Over the past 7-years of full-time travel, I have wholeheartedly embraced my selfish ways as a form of retiree’s rights of passage.
However, I have helped others in need over the years to alleviate my conscious guilt of becoming the ultimate selfish person everyone expects I have become.
I recently helped/cared for a friend who had a surgical procedure (knee replacement).
I became the adult caregiver, driver to medical appointments, meal prep cook, pet feeder, and dog walker.
Now, the early morning dog walking before 6:00 am in the cold was extreme and brutal.
I dug deep and drew upon my past skills as a father of two (a boy & girl) who survived their childhood and puberty while avoiding debilitating injuries, hospitalizations, jail, and death.
So, for me caring for another human was not too complicated.
After caring for the two dogs, I’m convinced I will not become a doggy fur-baby owner as a full-time traveler. If dogs grow thumbs to open the doors, walk themselves, feed themselves, and most importantly, carry a credit card to pay for the occasional tank of gas or a bag or can of food.
I may reconsider if dogs become a tax exemption for seniors.
I have become exceptionally comfortable, happy, and selfish with my nomadic lifestyle to enjoy each day without desiring a pet at this time in my life.
I love domesticated and wild animals, but I will get a cat twenty-five or thirty years into my future. So, until then, I will pet and rub domestic pets when I encounter other travelers, day-hikers, and backpackers.
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