Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TV, my own hot running water. I don't think I had slept better the whole journey. Com-
fortable beds. Clean sheets. Peace and quiet. I dreamed of my bed back home. I thought of
Odysseus returning home to his love, to the life he had left behind. I wondered if my own
life had changed much. Would I be going back to the same place? Would I be the same
man? Or would I be a stranger in my own home?
The next morning, I took a walk around the village. Everyone had been right. The place
was gorgeous. High mountains topped with snow, the crisp and brilliant air of a beautiful
day—even the sun shone across the snowy landscape, a bright kaleidoscope of white and
silver reflecting back the sun's rays. Just as nature had done so many times before, it re-
stored my faith. Much like on that first day driving to Vegas, I felt like I was exactly where
I was supposed to be.
As I was walking through the Olympic village, site of the 2010 winter games, I bumped
into a dog. Or should I say a dog bumped into me.
I quickly found out from Growler's owner, Sophie, that he was adopted from a nearby
shelter.
I sometimes say if you can't love a human, love a dog.
So I decided to visit the shelter in honor of the dog who made me who I am.
I got Winston when he was only twelve weeks old. He is now twelve years old. We have
a special bond, a bond that in many ways preceded my ability to truly connect with my
fellow humans. Don't get me wrong. I have always loved people, but I didn't really know
how to reach out to them, how to show them that I wasn't afraid and that they didn't need
to be either. And then I got Winston.
I had never loved something so unconditionally before. In fact, I have even had a couple
of love interests accuse me of loving him more, but what I eventually came to realize was
that Winston was teaching me how to love, period. To always see the best in people, to
believe in them, to be thrilled just because they walked through the door. I heard someone
once say that dogs only live for part of our lives. But we are their whole life.
I walked into the shelter ready to meet some of the wonderful dogs whose forever homes
I hoped were just around the corner. Angie was a volunteer from South Africa who worked
at the shelter and completely understood my connection with our furry little friends.
“They really have a way of creeping into our hearts, don't they?” she asked.
Sadly, many dogs don't get the lives they deserve. Angie told me, “We get countless
dogs that have been hit by cars or just completely abandoned. They come in like racks of
bones and just in terrible shape. But we do our best to help them out.”
