Building Bridges from Combat to Inner Peace: A Veteran's Healing Journey -42

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Kim [: 00:00:03

From flying Blackhawk helicopters in combat to guiding veterans and first responders on life changing, healing journeys through the Himalayas, Sarah Moore's story is one of resilience, transformation, and purpose. In this episode, Sarah opens up about her military career, the emotional toll of service, and how a journey to Nepal became the catalyst for creating blue side adventures. If you're ready to hear how Sarah turned her personal struggles into a mission to help others, this episode is for you.

Kim [: 00:00:44

Welcome to Dog Tag Diaries. I'm your host, Captain Kim. Our podcast is where military women speak their truths and share the stories that have shaped their lives. From moments of resilience to hard won triumphs, we hold nothing back. Twenty twenty four was a year of incredible milestones for this community. Our voices were heard in over 33 countries around the world, and we ranked in Apple Podcast's top 200 impersonal journeys in The United States, a testament to the power of authentic storytelling. Now as we launch season four, we invite you to journey with us once again. This is more than a podcast.

Kim [: 00:01:32

This is a movement. Let's break barriers, shatter silence, and amplify the voices of military women everywhere. Thank you for listening, sharing, and making this possible. This is Dog Tag Diaries.

Kim [: 00:01:53

In today's episode, we're joined by Sarah Moore, a retired army officer and the founder of Blue Side Adventures. Sarah's journey took her from the skies as a Blackhawk pilot to the peaks of the Himalayas, where she discovered the power of healing and community. After serving twenty one years in the army and battling the emotional and physical tolls of service, Sarah found her purpose in helping fellow veterans and first responders reclaim their well-being. Stick around as we explore her incredible story of transformation, adventure, and the mission behind Blue Side Adventures. Sarah, welcome to Dog Tag Diaries, and thank you so much for being here.

Sarah Moore [: 00:02:39

Yeah. Thanks so much for having me. I have been really looking forward to this conversation, and I love this podcast and love what you're doing. And this is so exciting.

Kim [: 00:02:51

Well, thank you. And we're so glad you made it because Colorado, I hear, is, like, down in the negatives or in the zeros.

Sarah Moore [: 00:03:00

It's ridiculous. I woke up this morning, and my outdoor temperature gauge, I have it, like, on my wall, and it was so cold it wasn't even registering. And I looked on my phone and it said it was zero degrees outside, and I had to start shoveling the driveway because I have to be able to get out if I need to get out. That's, like, the military in me. Like, I always have an escape plan. Oh, yes. I was pulling out shoveling this morning, and, yeah, it's zero degrees. I'm like, I'm gonna need to do this a couple times today because my face is, like, literally freezing off.

Sarah Moore [: 00:03:35

So this is not this is not okay.

Kim [: 00:03:39

Oh, gosh. Yeah. You know what? It reminds me of being in basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri in January, and they would take us out to do physical fitness. And you would just breathe in and all the mucus in your nose would just freeze.

Sarah Moore [: 00:03:54

Oh, yeah. That's exactly what happened this morning. And I went to Fort Leonard Wood too for basics.

Kim [: 00:04:00

Okay. Okay. Well, let's dive in, and we'd love to start to hear about, like, little Sarah, what you were like as a little girl.

Sarah Moore [: 00:04:08

So my childhood, I was, like, a pretty intense kid a lot because I had a lot of constant change. So my family moved a lot. My dad was a corporate pilot. And so even though we weren't military, we kinda moved on, like, a military schedule because in that kinda life, you go where the job goes. So, like, if a business downsizes, like, generally, the private plane is, like, the first thing, you know, that ends up going. So we ended up moving around a lot. So these, like, frequent relocations kinda taught me to be really, really independent at a young age. And it's great because I was able to adapt to new places, new schools, just kind of, like, learn at a young age how to accept and deal with change.

Sarah Moore [: 00:04:56

And that kind of move just kind of like it almost ended up being like a second nature thing to me. Like, oh, okay. We're moving again. You know, you just pick up and make new friends and all that kind of stuff. But that kind of life also led me to have kind of really independent hobbies and, you know, things that I needed to kind of work on that were like my things. So it was hard to be in, like, team sports and all that kind of stuff. So I was really passionate about ballet, music, just kind of like, you know, individual artsy things that I love doing. And this kind of like I really excelled in those because growing up, like, that was kind of where I got my attention.

