Day 51: My Co-Pilot

Hanging in the hallway of the dorm at Thiel.

Staring out the window from the bedroom in Bryn Mawr, PA.

We do a LOT of snuggling.

Blowing dandelions while we dried off after attempting to kayak in the creek that runs parallel to the Susquehanna river in Selinsgrove, PA.

Both dressed in our Harry Potter sweaters. We have a magical relationship.

Before dropping sister off at the airport to head back to college.

Look into those eyes and then try to tell me dogs don't have souls. Impossible.

One of the first things we do in each new city is check out the dog parks. Robinsdale here in Rapid City is beautiful, but sadly has no fences for free roaming.

Sometimes I am jealous of how much scenery she gets to take in while I'm driving. If I'm awake, she usually is to, and chances are she is staring at the gorgeous views from the passenger side.

Despite appearances (teenager!), we did have a great time in Death Valley National Park.

At Cache Creek in California we enjoyed the crystal clear water (both), birdsong (me), and smelling ALL of the scat (her).

I love this one of us from our time at Half Moon Bay State Park in California.

Some people might be nervous to go rock scrambling with a dog attached to their waist by leash, but Piper is really good about waiting for me to climb up. Less so on the way down, but outdoor adventures are much more fun when we're together. This is us at about 7,000 feet for New Year 2024 on the Generals Highway between Kings Canyon National Park and Sequoia National Park.

She never complains about how messy I am, which is absolutely brilliant.

Our favorite national park so far: White Sands. So much running and playing and she was allowed everywhere with me; which meant lots of hiking up dunes.

This is at the stop sign just across the highway from where we started in Hilton, New York. Clearly, Piper was not yet confident in our road tripping skills.

One of my favorite things to learn in the last year or so was how to teach Piper to be more self-sufficient outdoors. When we lived in Greenville, PA we would go up to Presque Isle State Park to hang out on the beaches of Lake Erie. This was one of the days we worked on digging sticks out of sand and making a hole to catch water so you don't have to get your paws wet in the waves.

I'm faking, but she's not. Learning to sleep together in the tent was a big fear for me, but Piper has been a champion snuggler and really good nighttime camper.

After we moved out of the house in Bryn Mawr, some friends in Virginia let us hang at their house while we figured out next steps. Forever grateful for the people who love me AND the pup.

I love her, but she is regularly stealing the pillows.

This poor pup has moved every.single.year of her life. From Ashburn to South Riding (with a long stay in Stafford), Virginia to Selinsgrove, Bryn Mawr, and Greenville in Pennsylvania (with a long layover in Flemington, NJ), then our longest stopover yet in Hilton, NY before criss-crossing 13 states and exploring countless parks and protected areas. She makes herself at home wherever she is because - for her - home has always been changing. I'd love to give her a place with an enormous fenced yard where she could really get comfortable and make some pup friends. Whether we find that spot or keep on roaming, I am forever grateful for this loveable co-pilot.