Hey there!

Hope you had a happy week! This week I am going on a trip without Boomer for the first time in a while (!!!) We are going to a ski + music festival in France. It’s a once in a lifetime type of experience and I promise to share more about it after! But, it’s also a BIG deal for me because I am going to be away from Boomer. Most of you know he is task trained to help me with my mental health and so, I wanted to share our unique story and a little bit more about the impact a dog can have on our physical and mental health. 

When we got Boomer, I was in a pretty dark place in life. It’s only now, nearly a decade later, and after tons of therapy, I have come to recognize that I was in an abusive situation (for 7 long years). During the time, I would have frequent panic attacks, generalized anxiety and deep depression. When I had these panic attacks, Boomer automatically responded by running up to me and giving me non stop BOOPs and sitting really close to me or on me while I calmed down. He was showing the temperament to be really able to help me so, after he turned a year old, we did a lot of 1-1 training sessions to work on tasks he can do for me (DPT, alert, tuck, close are some of them - all that help me in a variety of environments so I feel more confident in taking on the world)

Upon talking with many of you, I have come to recognize the massive influence dogs have on our life. Here are some lessons I’ve learnt from Boomer that I am sure we can all implement more into our lives!

Lessons from a fluffy little landcloud

Being present : Being in the moment is the way dogs operate, their attention spans might be short but it’s always focused on one thing at a time. With the modern world, us humans are rarely doing just one task anymore. We’re listening to a book and driving, we are eating and watching tv, working out and texting - we are often multitasking and it really takes away from being in the moment. Multitasking makes us miss the nuances of the activity we are doing, the moments that really bring more joy and we could all take a note from our pups on this.

Unconditional love : All I am going to say is if we greeted the people we love every time we saw them, even if after 10 mins, 10 hours or 10 days apart, the way dogs greeted us - our relationships would be filled with so much more love and happiness!

Stop and smell the roses : I absolutely love catching Boomer spending an extra moment sniffing a spot and taking in a nice view on a hike. He always provides a good reminder to enjoy the little things. Sometimes a plastic bottle is the best toy Boomer could ever have and it really puts things into perspective.

Oxytocin surge : Did you know that it is possible to emotionally regulate with an animal like we can with humans when we hug? Spending time with your dog can actually increase levels of the feel good hormone - oxytocin! Oxytocin has anti-stress-like effects. Now you have a scientific excuse to spend even more time with your pets!

Physical health : After getting Boomer, the amount of time I spent outdoors went up significantly. Along with getting more daily movement in terms of walks or weekend hikes, spending more time in nature has had a huge positive impact on both my physical and mental health.

Patience : If trying to potty train a 3 month old puppy when you live on the 22nd floor of an apartment with the world’s slowest elevators doesn’t teach you patience, nothing else will. Training Boomer has been fun and rewarding over the years, but it’s also taught me so much patience. 

I would love to know what your dog/cat has taught you?

Is Austin, Texas worth a visit?

At the start of this year, we went on a trip to Austin. Social media tends to focus on the highlights and this trip wasn’t what I had expected, but it had some gems and learning lessons. 

Where we stayed : One way we are able to travel so much is by using Kindred. It’s a home swapping platform that is invite only and through it we have stayed at some beautiful homes and made some lovely connections. We spent 2 weeks in a home in Brooklyn, NY last year and spent $400 (cleaning fees + service fee included) for that entire time. Kindred travel has saved us thousands of dollars (even just on that one trip alone).

While we were in Austin we stayed in a nice apartment in a good location and spent $350 on a week long stay! If you would like to sign up to become a member, please email me back and I will be happy to share my code to help open up your world for travel and community even more!

Tip : We rented a car in Austin, but I don’t think we should have, a lot of the restaurants / things are concentrated in areas and can just use a ride sharing app to get around easily!

Where we ate : Texas and BBQ go together like Boomer and peanut butter. We went to Terry Blacks it was really delicious. That jalapeño cheese sausage ooof - it was really so tasty! We also checked out Loro, an asian BBQ fusion restaurant and loved the sweet corn fritters and ramen! We got takeout from Aba Austin and had probably the best hummus I have had in my life!! It’s pricey fyi but that’s a good thing because I would have tried to get it every single day otherwise.

One spot you can’t miss : Zilker park - Texas was cold when we were there but we had one beautiful spring like day and the park was full of happy people and their dogs. From people reading in the park, doing yoga, gymnastics, hanging out and laughing  - it was definitely a highlight for me and highly recommend going!

Weekly round up

One easy/healthy recipe to try : 

Shrimp in turmeric-lime sauce - so easy and delicious!

One positive affirmation to remember : 

“Be where you are; otherwise, you will miss your life.” - Buddha

One thing I am obsessed with :

I recently discovered the world of press on nails and to say I am obsessed is an understatement. To have your nails done in 10 mins at a fraction of the cost is such a win in my books. Here is everything you need to do your own nails at home!

If you have any other feedback, please email me and let me know! There’s so much room to make this really great FOR YOU 💌

Thanks for reading and I can’t wait to hear if anything stood out to you or really resonated with you. If you did find this helpful / enjoyable, it would mean so much to me if you could share this with someone who might also appreciate this newsletter. My goal is to stay open and vulnerable (this format gives me so much more space and freedom to really expand and share) with the hopes of making you feel less alone in your struggles. Together I know we can find more happiness!

With fluffy hugs, 

Charishma + Boomer (@life.with.a.landcloud)