travel – PlottingTheWay

On the road…

If you all haven’t noticed already, I love to take Mason anywhere I can with me. I mean seriously if I could bring him to work or even to the grocery, I totally would. I just love being with him and having his company to brighten my day. I know Mason would love to go everywhere with me to if he could, however, he HATES riding in the car.

I always imagined when I had a dog they would enjoy riding in the car with their head stuck out the window and their ears flapping in the wind. Not my mason. He gets mad anxiety when I even pull out my keys and he thinks we are going somewhere. When he is riding in the car, he always just tenses up and continuously pants. I literally have to put the air conditioning on full blast before he even remotely seems comfortable (so I have to layer on clothes or use a blanket to keep from freezing to death).

Mason has always been anxious and uncomfortable in cars (even when he was a little baby), but I honestly feel that it has gotten worse over the years. I always do everything to make him as comfortable as possible (and yes I am a good driver). I talk to him, reach back to pet him when I can and always have the air blasting. Nothing ever seems to ease his anxiety though.

I want to be able take Mason everywhere with me I can, but it’s hard when I know he is so uncomfortable in the car. If anyone has any natural remedies or tips to help with Mason’s travel troubles, please feel free to share them with us.

Dog Mom Tip #12: Sometimes you have to push yourself out of your comfort zone to get where you want to be.

Where is my map?!

I am at a major cross road in my life and have been thinking a lot about what direction I want it to go in. And, what scares me the most, is that I really don’t know. I don’t know what I want my next job to be, where I want to live or even who I want to be. This obviously opposes a problem that I have been desperately searching for a solution to.

How do I figure out what direction my life should go in? I think I am having such a hard time figuring out the answer to this question because for the past 3 years I haven’t been living for myself. I had taken jobs, moved my entire life and been “living” to please someone else. Let me tell you from first hand experience, living for anyone but yourself is not living at all. So now that I am finally free to be and live life for myself, it’s like I don’t really know where to start.

It hasn’t been easy to start this new chapter and I have to accept that there are going to be bad days. But something that is really helping me to begin to build my new map is doing one thing a day for just me. Whether it is walking Mason, going for a hike, working out or writing, it is something that truly brings pure joy to my day. My goal is to continue doing things for myself that truly make me happy with hopes that will lead me in the direction my life is suppose to go.

Happiness is not always easy, but by taking these small steps, I know one day I will find my place on the map.

Wrong Turn.

Yesterday was a long, hard day. Every time I do the 13 hour drive, it gets more difficult and tiring it seems like. Especially when it’s just Mason, my 2-year-old plott hound, and I.

Don’t get me wrong Mason is the best travel buddy in the world.

"Mom, are we there yet?!" — “Mom, are we there yet?!”

But we both get more restless as the hours drag on. When we are making the drive between KY and FL, we usually stop about 4-6 times. Stopping with a dog is tricky when traveling, especially when it is just you and your pup.

Usually when we stop, it is because I have to use the bathroom (I have a smaller bladder than Mason does 🙂 haha). So I always crack the windows and run, literally, inside to use the bathroom first. When I am running back to the car, I can always see Mason wagging his tail waiting for his turn to get to stretch his legs.

Walking a dog around a rest area or gas station is never fun. Most of the time it isn’t the cleanest and, especially at gas stations, there is minimal green space for the pups to sniff around. After getting frustrated with the lack of grass area for Mason at gas stations on our last trip from KY to FL in August, I decided this time we were going to stop at more rest areas.

I found this to be a strategy to be a success! Mason much more enjoyed stopping at the rest areas, which we tested out in each state we drove through (FL, GA, TN and KY). They each had plenty of territory for Mason to explore and I wasn’t constantly pulling him away from trash or food that he shouldn’t be getting into. Another one of my favorite advantages of rest areas over gas stations is that they have designated doggie areas with poop bags included! Trust me, these few key factors during our stops helped make our long journey much more enjoyable for both Mason and I!

After the long day of traveling, we finally arrived safely in KY yesterday evening. Both VERY happy to be out of the car and home with the family for Thanksgiving.

travelbuddy2

Dog Mom Hack #3: The first turn might not always be the right one. Take time to explore the best/most comfortable options for both you and your pup when traveling together!

Leave a comment sharing any tips you have for travel with your dog! 🙂

The roll

One of my favorite parts of traveling is packing for the trip. Your probably thinking who actually enjoys packing… but I do! ha! I love going through my closet, trying clothes on and closing my eyes to imagine what the trip would like in that outfit.

The hard part is, I also like to have options. So I have to be able to fit as much in my bag as possible! One very effective way I have found to do this is by rolling my clothes instead of folding them.

I begin by folding the clothes in half and then roll them as tightly as possible. As you can see, I do this with not only shirts, but pants, dresses, my undies, everything! The rolling also prevents my clothes from wrinkling as badly, which is definitely a plus!

I promise, once you try “the roll”, you will never go back to folding your clothes for your travels again.

Comment letting me know your favorite packing hack 🙂