I never really understood my friends when they used to tell me how much they missed their dog at college, that is, until my family got our very first dog my junior year at Wake Forest University. Each time I leave to go back to school, the goodbyes are tearful and I have an emptiness in my heart that can only be filled when I finally reunite with our lovable, one-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, George. So without further ado, this one goes out to all my fellow dog lovers and pet owners out there who know all too well what I’m talking about.
- You suddenly don’t have a tail-wagging little bundle of joy to greet you every morning.
- You still have dog hair on all of your clothes you packed but no dog with you to justify looking like a walking lint-roller anymore.
- You spend way too much time researching your university’s policy on pets in the dorms.
- Which, naturally, leads you to expending copious hours brainstorming how you can get around the rules.
- You miss going on walks with him
- You don’t have anyone to give your dinner scraps to.
- …nor do you have a 24/7 snack companion
- You no longer have a lap-warmer and couch buddy.
- You miss his unconditional cuddles and soft kisses.
- You get jealous when your parents send pictures of him doing funny stuff at home.
- Video chatting with him just isn’t the same as being in person
- …and afterwards you just miss him even more than before.
- You get WAY too excited when you see a dog on campus and you run to go pet it.
- …but then a wave of sadness prevails when you realize that no dog can ever replace YOUR dog.
- It makes coming home on long weekends and holidays just that much better because it means reuniting with your furry best friend.