Sarah Moore [: 00:05:41

And so doing positive things created positive attention, so you do more positive things and, you know, stuff like that. So, yeah, that's kinda young me. Like, military wasn't on the radar. I remember being a kid thinking I was gonna be a pilot or a ballerina, and eventually, I ended up the pilot route. So

Kim [: 00:06:01

Did you ever pursue being a ballerina then after your childhood?

Sarah Moore [: 00:06:07

I didn't, but you wanna know what's funny. So throughout the my twenty one, twenty three years, however long I spent in the military, the last four to five years of it, I started, you know, really focusing on mental health and expanding who I was again in my hobbies. And I got back into ballet. And so I've been doing ballet again for the last about five years. I do it almost every day. I'm in an online program. I have a wonderful teacher. Like, it's just, like, it's my passion and it's back, and I love it.

Kim [: 00:06:41

Oh my god. Isn't that a beautiful way to release as well and to just express you?

Sarah Moore [: 00:06:48

Yes. I love it. It makes my heart happy. It makes my mind happy. We can talk about this a bit later, but I have some significant back injuries. And the amount of core strength and balance that you have to have has gotten me off of pain medication for my back because I'm stronger now, and I mean, my posture is fixed and all this kind of stuff. So it's just like, it's so my thing, and no one can take that away again.

Kim [: 00:07:15

Yes. I believe in all that too. And, yes, we will get to that. So you had a childhood where you moved quite a bit, and you knew you either wanted to be a pilot or ballerina. Did you end up going to college then?

Sarah Moore [: 00:07:29

I did. So I ended up going to college. My freshman year was 02/2001, and I went to Rutgers University in New Jersey, spent, you know, a lot of time hanging around New York City and stuff like that. And, of course, the fall of my freshman year, September 11 happens, and it would really impacted me and my community. And I was kind of lost during college. I had these big dreams of, you know, I was gonna go down the pilot path. I had started my major as engineering. And half a semester in, I realized, like, I literally cannot do math.

Sarah Moore [: 00:08:06

This is not this is not going to be a good career path for me. And so I kinda was like, what am I doing? Like, I was also passionate about exercise. And, you know, through my years of dance, I also considered, like, oh, maybe exercise science is my thing. But then after nine eleven happened, I was like, you know what? I feel this calling to join the military, to stand up for my country, and to try to understand why we got attacked. So I left college for that semester. It turned out being two semesters, I think. But I enlisted in the army. And when I came back to college, I ended up majoring in Middle Eastern studies and Arabic because I was like, what is going on in the world? You know? Like, I've had to kinda had that typical American growing up of, like, not understanding what's going on in the world, not understanding the big picture.

Sarah Moore [: 00:09:04

And so I'm like, well, when we're attacked on our own soil and, like, that close where I can literally see it, I have to understand this. So that was my path at college. And then so thankful that the army didn't require a technical degree to be a pilot, so I got selected from flight school or for flight school through with that with my Middle Eastern studies and Arabic major. So that's how I ended up going down my pilot path.

Kim [: 00:09:34

Oh my god. But before that, you had a career in the military.

Sarah Moore [: 00:09:39

Yeah. I was enlisted. I was an eighty eight mic truck driver.

Kim [: 00:09:43

So how did that happen?

Sarah Moore [: 00:09:46

I literally felt so passionate about joining the military after nine eleven. I just said, I'll just take whatever job. And I was probably like some recruiters dream because they're like I'm like, sure. Sign me up.

Kim [: 00:09:57

Oh, yeah. Fill their quota. Right? They're like, I have a quota to meet. We're gonna put you here.

Sarah Moore [: 00:10:03

Meanwhile, my poor parents are like, here's this, like, ballerina cheerleader growing up, and I'm like, I'm going to the army to be a truck driver.

Kim [: 00:10:13

Well, you were going to college for exercise science, and then well, this had to be so impactful. I mean, it did impact our whole country, but the fact that it had that much of an effect on you where you were like, I need to go and be part of this and took any job. So what was it like being a truck driver in the military?

Sarah Moore [: 00:10:34

It was my introduction to being in a completely male dominated field. So military, male dominated anyways, but being a truck driver in my whole unit, I was one of, I mean, very low percentage of women in that unit. So I think that in listed time, I grew up really fast, really fast. I was 19 years old. I was surrounded by mostly older men. And in the early two thousands, like, there was a lot of sexual harassment. There was a lot of uncomfortable positions I was placed in. And when I was 19 and joined the military, like, basic training and all that, you know, I was, like, gung ho, army values.

