Hello Again

It has been a while since I have written anything - almost a full year. I have thought about writing on my blog again many times over the past several months, but I always feel like it would be weird if I posted again after such a long time and that feeling got worse as more time went on. However, I have been working towards some of my personal goals again, and now it seems weird to not write another blog post.

Let's start with what's new. I have a new job since I last checked in. I am working as a receptionist at the Animal Hospital on Bell Farm Road where I am also teaching group training classes at the Dog Training Studio. This job feels like a breath of fresh air. I love it. I was strongly considering completely leaving the dog/pet industry until I settled in.

I also have another dog in the house who is settling in. His name is Lalo. I do not like this name. I keep trying different ones, they end up not suiting him, and then I revert back to Lalo. He is 3 years old and has come to me with some behaviour issues that made him challenging to adopt out. I don't have him fully integrated in with the other dogs, but he is getting there and doing well.

Actually, I think the last time I wrote a post was so long ago that I have three more dogs in the house. In addition to Lalo's arrival, Zero is back home and I got a puppy named Pepper who isn't really a puppy anymore. Zero's reintegration has not been seamless, but I am happy to have him back. I will write a more lengthy post about it soon. Pepper is great. She is everything I wanted in a dog and more.

The reason Zero is back is because I've moved. I am living in a 200 sqft. tiny home. It is amazing. I have never lived alone before, and I am loving it. I guess I should say I have never been the only human in a house before. I don't think living with five dogs and cat counts as living alone. Anyway, I am enjoying the peace and quiet in my home. I am also enjoying the whole lifestyle that comes along with tiny living. I have always loved the outdoors, and now I get outside so much more than I did before, which has been wonderful.

Finally, I am trying to put myself first. One of the reasons I stopped posting was because I sometimes put the needs of others before my own. 2023 was a tough year for my mental health because I spent a lot of time forgetting to advocate for myself. This left me feeling burnt out, depressed, and angry. I also got really sick and was barely functioning for a few months. My goal for 2024 is to not end up back there again. I have struggled internally with this. I have always wanted to help others, and I still want to. I am just working on finding the balance of helping and supporting others while still looking out for myself. If I have learned anything about this past year, it is if someone is mad at you for trying to set boundaries, you should probably set even more.

I'm worried that last sentence makes it sound like I hate people. I don't want to delete it because I stand by it. Setting boundaries is important so you don't get taken advantage of. However, I think I need to add the disclaimer that I have seen what a wonderful village I have around me over the past year. I do not hate people. I just want to spend more time and effort on the relationships where we lift each other up. I do think people can start to expect too much from someone without realizing it, but you should be able to voice your concerns, be met with empathy, and come to a mutual understanding.

This post isn't really about dogs, sorry. I just wanted to dip my toe back into blogging. I have lots of things I want to write about, so I will talk to you again soon!