Three months off

I don't know why, but I just kinda felt like taking 3 months off from the blog.  I'd been updating it almost weekly for a period of 3 years there, and all of a sudden I just felt like taking a break.  Part of it was that I was traveling this summer, and the other part was that I just kinda felt like relaxing for once.

Anyways, let's get back to some stories:

I hadn't been back to America since I left for Korea 3 years ago, so this summer I went back home to catch up with friends and family, and to take the certification tests I needed for my teaching certificate.

My dog Sierra died three days before I got home though. She was going through a lot of pain, having trouble with breathing and such, so my parents had to take her to the vet and have her put down. My dad took the video above during that last weekend.

I won't try to tell you how my dog was the best dog you'll ever know, and how she was so special yada yada yada.  It's hard for others to appreciate the special bond between pets and their owners, especially if they never met the pet.

I will tell you this though: Sierra's death is probably the number one reason I don't like what I do.  In the three years while I was gone, I missed 3 deaths and 4 weddings and probably a million small moments in between, and honestly, it's those small moments that mean the most to me.

The main thing about Sierra's death is that everyone else can somewhat understand why I'm not around, but what about her?  What did she think?  What goes on in an animal's brain when an owner leaves?

So, in the memory of the best dog I've ever known, here's a story of another dog: Hachiko.