Lessons from a rescue dog

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A year ago we signed the adoption papers on a dog who has changed our lives in ways we never expected.

The journey to her adoption wasn’t straightforward. To be honest, it was fraught with doubts, fierce debate and the devastating loss of another dog last summer, a dog who despite being in our home for only a short while had become part of the family.

And then along came Ceili. Continue reading “Lessons from a rescue dog”

Of dogs and expats

Freya dog - from shelter dog to world traveler
Freya dog – from shelter dog to world traveler

Our expat adventures have been dominated by discussions about dogs.

When we made the decision to begin this craziness, one of the hardest decisions was whether to take our dog, Mackinaw. At the time, she was a lady of a certain age, with a heart condition and dodgy hips. We had just begun to think about what life might be like after she’d gone. Moving to a country where the winter temperature was far below what any of us was used to and a shortage of dog friendly housing and landlords posed a real dilemma for us.

Continue reading “Of dogs and expats”

Soul sisters

Soul sistersI love Kirsty Rice. I’ve never met her but her blog – 4 kids, 20 suitcases and a beagle – was an absolute lifeline when I found myself in Norway wondering what on earth to make of this strange new life.

One of the things that Kirsty sometimes touches upon in her writing is expat friendships. Recently she posted something on her ‘4 Kids, 20 Suitcases and a Beagle’ Facebook page that struck a chord with me. She was wondering about the thing we gain and lose by moving around the world so much.  Continue reading “Soul sisters”