how does one end up where i am? on the road, stuff packed away in storage, mostly on my own. (but never alone 🐶) what makes someone leave behind a life they built in exchange for a life filled with unknowns?
traveling full time isn’t exactly something i’d planned to do, and i’m not certain i would’ve been happy doing this even just a few years ago.
the life i’ve been leading for the last year and a half is truly an odd one, even to me, even this far into it. i can see how it could be lonely if you’re truly on your own. i think for me, because of where i am in life— mentally wandering, emotionally needing space, established in my career, solid friendships in place, and a constant need for spontaneity— i don’t feel that way. i need more social “distancing” and down time these days anyway.
mostly though, it’s because i have patch, and if we’re being honest, i think 5 year old me is the one that’s writing the script. and she’s saying “don’t waste any more time, this was your dream!” she waited so long to have a chance to do *everything* with this spotted lil dream-come-true.
so, what is it like, constantly traveling?
i miss having access to my stuff. i miss my couch, my bed with a power base. (fellow neck and back problem peeps— save up and get one, it’s SO worth it!!!) i miss certain clothes and shoes and mostly, miss having them all in one place. i hate constantly carrying my bags in and out of places.
mostly, i miss patch having a reliable set of friends that we’d see every few days. guaranteed familiar faces and play dates every week. he’s a social boy who loves hard, and it’s clear that he thrives on those interactions, which means i’m always on the lookout.
so yeah, there are many trade offs. and it’s not always rosy. and it can get expensive, depending on how you travel. but sometimes you have to let go and allow the little 5 year old inside to remind you about what’s important. and to not waste any mo
i like to say that i manifest Dalmatians, but the reality is that it’s amplified tenfold since patch has been in my life. but that still doesn’t explain how random Dalmatians end up finding us no matter where we are. (or does it? 😅)
for the last few years that we’ve been here over the holidays, we’ve run into individual Dalmatians, who only find us and not the others, and we will often see two or three during our stay. mind you, we’re on a tiny little island, kind of off in the middle of nowhere.
whatever the reason or however it’s happening, i am thoroughly impressed by patchy’s nose and eyesight or whatever it is that helps him identify the people, things, and places that are familiar to him, with such confidence that he’s able to communicate to me with certainty in a way that i understand.
i do think we have “our own language” as a friend of mine put it, just like i’m sure many of you do as well, but let this be a reminder to pay more attention to your dogs and listen to what they’re trying to tell you in the best way they know how. you might be surprised by how much they know, and you might even be rewarded with meeting a Dalmatian or two!
#adogsnoseknows #dogmomthoughts #dalmatians #ponderings #ondogs #dogsatthebeach #geniusdogs
i’ve been wearing spots since before you were born, son 😤😌
#dalmatian #judgydog #spotty #funnydogs #headband #dogmomsh*t
he’s just a boy, i’m just a girl, can i make it anymore obvious?!
this boy loves me with his whole heart and soul, but without security cameras (or smallmasi around 24/7), no one will ever witness the intense loving stares we share.
unless i’m holding treats! 😜
jk jk the look isn’t exactly this one, but it’s similar. tbh it usually happens at the very beginning of the day, specifically when i’m cornered / on the toilet, so don’t hold your breath 😄
p.s. welcome to one of my most fav views of baby patchy back when he was a seatbelt boy and not a crate boy. he’d rest his head up here on every ride, and i’d turn back and stare at him while our old 3rd wheel drove us around 🤭
#babypuppy #souldog #dogs #bestfriend #dalmatian | dog mom sh*t, staring at each other, he did it for the snacks, car rides with my doggo #dogfriendlyorbust
yes, that’s a first place ribbon and one of the fastest times of the day. and yes, this is my first race since 20…18?
and no, it wasn’t about winning. of course that was sweet af, but it was about competing. it was about showing up. it was about being part of something bigger.
the drive inside of an athlete doesn’t really go away. it may lie dormant or express itself in other ways, but the desire to compete stay the same.
if you have a friend who needs a reminder that THEY are their strongest motivator, send this to them! remind them. maybe that’s you, maybe that’s your best friend… it’s definitely me. getting started on any fitness journey is the hardest part, but i finally hit my rock bottom a couple of weeks ago and this is just what I needed to turn things around for real. (tbh I thought rock bottom was when my back problems and knee problems started to creep up again, but apparently that wasn’t enough either!)