Sarah Moore [: 00:11:22

Everyone's got, you know, this team effort. And then when I got to my unit, I was like, oh, this is not, like, basic. This is not, you know, like, I gotta watch my back. I gotta really stand up for myself. So that first enlistment was really eye opening for me, and it really kinda the whole thick skin thing, but it almost, like, it wasn't just thick skin with me. It was like I started developing this shell that I just carried with me through the rest of my career. So it was a big change.

Kim [: 00:11:53

Yeah. And it does something to you as a person. Like, yes, we're supposed to be on high alert when we are in combat and against the enemy, but to have to be on high alert when you're with a company that you were trained to feel like this is safe. You all are in in charge of keeping one another safe, but that's not always the case, and it does change you as a human.

Sarah Moore [: 00:12:20

It really, really does. And, you know, when I was going through my PTSD diagnosis with a therapist, obviously, years and years and years after that, you know, she did bring up the point, and I don't know why I didn't think of it before, but it's like women in the military, especially in our era that went to combat, it's like, yeah, we fought the enemy, but we had to fight for ourselves too and always watch our backs and always have that worry of you know, I remember going to the showers when I was in Kuwait, and part of my shower kit was a knife. Like, just is those things where it's like, you're always on high alert. You're never safe. And I don't wanna, like, to sound so negative about it because my military experience was good overall, but it's those experiences that just really weigh on you and, you know, make you question a lot of things of, like, what the heck am I doing here when I I'm supposed to trust you in combat, and now I can't even go to the shower without thinking that someone's gonna rape me. Like, it's it's a lot.

Kim [: 00:13:25

It is a lot. And our our bodies aren't meant for our nervous system to be on high alert all the time, and we don't realize that until later. So you were a truck driver. You ended up going back to school, and then you were like, I'm gonna be a Blackhawk pilot. Is that how that all came about?

Sarah Moore [: 00:13:48

Yeah. Like, I love the army so much that No. It just kinda was one of those things where I'm like, you know what? I always told myself that as long as things aren't terrible, I'm gonna stay in the military and try to do a full twenty years. So things weren't terrible. It was a good career field. It's a good opportunity. And my dad being a pilot, he'd always kinda say, like, if someone else can pay for your flight school, that's a pretty good deal. So, yeah, the going to the army and having them pay for my flight school and get a multi engine license and all that kind of stuff, it just made sense.

Sarah Moore [: 00:14:33

And plus, like, how cool. If I have the opportunity to fly a Blackhawk, yeah. Of course, I do.

Kim [: 00:14:39

Think you're super cool. I'm like, oh my gosh. This is amazing. Amazing. Do you feel like your dad being a pilot inspired you to go down that route?

Sarah Moore [: 00:14:51

Yeah. He definitely did. I think growing up in and around aviation was just kind of a natural thing. Like, when I was a kid, we'd go to, you know, go to the hangar to see dad at work and, like, you know, it's really cool to go see planes and stuff. And my grandfather was a pilot also. So being a third generation pilot in my family, I just thought was a really cool thing even if it was just going to be, you know, I was just gonna do my time in the military and get out, which that didn't happen. But it was like just to kinda have that link is pretty cool. And then another cool thing with that, I was awarded the air medal in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and I have my grandfather's air medal from his time in World War two.

Sarah Moore [: 00:15:34

So I have those framed together, and, like, that is my most important thing in the entire house. So it was, like, almost sixty years apart when we got the air medal. We're both first lieutenants. He was in the army air corps. You know, like, it was just it's it's really cool.

Kim [: 00:15:48

Yeah. That parallel is so amazing, especially different to keep it in the generational line.

Sarah Moore [: 00:15:55

Yeah. I thought I was like, that's kind of a important thing once I started going down that path to make sure I kept. So

Kim [: 00:16:01

Yeah. So when you were a truck driver, it was very male dominant. Was that the same when you became a pilot?

Sarah Moore [: 00:16:10

It was. So I went into an air assault company. And so most of my career, I was in air assault. And so I think at any given point in my company, I think there was a maximum of, like, three to four women. And I was one of the only females that were in either a platoon leadership position or a company command position at that time because there just there weren't. So most of the other females that were there were either enlisted. There were a few warrant officers, but to actually have a woman in charge was kinda something that wasn't exactly, like, common back then. So, yeah, again, another male dominated field, another new set of challenges to overcome with that.

