Travel Puppy

One random afternoon, an idea struck my mind after a conversation with an old friend. It was then that the story was born. Ian would soon become a traveling puppy. Now, Ian is not just any puppy, he’s also my emotional support dog, and his loyalty towards my peace of mind is something he takes seriously for the most part. He is content anywhere he gets to be with me, even if that means traveling from Florida to Texas.

First, I want to talk about how I couldn't fly with Ian. He is a 50-pound medium-sized dog, lab mix. The next best thing was traveling by bus. I bought my ticket to travel via Greyhound, which allowed emotional support pets. I gathered all my paperwork and bags and set off on the 35-hour adventure with my best friend. Ian is usually a calm dog, but just my luck, he gets anxious too. So here I was, keeping him steady while he kept me calm—a very mutual friendship.

We set out at 10 pm Monday, and we headed towards Atlanta, Georgia. That was our first stop. The Bus driver wasn't much of a fan for Ian, but everyone else liked him. He told Ian to sit on the floor because the chairs were for humans. The bus floor was not leveled, and it was very uncomfortable for Ian. He did not like it and kept trying to roam to sniff around. Fortunately, some kind souls helped me keep watch all night so Ian could be more comfortable on the seat. Once he was appropriately seated, the ride was smoother for both of us. See, Ian thinks he's a people. He has grown accustomed to his leisurely life on the many beds he possessed at home, including at the foot of my bed. I had grown used to his fur existing on every surface, including me. Not everyone is like that. Alas, we approached Atlanta, one of our many stops on this adventure.

The next stop was Montgomery, Alabama, in which we would arrive around 8:55 am later that morning. Before we departed from Atlanta, we had a 30-minute break, and that was just enough time to rush to the bathroom and feed Ian. On top of this straightforward task, the legitimacy of Ian's title was questioned. Challenged due to his expression of arriving at this strange new place—a simple bark one time to notify everyone that he was there. Being the type to hide in plain sight, I sighed heavily and continued walking to confront a security guard at the station. He said service dogs don't bark. My response was Ian does, and he is my ESA, period. It was him and me against the world. So to speak. Since he didn't ask for my papers, I continued as he reprimanded me about not letting him bite anyone and it's his job to — blah blah blah. Ian was never going to be a threat, so I brushed it off. The only thing on my mind was that I had never even traveled by bus, and I needed to find the bathroom and make it back to the next stop on time. This was all new to Ian and me. I was trying to act natural for Ian’s sake, but Ian sensed the underlying anxiety building up inside me.  As we walked towards the bathroom, so many people gawked at Ian in fear and moved out of our way.

Meanwhile, Ian tried to sniff out the area and make sure everything was good, but he was also anxious among the crowds. Finally, it was time to get back on the bus. Things were very unorganized; they called out random numbers and cities, and it got confusing because I looked at my ticket, and I didn’t know if I was in the right line or anything. I met up with another great soul from Honduras! She spoke primarily Spanish, so we communicated that way, and we helped each other since we were heading in the same direction. 

Later that morning, we were in Montgomery, Alabama, and the next destination was Houston, Texas. With many stops on the way: Mobile, AL, New Orleans, LA, Baton Rouge, LA, Lafayette, LA, Lake Charles, LA, Beaumont, TX, and Winne, TX. During the stops, we have a couple of Driver changes. In New Orleans, LA, I got some souvenirs for Mardi Gras.

This was the first time on the trip that I felt ok… I spoke too soon; on the way to Lafayette, LA, we got stopped by a state trooper because they wanted to check for drugs. This guy was a stereotypical racist. We were in hostile territory. This officer harassed me about my dog and then used his authority to intimidate a black man sitting across from me. It made me uncomfortable again. Soon that was done, and we were back on the road. Continuing with this trip was very heavy. I was in and out of consciousness and bored beyond my mind. Sitting for long periods was not fun. The bus was super uncomfortable, and I was getting restless. I watched a movie and listened to music to kill time. Ian was a trooper through all of this! So proud of him! He spent his time being alert and taking naps.

I kept asking God to give me the patience and strength to make it through, and then I was switching buses for the last time.  At this stop, we had almost two hours of downtime. By this point, I have had it. I have had no sleep for over 24 hours, and I had about four more hours to go. The Last bus on our trip was a breath of fresh air. It was a different model, comfy, and barely anyone was there. I tried to take a nap, but at that point, I was ready for this part of the trip to be over. At 7:20 am, we arrived in Killen, TX, where my friend lived. It was time to start the next part of our adventure.

