A New Path With Mixed Emotions

2 Traveling Dogs

8 years ago

This is part of our Saturday Editorial Series. Normally, the dogs do all of the talking! Catch us every weekday at www.2travelingdogs.com and our weekly podcast on iTunes and Stitcher.

Well, here we go again! And yet, this time, the journey that we are about to go on feels quite different than the last, 48 states, 48 rescues tour.

As I do on every weekend editorial, I like to share with you some of my thoughts, emotions and trials as a dog parent of Brickle and Digby. Sometimes, what I write is hard, and honestly, never easy! But part of my goal is to make you feel like you are not alone if you are facing the same situations in life. Another part of my goal is that we all become a bit more tolerant, accepting, and an encouragement to one another. But sometimes, I just have to write for me. And this is one of those times.

The decision to embark on the No Path Path was not an easy one or a fast one. If you have been following us, you know that we have been back in this Florida place after our last tour for almost six months. Our aim was to look for and buy a home that we could rest a bit in after our travels. But as the search, the work, the stress and the frustration over not finding a place started to wear on us, we became a bit more depressed. I became a bit more harsh on myself. I started to second guess all of our decisions up to this point, and fact was fact. We either could not afford a house that we found that could possibly work, or nothing was an inspiration to us. Inspiration? A house? What were we looking for? Not what most people look for. You know we always have to make things interesting!

We were looking for something different. For us, after having the freedom to travel and be together in a simple life the past few years, well, it was going to be hard to give that up. But we knew if we found an old building to restore or a warehouse, or a historic, simple, fixer-upper near the water that we could afford, we would do it! But that place never showed up. Not even with us being here for so many months. Will it show up when we are back on the road? Perhaps. That is going to be part of the fun too. An old train station, perhaps? An old general store? Oh, you never know!

So, we decided to stop stressing about it, realize that maybe our path needed to lead us somewhere else, and maybe…we needed a break from looking. Did we love it here near Amelia Island? Oh, we did. And yet, we could only stay at camp for so many months. People don’t realize, but most campgrounds have time limits on how long you can stay. This was a rare one that allowed us up to six months. And so, the decision was partly being made for us. Our time was up. And since all signs were pointing to go, we are going to go. And who knows. Maybe that path will lead us back here again. Brickle has that in the suggestion box.

In many ways, I am looking forward to getting back on the road. We find that the longer we sit, the more our depression makes itself known. We have never kept that a secret. Also, Brickle and Digby are now nine years old. They deserve and want to have fun, but on a less crazy schedule like we did before. It would not be fair to their health, ours, or the Big Blue Treat Wagon! But a No Path Path means we can take Digby to his happy place, the mountains, on his schedule. He has been slowing down a lot lately, so it is our hopes that this will cheer him up…new trails and smells and adventure! Brickle’s happy place of the beach was so good for him for these six months. Our backyard was his ocean. It will always be his ocean. But the heat is starting to take a toll, and with hurricane season on top of us, this is a good time for departure.

So there you have it. When you don’t know what direction to go in life, sometimes, you just have to simply keep moving. I have found by talking to so many people that none of us have anything figured out! We have to think that our No Path Path will perhaps lead us to where we are inevitably supposed to go. Go with the flow? Digby has taught us that.

I am not going to pretend that every time we say goodbye to our family, friends and new friends that it isn’t hard. Oh, it is the hardest thing in the world. Sometimes, I worry about disappointing people. I worry about how crazy our lives seem to be and how that must worry them. But the fact is, right now, we just can’t sit still. We have to keep on movin’. And as long as we are all able, willing, and more than happy to keep exploring, we are going to do it. It has always been our goal to show that a rescue animal can make a difference. We have two.

So is this No Path Path going to be easy? Nope. Our RV still needs a lot of work. Is it going to be a challenge? Yes! It always is. But as you have been there with us for over seven years now, we know that you will continue to be! So, are you ready to join us? We are headed to the mountains! Digby is going to be our navigator for the remainder of the year, so who knows where we will end up! He has decided that on Monday, first is Savannah, Georgia. Then Charleston, South Carolina. Then…let’s see where is next! Let’s meet some rescue animals, hear their stories and embark on a new adventure!

Many places we have ended up the past few years, I never would have imagined visiting. But every place became a part of me and who I am now. I hope that as a family, we can continue to do this for as long as we can.