Kim [: 00:16:56

Yeah. Well, let's talk about that because I'm sure the listeners would love to hear what it's like to be a female pilot in an aerosol company. Walk us through some of that.

Sarah Moore [: 00:17:09

So it is like any other area of the military where, as a woman, you have to completely excel %, do your best at every given moment because you're gonna be judged if you're not at a %. So I felt like that was kind of amplified in the aviation world because, you know, there was a lot of judgment and there's you know, especially in the early two thousands, there's a lot of, like, kinda just those backhanded comments of whether or not you should be there and stuff like that. So I mostly just kept my head down with that and worked really, really hard on both the aviation side of the knowledge of the aircraft and piloting skills. But also on the flip side of that, my entire army career, I passed all of my physical fitness tests at the male standard.

Kim [: 00:18:02

Yeah, girl.

Sarah Moore [: 00:18:03

For that, no one can play. You know, that whole, well, you have it easier. Okay. Well, I do what you do, so I don't make it easier.

Kim [: 00:18:12

Yes.

Sarah Moore [: 00:18:13

But coming back from flight school, though, I mean, it's again, it was kinda like, you know, flight school, I had some challenges. I had an instructor pilot that was unnecessarily making some comments, handled it, got another instructor, but just stuff like that. And I was like, okay. We dealt with that. It'll be better when I get back to my unit. And the first day I get back to my unit, and I'm flying with one of the instructor pilots because you have to fly with an instructor for x amount of hours and all that kind of stuff. And he said, we had bets that you wouldn't make it through flight school without getting pregnant. And I'm flying at the time.

Sarah Moore [: 00:18:48

So, like, being distracted with something like that and flying at the same time is a terrible combination and terrible crew resource management and terrible, like, thing to to do. And I can't remember exactly what I said, but it was to the effect of, like, well, I'm glad I didn't follow through on that or thanks for your confidence or, you know, like, just something to that matter. And I was like, I remember getting out of the aircraft that day, and I was like, is this really what it's gonna be like? And, thankfully, it wasn't for the most part, but there's still, like, sprinkled throughout my career those times of just these brutal comments and, like, you know, just the stuff where, like, I mean, I I'm trying to think of, like, another, like, there's so many things that, like, people have said that's just so inappropriate. But it's those little jabs that just kinda remind you, like, what am I doing?

Kim [: 00:19:41

Yeah. And it reminds you because you're in a leadership role that you don't need to stoop down to those levels and that you're gonna take your company to another higher level. And that's what you did because you were like a superwoman. You were strong, invincible. Well, what felt like you were always in control until. Yeah.

Sarah Moore [: 00:20:03

Until until yeah. So there comes a time, and this is what I wish that all of us learned from day one in the military, but there is a time that when you live in such a stressful environment and you don't give yourself the rest and you don't take care of your mind and body and you just keep pushing and pushing and pushing and ignoring the comments and ignoring the things that your nervous system will break. It will. It is just like overloading a physical injury so much that that tendon snaps or that bone finally breaks or what the same thing happens to the nervous system. And it happened to me. And it happened at the most inopportune time because I was doing my dunker recertification for the military.

Kim [: 00:21:00

Oh, and talk about that so the listeners know what a dunker is.

Sarah Moore [: 00:21:04

So for those of you that don't know what dunker is, it is a water simulated crash exercise for crew members, so air crew members that go through this. And what happens is you go into a simulator and you're strapped in just like you were you would be flying, and it goes into the water. So it's in this big pool. It goes into the water. And then as the water is rising up to your chest and chin, the thing completely flips over upside down. Then if that's not bad enough, you have to figure out how to get out. And you do this exercise for certification. I can't remember the time, but it's I think it's, like, eight to 10 times that you have to, like, continuously do this dunker because they keep doing different scenarios so that your door is locked, you can't get your seatbelt off, you have to go cross cabin escape, you have to go escape through the back, like all I'd like, they'll fill the cockpit with like an irritant so that I mean, you can't see and like, so it's it's just all of this stressful stuff.

Kim [: 00:22:02

And they're giving you darkened goggles. As a flight nurse, we had to do the Dunker as well at Fort Rucker, Alabama. But then they give you the darkened goggles to obviously simulate the darkened water you're gonna be in, the environment. And you're when you get turned around, like you said, in that turbulent environment, your your mind's like, wait. My left isn't my left anymore. Where am I going? You're bumping into your other crew members.

Sarah Moore [: 00:22:29

Yeah. Getting kicked in the face. Like, I literally got kicked in the face because someone else got confused and kicked at me.

