The wait is over....

We each have our own story of where we have been, where we are, and where we want to be. Rarely do those ever line up. How many of you have had dreams while young of what or who you wanted to be as you grew up? How many of you are still striving for that dream, or better yet living that dream?

            When we dream as a child it is based on true happiness and our desires. Children don’t consider how much they will make in that line of work or how dangerous nor how difficult it may be to reach that dream or goal, they just believe in it full heartily. They believe in it until somewhere down the road of growing up they forget. Forget what truly makes their heart smile, that money isn’t the answer to happiness, they just forget to dream.

            To dream wild as a child is expected, to embrace those dream full heartily through out adulthood is the unexpected. Embrace the Unexpected.

            Over the past few years it has come to my attention that most people I meet have no idea what they want to do with their lives, or what makes them happy. I have been called lucky for knowing what I wanted to do since I was three years old and to still be fighting for that at twenty-five. I laugh because to hold onto a dream for twenty two years when the world seems to laugh at you for it is not an easy task. Sometimes I wish I had grown up with a broad mind set of all the things I could do, but I was stuck on one dream. I would become a veterinarian and at some point focus my career on sled dogs.

Well jokes on me, “If you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans.” This is one of the strongest quotes in my head constantly resurfacing. This is my story of how I took a wild child’s dream and fought through the valleys and peaks to hold onto it while growing up.

            Before I dive into my story you need to understand I have this ridiculous memory that is awesome for school and learning, not so great for fights (at least the other person) or major events.

            I was born in Florida then my family moved up to Wisconsin so I definitely consider myself a full blown Wisconsinite. When we moved my parents decided to buy a puppy for my oldest sister to help her adjust moving away from her friends. This gorgeous yellow Labrador name Kajen (a smash up of her two best friends names). It was an instant love between the puppy and myself at 6 months old.

            My first memories in life are of Kajen and I playing hide and seek. My parents would put my blankie over me and tell her to find me, I was probably two to three years old. One night she accidently bit me through the blanket and I remember blood everywhere. All I could say was, “she didn’t mean too!” She was my first friend ever and I will forever cherish the scar on my hand from her.

            When we were both three years old I remember my mom coming home from work and the store carrying arms loads of groceries into the house. Kajen was not a well trained dog to say the least and as soon as my mom opened the door Kajen darted out. She ran around the house and right into the busy road in front of the house, Madison Street. The ever ringing screech of tires still haunts me. Kajen was hit by a car right in front of my house as I ran outside someone stopped me, no one would let me see my dog. They took her to the vet and I was told she had to spend the night there. The next day I remember my mother getting a phone call and starting to cry seeing my sisters cry I did as well not sure why. We all hugged, one huge family hug. I was told that Kajen broke her back and would never be able to walk again so the vet had to put her down. I was told she went to heaven that she had died.

            Now being three I surprised myself at the fact I understood and learned what death was that day. I was confused yet devastated, my best friend was gone! I recall asking, “Why didn’t the vet save her? He didn’t even try!” I’m sure my parents tried to tell me he did what he could and tried to explain that was the best thing for the dog. I was three this didn’t matter to me. I looked at my mom and told her, “If I was a vet I would have saved her, done anything to save her.”

            Thank you Kajen for the unmistakable lessons learned about loyalty, friendship, and the most excruciating lesson of death. Most all, Kajen, thank you for igniting a flame, a dream, a reason to fight, and a life goal.

            From this moment on in my life when asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I have always proudly and confidently answered, “A Veterinarian.”

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            Without Kajen life seemed empty. I was always trying to find a pet or play with animals. My family ended up babysitting this Sheppard mix a lot. She was such a sweet old lady. I feel in love with her and kept begging my parents for another dog. It was a bad time as were moving into our new home. This beautiful girl we babysat helped to fill the void for the most part. The worst thing though this girl ended up getting cancer lost a leg, and then eventually died. Again I was only five and had to let go of yet another dog I had grown close too. I think this struck my parents hard as well because within a few months the problem was solved. We began going to human societies looking for a new family member. I fell in love with a malamute but they told my mom he wouldn’t be safe around me. Lies he gave me kisses and just jumped a lot.  Hindsight probably smart as training a dog was not my parent’s forte. Sorry mom and dad.

            One night while fighting with my sister watching are frog and fish my mom pulls up from work just like every other night. Yet I knew something was different. The door opened and ciaos flooded into our home. This black blurr was darting around our kitchen and almost ran me over. I was ecstatic! “Is he ours!?” My mom simply said, “Meet Gus.”

            Gus, what a dog. He was a big boy, part pointer, part Labrador and crazy wild at one year old. Gus was protector of all and the monster to our toys. We lost so many socks and Barbie doll clothes that were later found in the yard wrapped up in poo. So glad he grew out of that stage. My mom would walk him a lot around our path, he would come screaming out of the house and never failed to run right into my legs and take me out. I was a slow learner for this one. Took me a while to remember to turn around during walks if Gus was behind me, if not I would be on the ground. He was a great guard dog and amazing family dog.

            The big joke was no one could ever sneak in or out of our house Gus would be at your side ready to rat you out for doing something wrong. It was a sense of security I had never felt before. As I grew up and was staying home alone occasionally I would call Gus to be by my side and make him follow me everywhere around the house. He was the first boy I shared my bed with and man was he a horrible bed hog.

