It’s been a long, hard year without Karlie. I’ve been through all the firsts – first week, first month, first birthday, first Christmas, and now the first year. Although it has gotten easier to live without her, I still miss her and the life we had. I don’t think that will ever go away. Despite that I am trying to honor her and her spirit by sharing her story with others. It’s the best way I can think of to memorialize her and it has helped me deal with my tremendous loss and the one-year anniversary.
When Karlie was here we went on weekly adventures. We explored canyons, parks, and trails in San Diego and Southern Indiana. I documented these with hundreds, maybe thousands, of photographs. I wrote about them on Facebook and in my journal. And then I decided to write a book about our adventures. On Karlie’s last day I promised her I would finish it and I did. Originally it was just for me; a way to remember our life together. But with the encouragement of family and friends, I decided to share it with the world. I could not think of a more fitting way to memorialize and celebrate her than to make our book available on the one-year anniversary.
It’s such a bittersweet day for me, but sharing our story with others helps me remember her. It brings a smile to my face. This past year I’ve also started to take Sunny on the same adventures that I took Karlie, as well as some new ones that we didn’t get to do. It helps to revisit our favorite places and to share them with Sunny. She enjoys getting out and exploring new places as much as Karlie did. It makes me feel closer to Karlie by being back at our favorite places.
I hope sharing our story on social media, on this website, and in our book helps other people and their dogs. I want to encourage people to take their dogs on adventures and share some of our favorites. Also I want to provide information on Geriatric Onset Laryngeal Paralysis Polyneuropathy (GOLPP), how to deal with mobility issues, and how to deal with saying goodbye and the corresponding grief. To me this would be the best legacy for Karlie’s life. So I hope you will help me celebrate her life by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, reading our stories on this website, and purchasing our book, Adventures with Karlie.
Our book is available on Amazon (kindle, paperback, and hardback), Applebooks (e-book), Barnes & Noble (e-book & paperback), and Kobo (e-book). The links are below.