Kim [: 00:22:35

Yes. Yes.

Sarah Moore [: 00:22:38

So water is not my thing. Like, I always joke because, like, I spend a lot of time at high altitude. I live at 9,000 feet. I hang out in the Himalaya. Like, water is not my jam. So

Kim [: 00:22:50

Amen to that.

Sarah Moore [: 00:22:51

Yeah. Like, I am nervous around water anyways, and it's just not my favorite thing. So now in that environment and then so let me lead up of, like, what else was going on in my life. So I was in an abusive marriage at the time. So my home life was incredibly stressful. I had just gotten back from Operation Iraqi Freedom from a deployment there, and I was there, like, less than six months after getting home. And I had no stable living condition at home because I didn't have a house before I let you know, like, it was, like, one of those things we deployed so much. It was like, alright.

Sarah Moore [: 00:23:25

Well, I'll figure it out at next deployment. So that stress was going on. I had such bad physical pain from the gear and spinal compression and a lot of spinal issues that my left arm was going numb. So I had that physical pain that I was working through and trying to hide it because all I had was my flight career. And I did not admit any of this stuff because it's like everything else in my life is going to hell. So now I don't take the one thing I love, which is flying, you know? So I had all those stressors going on, and that dunker training was like nervous system was like you're done. And it wasn't even a thing that I could control. It wasn't like it wasn't like I was scared.

Sarah Moore [: 00:24:07

It wasn't like I wasn't going through the exercise. That was, you know, multiple research for me, so I'd done it before. But it literally like, after one of the dunks, I came up and got out of the pool, and I was just literally shaking so hard that I couldn't stop shaking. I didn't know what was going on. And so all the, you know, medical staff there was like, alright, you're done. And then I'm like, no.

Kim [: 00:24:32

You're trying to override the nervous system. You're like, wait.

Sarah Moore [: 00:24:36

And but I was, like, trying to, like, everything do it. Like, I'm like, come on, mind. Reel it in. Reel it in. Like, stop shaking. Stop shaking. And so they eventually did bring me to the hospital and said that I had an anxiety attack. And from there, though, my life changed because it's like, fortunately, you have to hit I hope no one has to do this.

Sarah Moore [: 00:24:55

But for a lot of us that have these really significant changes in life, you have to hit a rock bottom before you can dig yourself out of it. And that day was my rock bottom.

Kim [: 00:25:06

Yeah. And even though it feels like the end of the world, like you're talking about, it's this blessing in disguise. It's your body going, okay. Now we have to do something. We need to implement change. And so let take us on that journey.

Sarah Moore [: 00:25:20

Well so after that, I was forced to see a military psychologist. And it was one of those things where I was this was 02/2009, '2 thousand '10. So still enough where, like, mental health is, you know, if you're meant if you have a mental health problem, it's you're weak, you know, you have a problem, maybe you lose your career, all that kind of stuff still. And so going through that exercise and having to go to see the psychologist actually started to open my mind of, like, well, I did need to take this break, and I did need to get things together. And it's actually safer now for me, for my crew, for my career to take those six weeks and heal my nervous system. And that's something I wish people knew that, you know, if you need to get help and you're feeling this way, taking the break to heal is not career ending. The nervous system needs to heal just like anything. Like if I had broken my ankle in that exercise, I would not be flying for six weeks.

Sarah Moore [: 00:26:31

I would need to let my body heal. You know?

Kim [: 00:26:33

Well, that's a beautiful metaphor. Yeah. That's a great way of looking at it.

Sarah Moore [: 00:26:37

Yeah. That was kind of the start of my mental health journey of, like, wow. I need to get my life together. And my military life and my career was great. Like, always, you know, top OML, always top block soldier, always, you know, but my personal life was completely the opposite because I poured my life into the military. And that was the start of me realizing the military is what I do. It's not who I am. And I started to have to take my life back little bit by little bit after that point so that I could continue to do what I loved and have a successful career.

Kim [: 00:27:21

I love that you are were so aware. So fortunate to be aware because a lot of people, right, we go into the other distractors, drinking, drugs, throwing us ourselves into work even more, taking antianxiety medicine, and you decided to take a different path. So let's talk about some of the things that you did to help repair your nervous system.

