I had the talk with my family. I didn’t stretch myself as much as I’d hoped, and at first I was really disappointed. However, I can now see that it was a step in the right direction, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I did my best, and I’m closer than ever before to being open an honest with them.
We made it to Budapest! All three of us, including my 12ish year old 14 pound dachshund mix! Dogs are truly amazing. My heart was full of gratitude to Bartley throughout this trip. It’s just overwhelming how much dogs trust us, and are capable of doing scary things they don’t understand, because of that love and trust.
It may seem crazy that we decided to bring him with us, but the last time I left him with friends or family for an extended amount of time, he got extremely sick. When I got home, he could hardly walk, and his fever kept getting worse for weeks. It took several weeks to figure out what was going on, and one night when he hadn’t left the closet for most of the day, we actually said our goodbyes to him. I didn’t think he would get better.
Bartley is such a fighter. He has survived heartworms, distemper and distemper related neurological problems like seizures and encephalitis. I got to see much of that fighting spirit on the long journey.
He is a senior guy, so the thought of leaving him for so long, especially after he got so sick last time, didn’t seem to be an option. However, the thought of taking him on such a long flight didn’t seem like the best idea either. He proved me wrong! From staying in his tiny kennel (on some sedatives) at my feet on the plane, to trekking it through airports, (somewhat drunkenly) sometimes up stairs that must’ve looked like mountains to him, this dog was by my side. He was 100% in it, because even though he didn’t understand what was going on, he trusted in me.
Perhaps the most beautiful moment was the night before we left. I was rummaging through my luggage… and he ran and got inside of his travel kennel. This is something he has NEVER done before.
He had to tell me – you’re taking me with you this time. ❤️
And, beyond all of these more serious positive qualities he has, he also just has the most fantastic personality, as pictured below: Stretched out on the couch, mini tennis ball, in mouth, ready to play.
Just Another Thirty Something 