The Last Day

Good morning, 

I owe you one last post.. 💜

What can I say, it was a tough last day for me. The evening before, I packed all my things because I realized that time would be tight when we returned from the shelter.

The day was actually like any other before, except this time I had a real lump in my throat and felt quite down and sad. It's crazy how quickly time just flies by. I can't believe that two weeks have gone by so fast. At first, when I arrived here, I wasn't sure if I made the right decision, but it just got easier with each passing day, and spending time with myself did me more good than I could have imagined. During that time, I cried, thought, doubted, and laughed a lot. I stepped out of my comfort zone, trusted myself more, and put myself first for once. And I have to say, I am so grateful for all of this and incredibly proud of myself.

Today was quite an emotional day for me.. I had to say goodbye. I kept glancing at my phone, thinking: just a few more hours, this can't be real. I tried to spend as much time as possible with all the dogs and give each a little extra attention and love. Amelie took Hermine and me on a 'tour' of the warehouse, where a few less challenging dogs are housed, and the volunteers have less to no contact with them. Not because they are necessarily mean, but these dogs have obviously been through a lot and are a bit scarred by life. But there are also some really sweet dogs in the warehouse who are simply there due to space constraints.

Well, then it was time.. it was just before 2 PM, and I had to say goodbye, like it or not. I spent a while in the kennel with Timmy, cuddling him, petting him, and telling him how much I hope we'll see each other again. I felt like he sensed what was happening. He followed me around more than usual and was so clingy, and let me tell you, it truly broke my heart to have to leave him behind. Well, I then said goodbye to everyone and thanked them for the wonderful time I had there, and it's definite that I want to work there again. It is just so beautiful, and I can only recommend it. It gives you so much.

When we were brought back to the pickup point and returned to the quarters (that's what Hermine always called it), we had one last meal together and played with Charlie. Hermine then accompanied me to the bus stop. As a last piece of advice, I told her not to make eye contact with strangers because she told me on the first day about how many strange people or creepy men had approached her. Remember people, with eye contact, you open the circle, so it's better not to look too closely. Hermine, I hope you take this to heart!! 😄

At the airport, I went through security, and the man at the counter said: 'Why are you leaving Crete? Just stay here. Move here and leave everything behind.' It felt a bit strange when a complete stranger says something like that to you.. for a moment, I thought: Is this a sign from above?

But I didn't dwell on it too much and walked toward the gate.. and let me tell you, I was really sweating because I had a bit (4.2 kg) of excess baggage... But luckily, I got through the baggage check. If it hadn't fit, it would have been an extra 75 euros.. and I thought that was pretty intense. But I made it through, even if I may have slightly bent the rules.

Anyway, I'm curious how it will feel tomorrow not being at the shelter...

One thing I can tell you.. I already miss Timmy a lot.... 😞

Who knows, maybe I’ll report to you about my or our future travels.. but until then, first

OVER AND OUT