Sarah Moore [: 00:27:47

Yeah. So the first thing I really had to work on was my physical health. My back was in so much pain and my arm going numb and all of that stuff. Like, it was so painful and frustrating to me that it was really affecting all aspects of my life. So when you're in chronic pain, everything's irritating. It's agitating. It's it just sucks when that nagging pain is always there. So I did go to the military doctors to see, like, hey, how can I start tackling this? And their answer was muscle relaxers and prescription pain pills.

Sarah Moore [: 00:28:27

Yeah. And I'm like, well, there goes my flying career if I start going down that path because I can't fly while I'm on that medication. And I was terrified of being one of the veterans that gets addicted to these substances. So that was when I started of so much of my own money to start looking at holistic approaches. And my first physical wellness thing that I decided to do was to join, like, an actual yoga studio. Like, not gym yoga, not Planet Fitness yoga, but, like, an actual healing yoga place. And within the first month of me going there, I started to feel like the good tingling come back in my arm. And I'm like, oh my god.

Sarah Moore [: 00:29:11

This is working. And then not only that, but because I went to a studio with really experienced teachers who understood mindfulness, there were these little bits of mindfulness that were taught in the class. And I was like, I'm kinda repeating these to myself now, and this is making me feel mentally better. And so that was, like, my introduction to yoga and just how beneficial it was and how much I needed it. And it was kind of the snowball effect. It wasn't just great for my body, but it was great for my mind. And then it also, like, I dedicated myself to going at least three times a week. So that got me out of the mindset of, like, I just have to constantly work.

Sarah Moore [: 00:29:50

So that was really the first step into my real healing.

Kim [: 00:29:56

Yeah. How beautiful is that with breath and flow and all of that? People don't realize, well, breath, that's what keeps us alive. And so even having that pain, that changes our breath cycle. And I just don't think people realize how important it is. Stress, pain, anything, it really does. So really being mindful in making sure that we take those inhales and exhales are vital for our life Yes. And vital for our mental clarity and vital for ourselves to work like they're supposed to.

Sarah Moore [: 00:30:31

Yeah. And, like, I'm such a neuroscience nerd, but, like, what breath work does too is it disengages that flight mode that most of us live in all the time. So it pulls the parasympathetic nervous system online, and that's what calms you down. And we're not built as humans to be in SNS overdrive, sympathetic nervous system overdrive all the time. There has to be a life balance, and most of us don't have that.

Kim [: 00:31:03

No. That fight or flight is only supposed to be initiated when we are in danger. Like, not what we perceive as danger, but what is actual danger. So, oh my gosh, you and I could we need to have another podcast on that. So you started yoga, and how did it lead you into your project that you have now?

Sarah Moore [: 00:31:27

Yoga started being just part of my life, and so I did end up deploying again after probably another year that I was back. So after the dunker issue and me starting to work on myself, I did take a company command position and deployed again to Kosovo. Yeah. So proof, like, it's not a career ender thing. And while I was in Kosovo, I was like, this yoga has been so beneficial for me. I went to the gym there that was on our base and was like, I wanna offer yoga classes. And so they gave me space at the theater. And so I was offering yoga classes a couple times a week, and the feedback that I got back from other soldiers that were going to those classes made me realize, like, this didn't just affect me positively.

Sarah Moore [: 00:32:12

This is a thing. So when I got back from that deployment, I went to Georgetown University and started working on my master's degree. And one of the classes through there was a neuroscience based mindfulness class. And it was then when, you know, I already knew yoga and mindfulness made me feel better, but that class made me understand why. What goes on in the brain? What goes on in the body? Why PTSD affects us the way it does? What PTSD actually is and how it manifests in the body? And so for me, learning the science behind that was, like, the other piece of the puzzle of, like, well, now I know what's going on. Now I can heal it. So, like, going back to my physical injury analogy, it's like, well, my ankle hurts. Okay.

Sarah Moore [: 00:33:06

Well, yeah, because it's broken. Well, now I know it's broken. I know I need to splint it and stay off it. And it's so it's kind of the same with the mind. It's like, this always hurts, always in pain, but I don't know why. And I was like, oh, well, now I know why. And now I can fix it. So that whole idea was starting to go in my head of, like, why aren't we taught this? I didn't I know this in the military.

Sarah Moore [: 00:33:31

Why didn't I come back from my first combat deployment knowing this science so I knew how to heal. And it really, really frustrated me. So that's in the back of my mind. I'm still working on my own personal journey. And so when I graduated Georgetown, I wanted a gift to myself to go see Mount Everest. Like, I've kind of, like, always been obsessed with Mount Everest my whole life. And I don't wanna climb it, but I was like, I just wanna go to base camp. Like, that would be a huge journey for me.

