A Veteran's Thoughts on Impermanence, Reflection and Weenie Dogs

Who are you, sister? Tell us a little about yourself. I’m Casey, living in the booming metropolis of Molt, Montana (population 38) with my husband Pryor and our trio of fur kids, Wiley the weenie-mix dog and Dante and Lucky, our black cats.

In real life I teach women to be more confident and effective in the not-so-fun-stuff so they can spend more time doing things and being with people they love. My superpowers include making the world’s best cheesecake in the pressure cooker!

Let’s do some one word answers. Ready, set, go!

Morning Drink? Black Coffee
Indulgence? Massages!
Lusting after? Tattoos
Spirit Animal? Owl
Head Space? Ambitious
Heart Space? Excited
Bloom of Choice? Lily
Turn-on? Smiles
Go-to Gemstone? Tiger’s Eye
Celebrity Icon? Amy Schumer
Favorite compliment? Being strong

What does practicing joy mean to you? Practicing joy is taking time each day to reflect on the amazing things in my life like people and opportunities. It’s a practice of purposefully stopping when things are spinning out of control and looking for what is working and leaning into that.

Practicing joy is a skill, a mindset, and a way of looking at the world that keeps me from getting lost in the hurt, fear, and ugliness that are so often shoved in my face in today’s media culture. It’s the anchor to not giving up.

Biggest life lesson you’ve learned lately? Things don’t always go as planned and communication is key to surviving that.

My husband and I have been trying for a couple years to start our family. We learned recently that we don’t get to do it the “fun” way. We’re getting ready to start our first round of IVF and it’s terrifying, frustrating, and exciting all in the same moment. It’s absolutely not how we thought or wanted this to go, but through lots of long tearful talks we keep moving forward together and that’s what matters.

What’s your definition of success? Being happy at the end of each day.

Name 3 things from your Life List that light you up.

-Getting published. The book will happen, and soon.
-Being on the verge of motherhood.
-Being able to squat 200 pounds, to show that these big ol’ thighs of mine are awesome.

What do you do when life gets messy? If it’s before noon I snuggle with my dog and we nap. If it’s afternoon I cry over a glass (or 2…) of wine. Once I’ve got that out of my system I start planning and executing, and maybe cry a bit more, a way to clean up the mess.

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3 Songs, 3 Books, 3 Instagram Accounts?

SONGS

“You’re the Best” by Joe “Bean” Esposito (from the Karate Kid soundtrack)
“Live Like a Warrior” by Matisyahu
“Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley & The Wailers

BOOKS

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
Deconverted by Seth Andrews
The Chief Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny

INSTAGRAM

@HowToBuyaBaby
@IamAdaptive
@TheRock

What has been your favorite journey? Deploying to Iraq in 2003 to 2004 (arguably it could be my least favorite too). Not just the time I was in Iraq either, but everything that deployment brought to my life. I had some amazing experiences in Iraq like taking boxes of supplies to schools. Seeing kids light up to get a pencil or sucker and a photo with us. Little moments where we got to experience the people, culture, and traditions. It was so unlike anything else I’ve ever experienced.

I was wounded near the end of our tour and that has been an incredible continuation of the journey. I love sharing my story, meeting other veterans, and giving back to the veterans’ community. If not for being deployed and being wounded I think my life would be kind of boring. It’s really a journey that hasn’t stopped yet.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given? “This feeling isn’t permanent.” When it feels like the bottom has fallen out of my world I still go back to this.

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