It Started with a Woof

Let's cut to the chase, shall we? I'm Jannie. I was born and raised in Sweden, but I have been living abroad for the past 5½ years or so. First I lived in the US, then in the UK, then Mexico, then back to the US again, Sweden for a few months in between and then finally I landed in Mexico. Again. I've been in Mexico for a total of 3 years now. It is true what they say; time really does fly, doesn't it?

There are lots of things that I could talk about here, but I am going to talk about my dog; Beily. In September 2011 my roommate at the time gave me a puppy for my birthday. It is very common here to give away dogs for presents, I don't agree with it, but there she was. I have loved dogs my whole life, but if it had been up to me I would not have chosen that moment to get a dog, because I knew that sooner or later I would end up leaving Mexico. However, I loved Beily from the moment she entered into my life, and she has been my rock down here. I have the most amazing friends, but it doesn't change the fact when you live abroad you are away from your family, and it's just nice to have someone to come home to and who gets excited when you walk through the door. It has been a struggle for me; trying to be the kind of dog owner that I want to be, in a country where not everybody thinks that a 50 pound dog should get to live and sleep indoors. I've fought, I've cried... so many times... but I've made it work for the past 2 years. She is just a dog, but when I look at her I feel so proud - not only of her, but of the fact that I've managed to raise a well-behaved and sweet dog all by myself. It's a great confidence boost, and having my own dog is a dream come true.

Now here is the thing. I have come to that point that I always knew I would get to, which is having my departure from Mexico within a near future. I am planning to leave Mexico in late June. Now; many people have asked me why I don't just get a new dog when I get to where I plan to go, but they obviously don't know what it's like to share your life with a furry friend. I am bringing Beily with me, in one way or the other. This blog is about getting her up to the US, and over to Washington D.C where I am planning to spend the summer. The ideal way would have been by car, but if that turns out to be as impossible as it feels right now, I might have to try and see if I can do it by plane.

I don't know exactly how yet, but I know I can do it somehow. I also know it will be dificult, perhaps one of the more dificult things I have done, but there is no doubt in my mind that it will be worth it. She deserves it. She was adopted as a puppy (by my roommate, who then gave her to me) after having been found in a box on the street, thrown out with the trash, and so full of flees and ticks that you could barely tell there was a dog underneath. It was horrible. ... I am proud to say she has been flee- and tick free since then. She is the happiest and healthiest dog you could possibly imagine, and I could never live with myself if I left her behind. She's coming with me, one way or the other.