This weekend’s featured blogger is someone who I haven’t met in real life yet, but I hope to soon considering we both live in the same city! I heard about Casey’s blog a few months ago, and one thing that stands out to me about her writing is how honest and raw she is. She’s also a fabulous writer in general. I hope you enjoy scoping out her site as much as I have. Have a great weekend, everyone! xo
Q: Introduce yourself! Tell us a little bit about who you are in three sentences or less.
A: Hello there! My name is Casey and I chronicle my sarcasm over at Oh Mom Gee. I’m wife to Greg, mother to our daughter Riley, and dog-mom to our English Bulldog, Dutch. I’m a fan of moving around, seeing new places, and meeting new people – which came quite in handy when I married a soldier.
Q: When did you start your blog, and what do you primarily blog about?
A: I originally started my blog about four years ago, when we were at a crossroads in our life. My husband was enlisted for seven years, and got out to go to college (he was a student when we met). The plan was for him to return to the Army as an Officer – but as every military spouse knows – the word “plan” is not always in the Army’s dictionary! After working with a recruiter for a year, we were surprised to find out that the Army was not currently looking for officers with Greg’s academic background. We had literally just packed all of our stuff up and handed over the keys to our apartment, about to drive east to live with my family while we waited on a report date. We were left without a plan and no real direction to head, so, we just starting driving! Having been married only six months at this point, our relationship was put to the test as we had some serious and hard talks about our future. Ultimately, it was a blessing in disguise, because we learned that we truly had each other’s back and could get through anything, together. We had just arrived in New Orleans for the night, and come up with a “Plan B”, when we got a phone call that they had reconsidered his packet and he was being given a board date! I was so surprised and happy that I sat down the next day to write out the entire story, hoping that one day our children might want to read it. I haven’t stopped since.
Q: Hooray for being a fellow Fort Riley family! When did you move to Manhattan, and what are your favorite things to do with your family around town?
A: So, funny story – my husband’s father is originally from Kansas, and he still has family members in Manhattan and Topeka. We always joked about being stationed here, but never thought it would actually happen! To say we were happy about coming here, is putting it mildly. We technically moved here a year and a half ago, but when my husband deployed a month after we arrived, my daughter and I moved back home (to New York) until he got back. We’ve been here now for about five months and truly love this place! Our favorite things to do are go to the K-State football games, bring our daughter to the many awesome parks in this town, and take our overweight dog on very (very) brief walks.
Q: Where else has your family been stationed? What’s been your favorite duty station so far?
A: Although I’m “happy” I wasn’t dating my husband when he was first in the service (lots of schools, deployments, and ranger school would hurt my heart!), I did miss out on being stationed in Italy with him. Italy is my favorite place in the world, so any time there would have been awesome. He was also at Fort Bragg before that, and I love North Carolina! As a family, though, we’ve only been to Fort Benning (Columbus, GA) and Fort Riley (Manhattan, KS). I honestly loved both, but I love the small-town feel of Fort Riley a lot more. This place seriously feels like something out of a storybook. We’ve even toyed with the idea of retiring here, but ask me again after we survive this winter.
Q: What are a couple of your favorite aspects of being a military spouse? What about the hardest aspects?
A: My favorite aspect of being a military spouse is the sense of pride and accomplishment I feel – if my husband is going to be gone a lot, work long hours, and occasionally be in harm’s way, I’m happy he’s doing it to serve this country. I’m immensely proud and in awe of him. Growing up, I really didn’t know much about the military or know anybody who was in it, so it’s been really fun and interesting blogging – lots of my friends and family from back home are interested in how things work in our life – and it’s fun to show them we’re still (basically) a normal family. That being said, this lifestyle is no joke. Greg has always told me the saying, “You can love the Army all you want, it’s never going to love you back.” Boy is that true. You can be the world’s best parent, or most dedicated spouse, but you are always still a soldier first. The Army makes the plans and you have to adjust accordingly. Only recently have I started to see how much it can impact a child – and that is something my heart doesn’t take lightly. I’d be lying if I said I thought raising children in this way, wasn’t going to be difficult, but I’m truly optimistic that we can work together as a family and always make it out even stronger.
Q: I love that you where born and raised in NYC. My parents were as well. My mom was born in Brooklyn, like you! What do you miss about living in New York?
A: Get out of here! I have to meet her – we probably know the same people (probably named Tony or Maria of course)! Kidding! I am always so grateful I was raised in Brooklyn – there was no shortage of diversity, food, love, or old-school Italian upbringings. The thing I miss most about living in New York is, of course, my family. Aside from my mom, aunt, uncles, and cousins – my grandmother (RoRo) is 88 years old and a wildly entertaining human being. She’s my best friend and I miss her every second of the day. But, my family might be tied with the food. I miss the unlimited food options so much – especially NY pizza!!
Q: I read that studying abroad was an incredible experience for you. What did you study, and why would you recommend studying abroad?
A: Oh man, I’ve already written a novel so I’ll try not to go overboard here – but studying abroad changed my life. As a senior in college, I ended a four-year relationship (much-needed), packed my bags, and got on a plane to Florence, Italy. I knew nobody there but I took a leap of faith and hoped it would work out. I majored in Sociology but in Italy I mostly majored in pasta, wine, and my social life. Three months abroad turned into two years. I made some of my best friends, traveled all over Europe, learned some great (and hard) lessons, and met the man who would become my husband. I think studying abroad is a great opportunity for everyone – it forces you out of your comfort zone and opens your mind to other cultures – something you might never experience if you never leave home. In America – we pride ourselves on being busy, we rush place to place, we eat fast and generally, live fast. Italians essentially do the opposite – they live to savor every moment and relish in every pleasurable experience – especially if it involves drinking or eating! There’s lots to be learned from both ways of living!
Q: Where should new readers start on your blog?
Q: Where can we find you on social media?
And just for fun…
- Cardio or weights? Weights, I only run if being chased 😉
- Swimming or sunbathing? I want to say “tie”, and seem active but I am lazy, so sunbathing.
- Baked or mashed potatoes? Mashed for sure!
- Big party or small gathering? Big party – the more noise the better!
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Thank you so much, Casey!
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Is this your first time to Whimsical September? Welcome!
Hello! I’m Erica, the blogger behind Whimsical September. I created the “The Saturday Sit-Down” series in January 2017 as a way to give back to the blogging community and link readers with new bloggers whom they may share similar interests with. Click here to discover more bloggers that have been featured on “The Saturday Sit-Down”.
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Hi! I’m Erica, and I absolutely adore sharing my life on this website with you! I come here almost daily to blab about all of the things related to being a regular wife and mother in today’s ever-evolving society. I share about our new home, what’s on our kitchen table, what we’re hanging in our closets, where we’re traveling to next, my crazy 5 a.m. work outs, how I make time for girlfriends, our faith, and much more. We always have a lot of balls in the air and somewhat thrive on the chaos. I believe in the power of story-telling as a form of inspiration and entertainment, so I’m here to do both! I was born and raised in north Alabama and recently re-planted roots here again after my husband transitioned out of the Army (he is now in the Reserve and it’s going so well!) I’m a super proud mom to three little girls (ages 7, 4, and 1) who seem to be the stars of the show around here (for good reason – they’re pretty great!) I’m so glad you found me and are here reading! I hope we can get to know each other here on the blog as well as Facebook and/or Instagram. xoxo