The Journey Inward

Moving to another country for two years is exciting, but it is also hard. It means saying goodbye to good friends and family. It means long distance and long gaps in get togethers. It means time differences and phone logistics. It means being a mom from afar, which I’ve done before, but not because I was the one moving away.

As my middle daughter pointed out, we may see each other less often, but it will be for longer periods of time. That went a long way in soothing my soul. The girls are grown and independent and leading their own lives. They don’t need me in the same way. But still, this is hard.

Any obstacles to accepting this position were easily solved. My dear friends would move into the house as caretakers. My brother and sister-in-law would use my car. But the dogs were not that simple to figure out. The flight is 15 hours non-stop and that’s if they book me non-stop. Pets travel in the cargo area, and only certain airlines guarantee temperature control and soundproofing. I had so many concerns, so I read and researched and talked to experts and pet owners.

Where would they go potty? How would they feel? What other animals would be traveling with them? They can’t be very sedated, because that causes a health risk. I can’t get to them. What if there’s a delay on the tarmac? What if there is turbulence? What happens during a layover?

And once I arrived, how would they do for longer days? I came home for lunch every day at this job. Who would watch them when I came home for winter break or summer? And what about the return in two years? There was the possibility of a month of quarantine back here in the States, which neither social pup would do well with.

I couldn’t imagine not having my two buddies with me, but I also knew there was a selfishness to that desire. I love coming home to my boys and we snuggle and play and walk and sleep together. What would I do without their daily presence?

One day I was musing about this to my middle daughter and her husband and they immediately said they’d take the dogs! They had been looking for one at local shelters, so this made sense. It seemed the perfect solution, and I felt so comfortable knowing Henry and Spencer would be with their family.

And so the planning began. G and I would each fly with a dog. She was in Baltimore for training, so I drove down at the end of her week. We had dinner with my oldest and then headed to the airport with Spencer. We gave him a relaxant just before they went into the airport. We thought he would be able to walk around and visit with everyone and wear himself out before the flight. Instead, he had to stay in his crate the whole time and the pill did nothing!!! It was a long and unpleasant flight for my daughter. And for Spencer, who managed to open his crate and get out twice!

The house was quiet with just Henry and me. We fell into our own routine and I was shocked by just how much attention Spencer demanded and got! Henry loved being the sole recipient of my affection and we had a special four days.

Finally, it was our day to fly! I gave Henry his pill just before my friend, Liz, picked us up. We were early, so before going inside, we walked from one end of the walkway to the other, over and over and over. Henry loved the smells and greeting people as they entered the airport.

Once inside, we breezed through security until Henry’s travel crate got stuck in baggage security screener on the conveyor belt and shut down the whole line. Everyone enjoyed Henry so much, they didn’t seem to mind. Five creative employees and 20 minutes later, the crate was freed and we walked to our gate. Beginning to feel the effects of the sedative, Henry and I chilled by the window and watched planes come and go.

Henry was not a fan of being pushed into the crate, despite a delicious bone awaiting him in there. But we made it onto the plane, with my arms getting their workout for the day holding his 18 pounds. He didn’t exactly fit under the seat in front of me, so I casually draped my legs in a way to hide that fact. The seat next to me was empty and the man on the aisle was very amenable to Henry being our third. He settled down quickly and napped or rested for most of the flight, unlike his uppity little brother. I pet him through the mesh and murmured to him throughout.

Preparing for landing, the flight attendant did notice his presence and did ask me to slide him under the seat ahead. Not a fun few minutes. On terra firma once again, I hoisted the crate along with my backpack and carryon and disembarked, letting Henry out to walk freely once in the airport. The kids were there and whisked us home. Henry was excited to see them and for the car ride with all of us. He never likes to be left behind.

Once back to their place, I had the most amazing greeting from Spencer, which I chose to believe was him being so excited to see me, though honestly, everyone gets that greeting. The dogs were not as exuberant. They circled and sniffed and maybe their little bottoms held the stories of their separate adventures. Whichever, they quickly reunited and became the Dynamic Duo again!

And now the boys are Beach Boys! They love the weather, the new smells, the long walks with my daughter, sleeping in new places, looking out the window into the courtyard, watching new neighbors and whoever uses the hot tub, and of course, the beach!

I am so grateful to my kids for taking the dogs in. I am so happy the pups live in a beautiful place. But I miss them and feel such a deep ache and longing for their company and antics. I made the right choice for them, but that doesn’t mean it was easy.