Sarah Moore [: 00:34:01

So I did it. And about a week into that journey, I felt like remember before when we were talking and I said, like, I just kinda developed a shell around me just to deflect? So, like, day seven into that journey, no cell phone, no contact, no not like, just in myself walking, you know, at a guide, but just being really mindful and being present, it felt like that shell started to crack and, like, fall away. And I was like, this is the most peaceful feeling I've ever had in my entire life. Others need this. And so by the end of that trip, I had told myself I'm gonna develop something where we're gonna learn mindfulness, we're gonna learn the science, the neuroscience behind what's going on in the brain and the body. We're gonna take the time to work on it together, and then we're gonna go and feel this amazing feeling of, like, going on an adventure together. And so that idea was the foundation of Blue Side Adventures and what I'm doing now.

Kim [: 00:35:03

And how did you come up with the name Blue Skies Adventures?

Sarah Moore [: 00:35:07

Okay. So this is kind of fun. So Blue Side Adventures. So when you're flying so it's it's definitely a pilot reference because I've I've had people ask because my second career was in law enforcement, and so they always think it's, like, thin blue line reference and and stuff like that, but it's not at all. It's so when you're flying, one of the instruments in the cockpit is an attitude indicator. And it's got blue on top. It's got brown on, you know, the bottom to represent the ground. And one of the first things that pilots always do in an emergency is we check our attitude.

Sarah Moore [: 00:35:43

And you wanna make sure the blue side is up so that you're not going towards the ground. You're like the best that you can do is probably climb in a situation until you figure out what's going on with the aircraft, Buy the aircraft and then work on what's going on around you. So when I stopped flying, that just kinda became my personal mantra, like, check your attitude. So when I have something going on in my life where it's kinda crazy or I don't know what's going on, the first thing you do, check your attitude. Am I okay? Is everyone around me okay? Yes? Okay. Now we can start working on the problem. So the blue side is up. That's number one.

Sarah Moore [: 00:36:21

And now let's look at other things. So that's why I decided to name it Blue Side Adventures because we always wanna check our attitude, and we always wanna make sure that the blue side is up so that we can work on things in a productive manner.

Kim [: 00:36:35

Oh my gosh. Sarah, I love that you incorporated that that passion you had for being a pilot and everything you learned and brought it into something that you're creating that's gonna be just as amazing and passionate. And so your first trip, let's talk about that because that had to be exciting for you because this is what you wanted to do. You wanna share it with other veterans and first responders.

Sarah Moore [: 00:37:02

Yeah. So my first trip was in 2023. It was all kind of word-of-mouth. It all was, you know, through people that I had served with before, and then they brought some veteran and first responder friends and all that kind of stuff. So what I did with that one, I this, like, a hundred page neuroscience workbook, and my idea was, like, we're gonna work on this on the trail, and we're gonna have these evening tea house chats and all this kind of stuff, and I'm gonna teach all these wonderful things. And the funny thing that happened is we get there, and by the time we all are ready to sit down, and I'm so excited to talk about neuroscience, and I look at everyone, and they're just so tired from the trek and the day and, like, this is such a terrible way to teach neuroscience. So they all had their workbooks and so I'm like, okay, like, we're just starting out experimental year. They had a great time on the trail. Everyone, you know, we everything was safely done, and our guides were great. And so everyone had such a good time with it. We do yoga on the trail. We do breath work on the trail. All of our participants get handmade Nepali yoga mats, which are eco friendly, so we support the local Nepali community.

Sarah Moore [: 00:38:19

Like, it's just such a beautiful thing. So after that first year, I was like, I can't do this to people on the trail. Like, take your trip and then be like, let's talk about neuroscience. So what I developed was a twelve week online program that is all neuroscience based. And I know twelve weeks sounds like a long time, but the daily tasks that are in the lessons that are in this are, like, ten to fifteen minutes at most. And the idea behind that is to create your own mindfulness habit. So while you're learning all of this stuff, when the twelve weeks is over, you've kind of just learned that it doesn't take a long time to build this mindfulness and breath work in. It's just it's gotta be a daily thing.

