goodbye to my family and friends that I had known my whole life, and began the journey from New York to Georgia. I was scared, excited, nervous, every emotion under the sun, but I knew I was making the right decision.
I was 21 years old and I began working as an RN. At first, I didn’t know anyone. Lucky for me, Atlanta is in my opinion, the best place to be young and single, and I quickly made an incredible support network of friends.
About one year after moving to Atlanta, I decided I wanted to travel again. I booked a trip to Ireland with a group of people I didn’t know through a company called EF Ultimate Break. It had worked out pretty well already, moving somewhere new where I didn’t know anyone, so why not take it a step further and travel internationally with strangers? Best decision I ever made.
On that trip, I learned an inner strength that I didn’t know I had. I put myself in a position where I had to be confident, I had to navigate a foreign country on my own, and I had to put myself out there. I learned that I can do hard things and that life starts on the other side of fear. I made some of my best friends I’ve ever had on that trip, some that were bridesmaids in my wedding. Since Ireland, we have now traveled to Greece and Tulum and many, many different cities across the United States.
In my career as an RN, I have worked in many different areas. I have worked in oncology, bone marrow transplant, renal, medical/surgical, ICU, travel nursing, float pool nursing, the list goes on and on.
In 2020, I decided to go back to school to advance my career. I received my Master of Science in Nursing from Emory University in December 2021 and I am now a board-certified women’s health nurse practitioner. I began working at OVME Peachtree City in March 2022 as an aesthetic injector, and I have been there ever since.
I truly love going into work every day. I love the unique relationships I can form with my clients. Sitting in an injector’s chair can be very vulnerable, and I don’t take that for granted. My goal is natural aesthetics; I want my clients to look like themselves but the best version of themselves. I want friendship with my clients, and I want them to truly look forward to coming to see me for their appointments.
As my side hustle, I run a travel blog called Sarah Smiles Abroad. On this Instagram and web page, I document all of my travel guides, travel tips and hacks, and photos from all over the world. I will soon be launching a group travel service as well, in which I will organize international trips for women. My goal is to recreate the feelings that I had when I went on my trip to Ireland. I want to help women find their tribe and find their inner confidence internationally, and I want to help make world travel more accessible to everyone.
If I had never moved from New York to Georgia, I don’t even know where I would be right now. I truly believe my life began when I took that leap of faith 8 years ago, and life has kept getting better and better ever since.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I think anyone who has moved away from their hometown and started over can attest to the fact that it is not easy. It is incredibly challenging and extremely lonely at times. You leave everything familiar – people, places, things – and enter a world that is entirely brand new. You are excited for what is coming while simultaneously terrified of missing out on things happening back at home. You are constantly split between here and there, and it can be extremely hard.
However, it is single-handedly the best thing I have ever done. My best advice to anyone who is moving away from home to somewhere brand new is to become your own best friend. Be comfortable doing things on your own. Don’t miss out on experiences because you don’t have anyone to go with. The best way to meet people is to put yourself out there in vulnerable situations. Most of the time, there are other people there just like you, who also want to make friends. Take every class you can – painting, cooking, music, etc. Do co-ed sports. Go for hikes. Go to concerts. It will get easier with time but don’t miss out on things that you want to do just because you are alone. You can do hard things.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am an Aesthetic Nurse Practitioner at OVME Peachtree City. I offer botox/dysport and dermal filler services along with skincare consultations. I truly love what I do. I love the unique relationships I can form with my clients. Sitting in an injector’s chair can be very vulnerable, and I don’t take that for granted. My goal is natural aesthetics; I want my clients to look like themselves but the best version of themselves. I want friendship with my clients, and I want them to truly look forward to coming to see me for their appointments. As my side hustle, I run a travel blog called Sarah Smiles Abroad. On this Instagram and web page, I document all of my travel guides, travel tips and hacks, and photos from all over the world. I will soon be launching a group travel service as well, in which I will organize international trips for women. My goal is to recreate the feelings that I had when I went on my trip to Ireland. I want to help women find their tribe and find their inner confidence internationally, and I want to help make world travel more accessible to everyone.
Any big plans?
I am so excited to expand my travel brand even further. I love planning trips, I love experiencing new cultures and meeting new people, and I love sharing my travels with others. I am so excited to launch my group travel services and plan trips for women around the world. I have found that most people are fearful to take that leap and go travel because they don’t have anyone to go with, and I want to bridge that gap. I want to help create lifelong friendships and support networks for women all over the world. It literally makes me buzz with excitement thinking about all the possibilities. In my nursing career, I am so excited that I work for a company that values learning and advancing education. I am so excited to continue learning to be the best injector I can possibly be and so I can bring the best treatments to my clients. Again, I want women to look and feel their best. I want them to have the best confidence boost and I want to set them up for success in taking care of themselves and their skin.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sarahsmilesabroad.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/_injectorsarah
- Other: https://instagram.com/sarahsmilesabroad
