DON'T Give a Dog a Bone.....

So for those of you who have traveled before you might already know this, but for those of you who have not, the following short story might shock you a bit. In many countries, especially poorer ones, stray dogs run rampant. And I mean rampant. They travel in packs, are treated poorly by locals, and are in desperate need of food. For those of us who are avid and loyal dog lovers seeing the number of stray animals can be tough emotionally. There are a few things you want to keep in mind when you find yourself in a country that does not value the lives of animals the way we do. One: you cannot judge or criticize the way local deal with stray animals. To them a stray is nothing more than a flea infested, diseased mongrel that is nothing more than a nuisance. People are brought up to be culturally different and when you are in someone elses backyard, you have to play by their rules. Second: do NOT feed them. Pack animals will fight over scraps and it's a scary and sad sight. And if you feed them they will follow you around until you get back on a plane to go home. It is definitely not the way to spend your awesome vacation at the beach in Greece. Take my friend Karina for example. She is a huge sap when it comes to dogs. While we were in Vrahati, Greece, she decided she would give a small pack of stray dogs some bread to eat. Little did she know that is doing such an act of kindness, she had unintentionally adopted 5 filthy strays. They followed her back to the house we were living in, waited outside until she came out again, and followed her everywhere. We even went out drinking one night and found her passed out on the lawn surrounded by the pack. It was almost like they were protecting her. It was a ridiculous scene to say the least. She even named them all: Bob, Rufus, Will, something to that effect. Needless to say in feeding the pack Karina established a bond, but unfortunately our time in Greece was limited. The dogs became dependent on her for food and once we left they were forced to scavenge again. Feeding stray dogs is like feeding ducks. Once you throw them a bone, they won't leave you alone. I have more stray dog stories, funny stories, but they will have to wait for another day.

Cheers,
Danni

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As I sit here re-watching Eat, Pray, Love....again.... I can't help but think about the events in life that help us transition and transform from one epic chapter to the next. How each person we meet influences who we become. How each challenge we face with fear and determination alters how we chose to perceive what is valuable to us and what is not. We are constantly transforming, growing, becoming more like the people we hope to be. At least that is how it should be. Change is overwhelming and scary, but it is necessary if we ever hope to be truly happy. When we encounter those rough patches in life when we'd rather feel nothing than feel pain or weakness, there is an innate part of us that longs to fight that darkness away so we can just feel again. How each of us copes with those episodes of sadness varies, but we all know it doesn't last forever. For me, the beautiful experience of encountering something or someone new, in a place that is completely foreign to me, changes me for the better. Everyone has their own history, their own lessons to teach and stories to tell. When we take the time to slow down and take in what is going on around us, the world becomes a much more welcoming and enjoyable place. Have you ever felt so consumed by your routine that everything you do becomes mundane and boring? Where it feels like the life is being drained from you because of a lack of emotional, intellectual, or spiritual stimulation? I have. Multiple times, actually. And each time I made the decision to seek out what I felt was lacking in my daily life, instead of waiting for those things to find me. The world may be small in the grand scheme of things, but if that is true, then how small are the trials we face that bring us down? Find what motivates you and inspires you, and then do it. Whether it be traveling the world or engaging in a conversation with a war vet, allow yourself to step outside of your routine and change.