Sarah Moore [: 00:39:05

Like, it's kind of a nonnegotiable item for a healthy mind and a healthy life. So for my last year and how we're working going forward is we do our twelve week neuroscience mindfulness course. You work it at your own pace, but we meet online once a month, and we talk about things. And then we also talk about the logistics for getting the trip together. So I have a whole plan that guides you through every single thing you need to do to get ready for your trip. So stuff like looking at your passport and your visa and trip planning and all, you know, just all this kind of stuff, so it's not an overwhelming event for you. I've got a sixteen week mountain athlete program. So we do physical fitness and mobility and yoga because that's all part of having a great trip.

Sarah Moore [: 00:39:53

So we do all that before the trip now. And then when we get together, it's just like we've already met each other online. We get you know, we have the trip. We do yoga. We do meditations, and there's no, like, let's sit down and talk about neuroscience unless you really want to. It's more of like a celebration of all this hard work that you've put in the past couple of months.

Kim [: 00:40:15

Yeah. And you kinda camouflage the neuroscience in. Yeah. So we don't you don't really have to be like, oh, yeah. We're talking about you kind of weave that all in your workbook, which our nonprofit is really looking forward to doing our first international trip with you Yeah. In 2026. Yes. Yeah.

Kim [: 00:40:41

It just feels like everything synced up the way we met, our mission, our nonprofit's mission, your mission. I mean, it's all about creating this safe environment so that we can learn to, like, really just tap into ourselves again, empower one another, create community and love and all those good feelings.

Sarah Moore [: 00:41:05

There's a couple things I wanted to mention with that. So the online journey, that twelve week journey, I've called it the back home program. And the idea behind that is you go on this journey so that we can reclaim we want to be and the life that we want to live back home. And I tie that into that because there's so many wonderful veterans retreats and the camaraderie building and all of that. The reason I wanted to be different with it is because, yeah, you can go on that retreat. But during those two weeks or weekend or whatever it is, it's gonna be fantastic. But what are you really fixing to carry the habit back home so that you don't go back into this home environment that's maybe stressful or unhappy or chaotic or all the kinds of complaints that we have as veterans and first responders that make home life really hard for us, and it doesn't have to be that way. So that's why I wanted to be, like, little bit different than we're not just retreats.

Sarah Moore [: 00:42:09

You know, we're working hard on ourselves and our wellness and our mental health, and, like, the trip is the celebration for that.

Kim [: 00:42:16

Oh, I love that. And I feel like there's even more room for us to collaborate because much like you, Dakota and I were very much like, you know, we just can't have a weekend of this and then put people back in that environment because their nervous system is just gonna go back into what it's conditioned to go into. So we have a ten week host program. So, yeah, so we'll talk more about that. Our closing question is, what advice would you give to women that are thinking of going in the military or that already have a career in the military?

Sarah Moore [: 00:42:53

First and foremost, I highly encourage anyone who feels the call to service to pursue a career in the military. Like, it provides incredible opportunities for education, for personal growth. You learn a lot about yourself, and you gain these skills that benefit you both in and out of service. And plus, like, I've met the most amazing people in my life through service, and I would not trade that for the world. But that said, life as a woman in the military is challenging. And I hope that things change. And I know I've been out for a few years, and I started my career at 19, and now I'm in my forties. But things have changed over that time.

Sarah Moore [: 00:43:34

But it's crucial that any woman going into the military learns boundaries really early, and you generate professionalism in your role and also while remembering that the military is what you do is not who you are. And I wish that I had embodied that for, you know, early in my career. So protect your peace, prioritize your health at all costs. The truth is the military will replace you, but in the eyes of your loved ones, like, you are not replaceable. So I would encourage anyone to embrace the journey, build a strong support network, but always stay true to yourself for that.

Kim [: 00:44:11

Oh, gosh. I love that advice. I love that advice, and I love that you made time to be here on Dog Tag Diaries, and I love what you were doing. And we will put all your information on the show notes, and we are so looking forward to collaborating with you in 2026 and experiencing that you are giving to veterans and first responders. So thank you so much, Sarah, for being on.

Sarah Moore [: 00:44:36

Thank you so much for having me. It was great talking with you.

Kim [: 00:44:41

Thank you for joining us on this episode of dog tag diaries, where military women speak their truth and share their true stories. Every story told here is a step towards understanding, healing, and connection. Share this episode with someone who needs to hear it. And remember, your voice matters. Together, we're building a community that empowers, uplifts, and inspires. Stay connected with us. Follow dog tag diaries. Leave a review.

Kim [: 00:45:14

And let's continue to amplify the voices of women warriors around the world. Your voice matters. Share your thoughts and reviews to help us grow, improve, and continue making an impact. Until next time, stay strong, stay true, and keep sharing your story.