Go Potty Buddy🐾

Hello. It’s been a minute since I was last here and sharing stories. After our last big adventure around the United States, things got a bit quiet. And so did I.

I think after such an amazing journey, where you plan and execute every little thing, the let down when you return home can be hard. Not unlike how I felt after our Great Loop adventure, I wasn’t quite sure what to do with myself. I kinda fell into a funk.

I had become addicted to live court proceedings on YouTube and spent many a day, in my room, watching mindlessly on my IPad. I didn’t really want to do anything or go anywhere. It was not good. And more importantly, I was not good.

I have found that I need to be busy. I also found that I need projects. Whether it be painting rocks or something new like watercolor card making. Both of which make me happy.

We have been throwing around the idea of getting a newer, bigger (of course) RV. One with some bells and whistles. A king bed would be nice and a big refrigerator. Maybe a washer and dryer. 😂 maybe even a diesel engine. Wouldn’t that be nice. But then, the sticker shock hits you in the face and you remember that you have a perfectly great RV that is paid for! It’s a dilemma, for sure.

Jim found a motor coach across the state that he wanted to look at. We decided to take our RV over there and make a road trip out of it. We had a great time. He surprised me with a trip to the Brevard Zoo. It was fabulous. They have a giraffe feeding platform. I was so excited! Feeding giraffes has been a bucket list item for me for a very long time!

We wandered around the whole zoo. We fed the Lorikeets and got up close and personal with the kangaroos.

We stayed over night at a county park and were fortunate enough to see a rocket launch from Cape Canaveral! It was super cool and very loud!

We stopped at another RV Dealer to look at a few RVs. This place had their heads up their ass and were not very helpful or professional. We left, and had discussions about why we really did need a new to us RV. It comes back to, we really don’t. Let’s be real, who doesn’t want bigger and better. Shiny. Newer. I think it’s human nature. I definitely have RV envy.

Jim and I have a pretty basic rig. But that rig is paid for, has 7 brand new tires and a new awning. We know it, and it has been really good to us. It safely took us on a 10,000 mile adventure last year, with only a few small issues.

We put the RV buying on a back burner for a bit. We had plans to meet Judy and Marshall over in Fort Lauderdale for a few days. We stayed a very nice RV park. We went out on a water taxi all around the Intercoastal waterway, where we saw multi million dollar homes and yachts. I can’t fathom that kind of money, and I’m ok with that. Sure is pretty though. We stayed for a few days and certainly enjoyed our company. A funny thing. Judy and Marshall have a Mindy. She is an adorable doggie who we just love. Mindy loves to sit on Jim’s lap and Jim actually likes it and her. Judy kept saying that I need a dog. Now, I’m a cat person. My dream was to own a Maine Coon Kitten one day. I’ve had many cats in my life. Jim is not a fan, which is why I don’t have a Maine Coon Kitten. 😂 The thought of being a pet owner, in this life, has never been in the forefront of my mind. Yet, I began to wonder what it might be like to have a traveling dog like Mindy. Mindy did the Great Loop on a boat and now travels in the RV. She appears to be quite happy. One of the days we were in Fort Lauderdale having lunch, I saw a man with a very cute little dog. He was 3 years old and a Havanese. He was so cute and very well behaved. Judy started telling me all about the Havanese. How they are great company, hypoallergenic, and non shedding. She kept telling me I needed a buddy. That night I told Jim, “maybe I need a Buddy”. He said, so get one.

Secretly I started researching the Havanese dog. They are a purebred and they are expensive. They are usually acquired from a breeder, who obviously charge an arm and a leg. I found some good breeders, who were legit, who charged $3500 for their puppies. Gulp. I found some not so legit puppy mills who charge way less, but I would never buy a puppy from a mill. I did my due diligence and visited a few of the shelters in our area looking for a puppy who might need a new mom. I was shocked that all the dogs in the shelters were big dogs. Pit Bulls mostly. No puppies. Maybe this was not meant to be

Jim, knowing I was still entertaining the idea of a project, did some research on his own and found a Havanese puppy at a decent price. I kinda fell in love and he told me if I wanted him, I could have him. After checking out the breeder with the better business bureau, and reading all the very positive reviews, we purchased our new Buddy.

Meet Buddy. He was 12 weeks old when we got him and is now 5 months old.

Remember how I was talking about being in a funk? Maybe even a bit depressed? Well, when I saw our new buddy for the first time, I knew that I was going to be ok. I knew I had some stuff to work on. I am always willing to take the action needed so I don’t fall back into a dark place. And I am.

Buddy is everything I never knew I needed. I have come out of my room. I’m not watching countless hours of Court TV, I’m going for walks. Buddy is a puppy. A very busy puppy who needs constant care. I’ve never had a puppy of my own. It’s a full time job. Ask me how many times a day one person can say, “ Do you have to go potty, Buddy”? I’ll tell you. At least 75 times a day! He brightens my day and even my nights. I have not slept through the night in several weeks, and it’s ok. I’m now a dog mom.

We haven’t given up the ghost on the new RV yet. Jim found a doozie in North Carolina. Yes, North Carolina. If my husband wants to go look at an rv in Timbuktu, he can. I’ll go with. And now, so will Buddy. Our road dog. We loaded up our rv and trudged on up to see this RV. It took a few days to get there. Buddy did really good. He didn’t much like the noises from the road, and let’s face it, our rv is like driving a big tin can. He had a little anxiety, but was ok if he was on my lap or driving with Jim.

The coach that Jim wanted to see wasn’t what we had expected, but our experience is that they rarely are. The fact of the matter is, we have a pretty good idea of what we want in a new to us RV, and if it doesn’t check all of the boxes, there is really no need to consider spending an arm and a leg to obtain it. Price and amenities are forefront. We don’t need a new RV. It is definitely a want. Wanting things sometimes, isn’t very spiritual.

We have plans this summer to do the “If Not Now- Then When, Part 2 “ road trip to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. I have now planned it all out and made the reservations. It’s funny how things work in my world. Just when I gave up the ghost of getting a bigger rv, one came along that checked all of the boxes and after having it inspected by a professional, we made a decision together and we are now the owners of this 2108 Fleetwood Pace Arrow, 37 foot, diesel pusher motor coach.

I feel so blessed today. I’m so grateful that I get to live this life. I have everything I want and everything I need.

So, Jim, Kim, and our road dog Buddy will hit the road to the The Maritimes, also called the Maritime provinces, which is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. We will leave on June 17 and spend the summer exploring new territory. It’s going to be quite the adventure and I hope you will join us as we continue to trudge the road of Happy Destiny.

Here are pictures of our Buddy from 6 weeks old until now. He is the cutest thing ever and so smart. He has picked me as his person and is attached like Velcro to me. He loves Jim too, and I think Papa Jim is smitten as well. He’s a full time job for sure, but he brings us both much joy.