I don't think I have ever spent a living moment in my existence where I didn't have a pet. When I was born, my parents already had a dog. Growing up, I lived with four dogs at a time as well as a few pet fish, a couple of bunnies, two gerbils, and even a small frog or two. When I moved into my college dorm, my roommate and I very quickly bought a fish tank with two goldfish. The next year I owned a couple of feisty beta fish. Now, I share my apartment with a lovable, dorky dog. It seems like I have never experienced what it is like to live in a place without a pet.

I think this says something about us as people. We constantly seek out this kind of companionship for a reason. Pets are a perfect source of lovable responsibility and though we provide them with hours of attention, love, and affection, they provide back with their support, companionship, and love. After all, these animals provide us not only with hours of entertainment but with hours of love and affection. Pets are a constant for many of us and, being so prevalent in our lives, it is often harder to appreciate all that they do for us. After all, our pets do a lot for us.

That is why it is important to remember how much we love and appreciate them. They love us and want what is best for us just like we love and want what is best for them. That is why that this month, this National Pet Month, is the perfect month to do something that will benefit both of you. This National Pet month, you should go out and explore with your furry best friend.

On the surface, this task may seem daunting and challenging to approach. After all, the idea of "exploring" seems kind of vague. However, when you break it down, it really is a simple task to complete. Exploring can mean different things to different people. Perhaps you finally will go on a walk downtown to window shop and see things you haven't seen before. Maybe you will go to the lake and jump in a kayak or a canoe for the first time. You might just go on a hike a find a different walking trail that leads to a wonderful waterfall. The possibilities are endless, but what is truly important is that you spend these moments with your beloved pet.

After all, these moments, these bits of adventure and exploration are more than just going on a quest of sorts. It is a chance for you and your pet to experience something new. Though it may not work with all types of pets easily, it is amazing to see how much you and your pet can benefit by going outside of your comfort zone. There is no telling what kinds of new things you can learn about the world and about each other. For example, this past week my roommate and I took the dog out to the lake for the very first time. We got in a kayak and brought him along as well. That morning, I think we all benefited from the experience. We learned that we very much enjoyed kayaking and that Juno, our dog that was definitely suspicious of the entire experience, actually enjoyed being out on a boat just as much as we did.

Now, Juno is a dog that normally spends his time on the couch. It's not that he is always cooped up, for my roommate tries to take him on a walk every day, but he is just a naturally chill and laidback dog. As his human roommates, we are no better and often enjoy the newest series on Netflix or Hulu. However, despite this, by exploring something new and unexpected, we all learned that we enjoy something completely new as a small family. I know I haven't been kayaking in a long time and now that all of us have been kayaking, we learned that it is definitely a fun activity. From this, who knows where we can go. We could go hiking, go walking in the city, visit a new café, and so much more.

This summer, it is important that you go out and explore new things. Not only can you find something new that you enjoy doing, but you can also find something new for your furry best friend.