A WISH COME TRUE: DAY TWO
This post is a part of an 8-day series.
The first day of training camp is a lot like the first day of school. Feelings of anxiousness and wonderment of what's to come fill your body as you struggle to pick out the PERFECT first day of school outfit, you pack your bag with writing utensils, materials, and snacks, and you hop on a bus with your peers to head to class. Then, of course, you take an obligatory first day of school photo as seen in this picture. This is basically how my morning went, except throw in a really questionable muffin that I had for breakfast. I gave up two bites in and opted for a Krispy Kreme glazed donut.
I guess the only difference between training camp and actual school is that there are at least a dozen dogs surrounding you during the hours spent there. So, essentially, it's heaven on earth. Can we all agree, though, that every school should have at least a few dogs roaming around the hallways? I came to this life-changing revelation today because, hear me out for a second, how fantastic would it be to have pet therapy for the students?! I'm positive productivity levels would increase by about 510 percent, but now I'm going off on a tangent which I ever so frequently do, so let's get back to the story, shall we?
Camp was undeniably long today, seven hours to be exact, but I'm incredibly happy to say that each recipient has been matched with their companion...including me! As each recipient was placed with a dog individually, the others waited for their names to be called in the main classroom. In an attempt to keep myself busy, I chatted with some new friends, checked my email a thousand times, texted my cousin and told her how unbelievably amazing this place was, and ate some Easy Mac. But, in the back of my mind, all I could think about was that my service dog and I were in the very same room for the first time. This. Wait. Was. Brutal. In fact, I imagine the feeling was equivalent to what the women feel during a rose ceremony on The Bachelor. Would there be a connection between me and the dog? Would the dog choose me as "the one"?
During the hours I spent waiting, I was anxiously anticipating the very moment when I could hear, "Alyssa, will you accept this leash?"For now, I'm going to keep my dog's identity private to the public with exception of a close few. I know, I'm sorry, I'm just the absolute worst! But, I promise to share more and more of HER (see what I did there?) throughout the week while we work on building our bond. It's going to be good, it's going to be exciting, and I hope you'll continue to follow me on my journey!
Until tomorrow, Alpharetta.
