And then we got a puppy …

Building a new family, going camping on weekends, flying across the country for weddings, and apprenticing for a new position
as a guard – that’s what our dog’s been doing while we’ve been away. I don’t know if we were lacking love from each other, competing with our dog who seemed to be having more fun this year, or if we just wanted to fill the void because we left him behind? But we’ve been really itching to get another pug while travelling.

Our 4 year old dog, Murphy, is pretty much the coolest pug we’ve ever know and we’re lucky to call him ours.  We were really contemplating taking him travelling for our gap year or at least part of the year.  But as we talked to more and more people we had to think twice about it.  Some countries have quarantine lockup for at least three months, other countries look at your dog as food, and yet other places it would just cost us more by having Murphy with us because we’d be limited to pet friendly transportation and accommodations or additional fees which didn’t fit the budget.

So we decided to leave Murphy behind with our friends who were strangers to him at that time. And after stalking our own dog on Facebook, we’re seriously worried Murphy won’t recognize us when we return!  He’s made a new life with his new family who takes amazing care of him.

But we have to stay optimistic and hope for the best that Murphy will return to snot on our faces and shit on our carpet, because there’s nothing more we would want!

In one of the books we’re reading, Thrive by Arianna Huffington, she has a section dedicated to (Furry) Friends with (Different) Benefits.  She mentions research about the benefits pet owners receive from pet ownership and companies that have adopted a culture that includes bringing pets to work to reduce stress and make everyone happier in the workplace.  She also mentions that pets add responsibility, routine and companionship in our lives which is something we’ve personally been lacking when we left everything behind to travel the world.

So these creatures we call “Man’s Best Friend,” our canine companions who love us unconditionally, always sticking their snouts in our business, being our sidekicks and helping us see the world through different eyes, are really a mental health benefit.  They “expand the boundaries of our love,” as Huffington puts it, and gives us a sense of purpose and reliable companionship.

Hmpf… so we’ve got our eyes wide open and we’re on the hunt for a third musketeer in our adventure. We’ve actually convinced ourselves that the power of the mind is as strong as everyone says and we can will our minds into making dogs appear whenever we want!  It’s worked a few times and other times a cat or a monkey has appeared to keep us company.

These little dudes would appear out of nowhere at the slightest thought of their existence. It has really made us think twice about coincidences. Perhaps coincidences are human-universe requests shot out and matched up with the environment’s vibrations. For example, as we are writing this we went to the grocery store in the rain and came across another pug once again. Other times we were bored just sightseeing in cities and were wishing we had Murphy to play with and before you know if a guy walks in with his rescued and disabled pug, Ollie.  Ollie didn’t fully develop the ankle joint which inhibited her ability to use her front legs but yet she frolicked and played with us and brought so much joy to our day.

Another example was that we were walking in a park with our friends and we saw a ball in the trees so we decided to fetch it down. Once we had the ball we were thinking it would be great to play fetch.  One minute later a sheep dog came around the corner with the owner. We ended up playing fetch and talking to the man for an hour as we through the ball around for his happy dog. We’ve got plenty of examples we can share but our observation is to think, imagine and it may come true. Try it out for yourself sometime when you’re out and about; like in the movie Peter Pan, uses your imagination and see what happens.

So although we really wanted to adopt a pug like Ollie from a rescue home somewhere around the world, we’ve decided against it for a few reasons:

1. Why buy when you can borrow? We can get the canine companionship we need in other ways.
2. Just because you want it doesn’t mean you need it.  Reevaluate your reasoning and if its mutually beneficial.
3. The most important: Paulina’s dad would kick our asses when we moved back in with her parents.

Instead we’ll continue to use our imagination to conjure up meetings with these canine friends whenever and wherever.  We’ll take joy in the moments we get to spend with them whether passing by in a park, at someone’s home or while volunteering. We’ll remember to live a day through a dog’s eyes and appreciate short naps in the sunlight and enjoying walks in the woods.

And we’ll be patient knowing we’re one day closer to reuniting with our little guy Murph who’s become as much a part of our family as any other member.