A Solo Traveler’s Holiday Thought:
A lesson from my dog.
My beautiful friend, Kiah, in the snow.
Can you imagine living as a human in a dog’s world? I know. It sounds like some corny rehash of Planet of the Apes, but the thought does cross my mind when I see my dog live in a human world 90% of the time. She only has occasion to interact with others of her kind when she meets them on walks, or at the doggie day care. She is mostly a solo traveling dog.
I choose to travel solo, but what about Kiah? Sure, she sees me as the (human) pack leader, but doesn’t she get tired of her solo dog life sometimes?
I have a long history with dogs but they have not been solo animals. In fact, this is the first time I’ve shared my life with just one dog; usually it’s been at least two, sometimes three and, once, we had three dogs, two cats and two rabbits. Never a solo animal.
Recently, when I took Kiah over to my dog-sitting friends, it hit me how much she needs her own kind. We hadn’t been there for about six weeks and when we pulled up at the gate, she was so excited she practically leapt out of the car. Humans lucky enough to be familiar with Kiah know that she is generally a very laid-back animal. Leaping out of cars is not her style. And the other dogs were equally happy to see her, especially her packmate, Willow, who rolled over in a (for her) rare display of canine affection and pleasure. Kiah spent the day with her dog friends, and was happy and content not being a solo dog for a while.
I guess it makes me, a solo (human) traveler for much of my life, realize that although we humans can choose to travel solo, perhaps, at times, we also need the company of our special pack.
Solo travel, whether through life, a year-long global sojourn or on a brief weekend trip, is brilliant, great, fun and challenging. But perhaps, it is all the more so when spiced with the occasional “pack” day. I suppose, at this time of the year (Christmas, winter solstice, or simply the ending of one year and the awakening of the next), many thoughts turn to absent pack mates. Mine certainly do.
I'm known as the solo traveler. I traveled solo in my twenties and I'm doing so again. Here's the backstory...Continue Reading >>
