Barking Embarkers

I am a traveling occupational therapist, who lives in a camper and travels the United States with my pup, Chloe Rue. We LOVE to explore the secret beauty that lurks in every corner of this amazing country, and our dream is to share this beauty with you. We are also therapists, so if we can inspire, coach, or heal people through writing about traveling, that is our absolute goal.

Chloe isn’t a therapist yet, but she is training to help with animal assisted therapy by working toward her therapy dog certification. She is an excellent student, and let me tell you, she is very loved by everyone we see already. If you are seeking a community to support your travels, especially if you are traveling with a pet, you have found a place where you belong.

Chloe was found at 10 weeks old in a river. I know, what the actual what? How did that happen right? We believe someone attempted to drown the litter of puppies, and there were two survivors. She was found with her brother on a beaver dam by my dad and my cousin, who were trapping the beavers (Sorry animal lovers- the beavers were building a dam that was causing flooding at a resort). Chloe’s brother, who was a beautiful gray color with bright blue eyes was adopted immediately. Chloe, on the other hand, looked rather like a rottweiler pup, and no one wanted her right away.

Meanwhile, I was working at Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri at a job that was very demanding. I was stressed, starting to feel burnt out from occupational therapy, and working in pediatrics which is NOT my forte. I was also recovering from a concussion that occurred while snowboarding (wear a helmet, everybody). I never considered for a second that I would be able to have a puppy in my life. In fact, I thought traveling with a pup was a terrible idea, because how on earth would I spend any time with the cutie? But for some reason, this little pup would not leave my mind, and I was awake for an entire night, researching the possibilities.

I called my mom the next day, and talked to her about it. We agreed that given the right job, and use of resources I would be able to raise a pup successfully. I asked her to keep Chloe, and 1 month later when I returned to the great MidWest she was mine. My life was changed forever, for the better.

Since that time Chloe and I have been on endless adventures. We started in Minnesota, then adventured our way to Maine, followed by a crazy road trip all the way across the country to Oregon, and now we are back in the MidWest for the summer. I traveled for about 2 years before finding Chloe, the Craziest Companion. She is my little world, and I have learned much about traveling with a pup! We will keep you all updated on our adventures, as they are endless. How did you come across your traveling companion (furry friends or furry husbands/wives- all stories are accepted here 😊)? Happy Trails and Happy Tails to you all!