Burlington

This past weekend was a big step for me, a really big step. After over 11 years of never leaving the dogs alone for a night, of constantly being together all the time - Shannon took me to the big city without crates, leashes, and dog food baggies in the car. Yup, we left the farm and the dogs in the hands of trusted friends and drove away up and up the state of New York until we crossed over past the Adirondacks and ended up in the big city: Burlington.

I was nervous to leave Gibson and Friday with our friends Chris and Mir, but the dogs were fine and happy to be left to their usual routine and our city friends were thrilled to have a country home to theirselves. It worked out for everyone!

Shannon was the reason this happened. A week or so before my birthday she told me that she arranged for this weekend. That she already had a hotel room, and arranged for farm and dog sitters with people who've known the farm and the dogs, and to just allow her to do this for us. A whole 24 hours without buckets or hay deliveries or alarm clocks or cooking and cleaning.

It. was. wonderful!

I was a little nervous. Not worried about the dogs as much as worried about my general anxiety acting up. But once we were driving up route 22 towards Burlington I was just plain excited. And when we checked into our hotel I felt like I had boarded a space station. It was crazy how huge our TV was in our room, the giant bed, the way we only had to park in the hotel garage and then we had all of downtown to walk around, poke about stores, pet dogs people had EVERYWHERE, and enjoy a city of vaccinated and active people after dark. Nightlife, who knew?!

I am so glad Shannon did this for us. That we got to enjoy meals and sleeping in, a little vacation. I'm so glad I have friends like Chris and Mir to hang here for a night and keep the farm on schedule and the dogs content. And most of all, I'm grateful for the small adventures away that let you look back on your own home, life, and story and allow yourself to change the narrative a bit. I was able to see how silly it was to be worried about being away from the dogs for a night. How lovely it is to explore a new city. How good a falafel pita can be after a long drive and how amazing am apple, cheddar, and ham crepe is made fresh for you as clouds blow across the lake.

I am a lucky woman.