Since entering the veterinary field in 2009, my co-workers and I have joked, even as adults, “I wonder what we’re gonna be when we grow up.” We got into this industry because animals are our passion, and it’s truly rewarding work. However, the unfortunate side effects—the low pay, long hours, and burnout—are anything but rewarding. But I wholeheartedly believe that everything happens for a reason, and that is how I ended up working as a Rumpus writer.

Where it started

I’m what you’d call a proud “Harco girl.” I was born and raised in Harford County, Maryland, where we put our flag on everything, picking and eating crabs is a way of life, and we’ll argue that Wawa is the best gas station there ever was.

It didn’t take me long—I was 4 years old, to be exact—to learn about cats and start begging incessantly for one. I was pretty convincing (or annoying) because I got to pick out my very own cat for my 5th birthday. I chose the most perfect calico kitten, which is fitting as I grew up to be spicy—as they tend to be—and the calico is the Maryland state cat.

Where it went

I don’t think my mom had any idea what she’d done. From that day on, my life revolved around cats and animals, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I started my veterinary journey working in kennels and then progressed through veterinary assistant, customer service representative, and supervisor roles.

Between all that, I participated in beauty pageants and went to college for early childhood education before quickly realizing that wasn’t my path. I committed to veterinary medicine, gave it my all, and learned A LOT.

I’ve also tested the boundaries of marriage over the years. You know how the cartoon kid asks, “Mister Owl, how many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?” My version is more like, “How many cats can Kasey bring home without permission before her husband blows a gasket?”

“Let’s find out.” 😏

How it’s going

Good news, I’m still married with no plans to change that status. But after working in the veterinary field for so long, the burnout was real and I knew I had to pivot my career. So I again found myself asking, “What do I wanna be when I grow up?” It seemed the only logical thing to do was turn to Dr. Google. Well, I didn’t like what it had to say about my career ideas:

  • Cat — Physically impossible 
  • Pocahontas — Taken
  • American Idol — Is it even still airing?

There were two things I was absolutely certain of: I loved animals  and I loved reading. I could (and have) easily put away four large books while on vacation. There’s something about the way words come together to tell a story and create entire worlds.

Like magic, Dr. Google came through for me. On my computer screen was a copywriting certification course. To think that I could utilize my veterinary knowledge and writing skills to create something meaningful sounded too good to be true. So what did I do?

✔️ Click

✔️ Study

✔️ Certified

The path to Rumpus

It was a huge blessing to stumble upon Rumpus Writing and Editing. Their beliefs and goals aligned with mine, which had me fangirling, and I just knew I had to work with them.

Working as a freelance writer for Rumpus has given me the flexibility to work from home while doing relief work at my veterinary clinic, allowing me to achieve the coveted work-life balance.

My Rumpus colleagues are genuinely kind and talented. We understand how demanding the veterinary field is, from late nights, to skipped lunches, to compassion fatigue.  You can’t take care of your patients unless you take care of yourself, so implement some well-deserved self-care and delegate your copywriting tasks. Rumpus has your back—so you can have theirs. 🐾