Vacation Puppy

Who are we on vacation?

Last week was week 1 of summer travel. When Mike and I sat down to figure out what we wanted to do, I wasn’t sure how much energy I would have. The spring semester was a slog, even though I wasn’t teaching, and my body needed rest. We also weren’t sure what the kids’ schedules would be, though I was hopeful they could join us for a bit if we didn’t go far. Mike was open to a close, quiet getaway, especially once I agreed that we could take Annie.

That’s how we found ourselves spending a week near Lake Geneva in Wisconsin. Ben’s fiancée, Katie, recommended it as a fun vacation spot. It’s about an hour from her house and about 3 hours from Iowa City, making it easy for Ben, Katie, and Maddie to come and hang out over the weekend.

Lake Geneva is also where Ben proposed to Katie, so we got to see the spot where it happened. (More soon on my newest identity transition - becoming a mother-in-law!) Ben had arranged for one of Katie’s friends to hide behind a tree in Library Park to take pictures. He and Katie were walking along the lake when he stopped to propose. Unfortunately, he dropped to one knee right behind a trash can, making it hard to capture the moment, but I’m grateful to a couple on a nearby bench for clapping when Katie said yes.

But most of the week, Mike, Annie, and I sat on the deck of our Airbnb overlooking Lake Como, occasionally wandering down to the dock that extended into the small, calm lake. Annie started the week with mixed feelings about this adventure. She explored the house, sniffing the corners and staying close to us. She seemed happy to see her stuffed duck and lamb, which Mike had packed, along with her favorite snacks and familiar towels. But I wondered what she was thinking.

I follow a few Instagram accounts where people share videos of their dogs and do voiceovers to tell us what the dogs are thinking. One of my favorites is a mini Goldendoodle named Coco. Coco is often perplexed by the things her mommy and daddy do. I have a feeling that Annie feels the same way.

Annie has been “visiting” before. She has gone to our friends’ houses, and Mike recently took her to St. Louis to visit his mom. So the idea of going to another house wasn’t completely foreign to her. But what did she think when we went to bed that first night? She quickly snuggled between Mike and me, but did she wonder if we had bought a new house? Did she miss the spaciousness of our king-sized bed at home?

As far as we know, Lake Como was the first lake that Annie has seen. She is not a fan of water in general. She likes to bite at water as it comes out of the hose, but she doesn’t like getting her feet wet. She was incensed when a frog tricked her into jumping into the pond at our local dog park. At first, she kept her distance from Lake Como, but gradually she edged nearer to investigate why the water was moving. She climbed gingerly onto the rocks, barking at the small waves that lapped against the shore. Soon, she was playing in the lake like she’d been doing it her whole life. We struggled to get her to come inside at night, and she headed straight to the back door every morning.

But Annie also spent a lot of time just taking in her surroundings. While she has bouts of energy, she’s a pretty calm dog. She was fascinated by boats going by on the lake, the changing smell of the air as storms rolled in, and the geese who had no interest in becoming friends. She seemed to know that vacation was an opportunity to experience things that we don’t experience every day. She slowed down to savor it.

Our vacations have changed over time. We’ve driven across the country, explored national parks, spent time in cities, and been evacuated from Yellowstone. I miss seeing new experiences through my kids’ eyes, but I’m ready for a shift in my vacation self. Traveling with Parkinson’s brings challenges. It takes me time to figure out how to get around in new places. I am much more cautious than I used to be. And I often wake up confused in unfamiliar places.

So this summer, I’m trying a different approach. I’m learning how to slow down and appreciate the unexpected delights of being somewhere new. (Lake Geneva has some of the best fried cheese curds I’ve ever eaten.) I’m no longer trying to cram in as many experiences as possible, as if vacation were a competitive sport. I’m taking it slow, exploring the lakeshore thoroughly before cautiously stepping into the water.