            Gus though was by all means my mom’s dog. It was awesome to see that bond and relationship, in fact I was jealous of it. At seven years old I began asking if I could get my own dog. My parents laughed and said maybe when you can afford and train it. Well mistake number one my by parents. I think they underestimated my desire.

           

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            Seven years old going into second grade and Gus had to go to the vet he was three and kept licking his legs raw. The vet simple said he was bored. The first words to follow that came out of my mouth, “does he need a friend?” To my surprise the vet whom I still resented for killing Kajen responed something like, “Sure that would probably help him stay active while you are out of the house.” To capture the look on my mom’s face would have been priceless.

            I spent the next few weeks reminding my parents the vet told us we needed to get another dog and how much I had been wanting one. I had rented every dog training video available from the local blockbuster when it was my turn to pick. I had also saved every penny I made from cleaning. This was enough to buy bowls, toys, leash, collar, and first bag of dog food. That is a good chunk of change for a seven year old and that is all I wanted to spend it on.

            I started school and found out my friend just got a puppy for free! I went home told my mom all about it and not sure why but she call my friends mom figured out the number for the puppies. Next thing I know I’m sitting in school barely focusing with a puppy collar in my hand all day. I was going to get my puppy after school!

            I was shaking, flustered, overjoyed when my mom came home from work a bit late. I rushed her back in the car to go look at puppies. Heaven, was all I could think about as I walked up trying to contain my excitement. 10 puppies were jumping and yipping staring right at me. Black, brown, long hair, curly hair, short hair, such a mutt litter! I began picking up puppies. First one was calm and just looked at me, I smiled as my sister kept handing me other puppies playing with all of them. I set the little girl down and picked up a different one which was super wild and biting me so I set him back down. That little girl was just sitting there staring at me then jumped up on the edge of the gate. I picked her back up and she stared into my eyes and gave me the sweetest of all puppy kisses. I set her on the ground as the grown ups were scared she’d run away telling me to be careful. I pulled my puppy collar out and placed it around her neck. “This is Penny” I said and picked her back up.

            My tiny, little, black, curly haired puppy, a dream come true for me. Penny was all mine, I spent the little money I had on all her essentials and a bag of food just like I told them I would. The adventures and growing we would do over the years were beyond my imagination. This dog was incredible, and for the only one training her at seven years old I was very proud of her. She never learned how to come, but other than that she was a rock star.

            The best hunter and fastest dog I’ve had. I took her rollerblading, biking, climbing, and camping. She would have been amazing at agility shows, but never got into it. I would set courses up in my back yard and run them with her. That 36 pound dog could fit 4 tennis balls in her mouth and still bark at the same time. We would play dress up together and share my after school meals while watching TV. She shared my bed and never left my side while in the house.

            Second grade was when I learned about the Iditarod. This amazing interactive teacher whom I still thank greatly taught me about this race called Iditarod. It is 1,000 mile race by dog sled. These huskies pull their musher the whole way. Talk about being completely and utterly mind-blown. I was hooked more like obsessed. I went home that day and with my plastic sled I tied a leash to it and clipped it to Penny’s collar. We went flying down the hill around the turn to the path where I rolled the sled and took a face full of snow. I sat up and to my surprise Penny had turned around and jumped on me.       

            I smiled a new kind of smile that day, pure joy and happiness. That moment in time changed my life dream. Now, not only did I want to just be a veterinarian, I had to be a veterinarian that worked with sled dogs on the Iditarod!

        I went through life being told how hard it is to become a vet, it's harder than med school in most cases. I had advisors in college laugh in my face telling me I'll never get in, so figure out your back up. I have probably applied to over 30 vet clinics to work or volunteer at, I volunteered at one and was able to work with a few other vets over the years.

        The world was against me, at least that is how I always felt. Yet for some reason I could never give up. I guess I figured even if it didn't work out my undergrad degree would be good enough to land me a job I liked. Not so much. 

        When in 2013 I was rejected by 7 vet schools across the USA I was devastated, lost, and falling fast. I had no idea what to do with my life. I began coaching full time because the only thing I enjoy more than working with dogs is teaching children and teenagers.This however is not a form of sustainable living.

Last year when I got the call for this job I was in shock. I could not believe I was going to for-fill yet another dream to work with sled dogs and see the Iditarod.

           Little did I know this opportunity would ignite a chain reaction in my life. Huge thank you to everyone out here who has helped me gain experience and has rallied for me,

I received a call today offering me a spot in UAF/CSU for the first class ever, veterinary program!

I am speechless, ecstatic, and overwhelmed. This means in August I will being vet school in Fairbanks Alaska for 2 years then I will transfer to Colorado for my last 2 years of school.

       I huge huge thank you to every single one of you for your support, encouragement, and for staying up to date with everything here. Fighting for a dream that seems impossible is not an easy task at all, but to fight for something knowing you have an army of people behind your decision to do so adds a level of confidence and determination I can barely describe. 

          Dreams do come true everyone, sometimes you just have to fight, fight really hard for them, like 22 years of fighting. I promise though in the end whether the dream comes true or not, you learn a whole lot about who you are and what you can accomplish. Never stop dreaming.