During this trip, something so random happened. A snowstorm hit Texas! This was Ian's first time in the snow; he reacted so adorably confused at the icy cold, wet ground. He also made a new friend, and while it took some time to warm up to each other, eventually, they played together and hung out. It was as if they concluded that they had more in common than they thought. Our trip consisted of bonding time in a new place and escaping reality.

After a week, it was finally time to go home, and even though I purchased a round trip ticket, I did not want to endure another 35 hours on a bus, and I am pretty sure Ian didn't either. This was when the road trip intensified. It became a mission to deliver Ian back home safely. The plan was to fly home and rent a car to drive to Texas and drive back home. There was no rush to get home except that Ian and I were starting to get homesick, and we missed our bed.

I rented with Enterprise. This was the first time I rented a car and drove 36 hours from Florida to Texas and back. Yes, I had successfully avoided the bus trip back home, but I still faced the obstacle: Mission deliver Ian home. While I flew home, Ian would stay with my friend, and I would see him again in 3 days. During this time, I was finalizing the mission to get him home safely. I tried finding someone to join me on this journey, but no one rose to the occasion. It was just me and the road for the first part.

The first 6 hours were a breeze; I drove straight out of Florida; the day was so lovely, and there was barely any traffic. I left Tuesday at 11 am. Straight into Alabama. That drive through the state was so fast; it felt like 30 minutes. I only stopped to get gas, use the bathroom, and eat. I also made sure to stay hydrated. I then drove through Mississippi and Louisiana and finally reached Texas. My budget was already really tight, but my faith in God to help me see things through was more prominent. It was when the sun fell that it became hard. I immediately grew tired as the light went out on the day. I looked for a cheap hotel but had no luck. So, on the road, I stayed for 18 hours straight. 

With 4 hours left to drive. I had made it to Houston alive and well. The last 3 hours were the hardest. It was 1 am, and I was exhausted. I ended up taking a 1-hour nap. I couldn’t just take a nap anywhere due to safety. Guess what I did? I found a hotel, parked my car, and slept in it. I felt this would be safer than a gas station full of people constantly walking by. The parking lot of the hotel was okay, nothing crazy. The car was uncomfortable to sleep in, and I didn’t have a blanket.

I finally made it back to my friend's house! I walked right in, and the first thing I did was find Ian to let him know I was back. He thought I abandoned him even though I told him I would be back. We hung out for a bit and planned something for our last day. The snow was all gone, and everything went back to normal in Texas. Our final event before departing would be a bonfire! The bonfire consisted of good food, good company, and the epic fire that kept us warm on a chilly evening. Ian was afraid of the fire, so he called it a night pretty early. I finally crashed after I prepared to leave for the next day.

It was 7 am sharp Wednesday morning. I came up with a better plan this time and already had my reservation for my hotel in Pensacola, Florida. All I had to do was drive 11-12 hours. I was so ready, and this time, I had Ian, so I wasn’t alone. We set off to our final destination: Home.  The drive was smooth. There was more traffic than the day before, but it was okay. I made it to Super Motel 6 around 6 pm. It was a super sketchy place; someone even tried to come into my room. Luckily, I figured out the lock as soon as I got there, and we were safe inside. It was so hard to find my room. The roaches and the towels were stained, but I didn’t have to drive through the night. I counted my blessings, prepared for bed, and ensured Ian was comfortable. Even the bed was horrible—just a terrible hotel.

We woke up early and got ready to go. Not even an hour into the drive, I got pulled over for speeding… There were barely any cars on the road. A state trooper noticed I was going well above the speed limit. There was no way out of this ticket. It was the end of the month, and I looked like a mess. This was my first speeding ticket. After telling him a little of my story, the officer was nice enough to reduce the penalty and told me what to do, so I didn’t get points on my license. I had to take a 4-hour driving course which would save me money on the speeding ticket. Thankfully, God always provides me with an escape plan in these situations. Taking this course also looks good on my car insurance, and after I got the words, safe driver, printed on my license. It was good that I got stopped as I learned my tires could combust from speeding. While I didn’t know the percentage of how likely this could happen, the thought of it kept me driving only 5-10 miles above the speed limit with the flow of traffic.

Finally, we made it back home around 2 pm that day. My next task was to get the rental cleaned and return it to Enterprise. I went to get a car wash, vacuum, and fill up the gas. When I returned the car, I had to walk home because of the Covid distancing rule. Yes, after all that, I walked home. It wasn’t that bad, a 2-mile walk. I got my steps in, and exercise is good for you! Despite my blisters, I made it home, and I was so over and done with the day. I think me and Ian are done traveling for a bit, but this was fun. I wouldn’t change a thing. Ian and I lived to tell the tale.

The End