to say “i cannot wait for the next one” is an understatement. #dogfriendlyorbust baby! 🤘🏽😛
#5k #trailrunning #canicrossdogs #adventurecanine dogmomsh*t dogmomadventures girlmeetsdog #patchymamaadventures agirlandherdog
happy Diwali! 🪔
from patchy and me to you and yours, we wish you the happiest of holidays and a happy new year and all good things to come. we wish you love, peace, and prosperity in health and wealth, and we hope you get at least one full size snickers bar when you’re trick or treating tonight! 😛
#dalmatian #diwali #peacelovehappiness #prosperity #southasian #dhanteras #happydiwali #abcd #indianholidays #indianfashion #doggyfashion
sometimes #fastcatfridays aren’t about the run, but the downtime in between! the 2024 Invitational was a special event for us because we were there with friends. we got to experience something new, we got to meet the fellow fastcat addicts, we got to watch doggos run their hearts out. same as always, but because of the nature of the event, it was more of an event event than our normal same-day “out and back” treks.
anyway, i was just looking back on some pics and came across this video. watching patchy drink water this way is always adorable and entertaining to me, but he’s more likely to drink water if i offer it this way than in a bowl. i love this lil weirdo 🥰
happy friday, folks! anyone up to anything fun this weekend?
stay hydrated! and follow @patchthedalmatianpup for more silly spotty content❣️
#dalmatian #drinkyoh2o #asmrsounds #dogsportslife dogmomsh*t lifeofadogmom soccermomformydog gulpingwater stayhydrated
or did you guess it right based on the clues? 🤓
let me just tell you though. this lil patchy… he slept so peacefully there for one whole hour!!
i, on the other hand, just wasted time on the socials of course. i probably should‘ve napped too.
was it the @jeep or was it the @gunnerkennels?? you decide 👇🏽
#dalmatian #jeepgirl #gunnergirl #dogfriendlyorbust #dogmomsh*t lifeontheroad mydoghatesthecar mydoglovesthecar kennelup agitlandherdog travelthecountry
omg it’s a dalmatian! a real one too!!
we actually had someone— fully, respectfully, without flinching— accept me declining his request to say hi to patch last night… gracefully! and because he was so nice, i found myself apologizing and justifying and just, being grateful, lol.
it’s crazy how a simple gesture like leaving my calm, settled dog alone can make me feel so much appreciation.
that’s the true definition of #dogfriendlyorbust baby! 🤘🏽😛 thanks, random guy.
#dalmatian #dogfriendlybars #nashville #letchilldogschill #mybestfriend #dogfriendlynashville dogmomsh*t speakingupforyourdog kindgestures randomactsofkindness respectthewordno
he did it!! patchy and i ran through our first barn hunt trial yesterday, and mr. man pulled off a first place and high in class on his very first run! 🏆
what is barn hunt? it’s a “game” where your dog gets to tap into an innate drive to track prey, in this case finding and ridding the room of rats! the rats are protected in tubes and desensitized to the barking and scratching at the tubes, so they’re just chillin’ in there until their job is done. (but i do still struggle with the whole idea because it feels wrong but i know it’s natural but also it’s not. but patch is a dalmatian and ratting is in their blood and he loves it. and it gives him a job to do, and i don’t even pay him for it.)
anyhow, the wins started even before we entered the ring (course?) tbh— we played sit-down-stand in the blinds* and minimized his whining! i was genuinely blown away by how well he behaved in there. we’d practiced in a mock trial a couple of weekends ago, so this was only his 2nd day in that type of setting. and the facility itself was also where he did a busy month of agility classes so i wasn’t sure where he’d be focused.
*the blinds are a setup that blocks the next 5 dogs who are competing from seeing the course, which is made of hay bales.
so 1st place in his height class and “high in class” (best time of the 8 dogs in the entire novice class) on his first run and 2nd place on his 2nd run because he wanted to find more rats instead of going through the tunnel to finish and lock in his time lolll (typically he gets to find 3 rats in class so he wasn’t ready to be done 😄)
wanna know more?
follow @patchthedalmatianpup — we’ll be back with more updates on Sunday when we’re back for more ratting fun! 🐀
#dogfriendlyorbust #barnhunt #ratter #rattingdog dogsports dogmomming findyourpeople placesthatmakeyouhappy ohtheplacesyoullgo
a leather alternative made out of cactus?! YES PLEASE!! sign us up! #gifted 🌵
#grwm and patchy as we switch out our normal get ups as sporty spice and sporty pup for something… a bit more refined 😌☕️
insert @bewuff_, a small women-owned business that’s doing its part to save the planet, one animal at a time 🖤 #foranimalsnotfromanimals
there are so many products on the market that negatively impact our planet— things we all indulge in, us included— but we’re taking a harder look at the brands we support these days because we want to make sure we’re doing our part to reuse what we have and when we do consume, to chase quality > quantity. these nopal-based dogwear products are so soft and sleek. and stunning! doesn’t patchy look so dapper?!
stay tuned @patchthedalmatianpup for part 2 where we recap the event itself!
#bewuff #dalmatian #veganleather #sustainablefashion #cactusleather #holidaygiftguide #doggear #holidaygiftguide #luxurydogaccessories sustainability leatheralternatives nopalleather doggear highenddoggear leathercollars giftguide
