Enzzo’s last trip

Yes. If you ever had a pet in your life you know that the day you will have to part ways will come, that being soon or after a decade together. Unfortunately, they don’t last long enough to be there when we fall in love, get married and see our children grow up all in one lifetime. Yes, it sucks. Yes, it hurts.

This year Enzzo is turning 11, exactly on the day when Baby M will turn 1. They were born on the same day, 10 years apart, and oh am I grateful for that! September 19^th is the most special day of the year to me. But that’s not why I’m writing this post and pouring my heart out for you. Well, I just couldn’t find a better title than “Enzzo’s last trip”, and the reason is because, literally, soon Enzzo will be taking his last trip with us. Before I get into details, let me go back a few years, precisely 5 years, to explain how and why today you are reading this post.

It was winter of 2013, the year W. and I got married. Enzzo was a crazy dog, I say crazy because it was close enough, but a nice kind of crazy. The kind that used to escape from the backyard to be found in the city’s animal shelter, or by the river swimming. The crazy kind that loved running wild and free, digging holes, scratching his back on a soil covered in cow’s shit, capable of swimming for hours and not ever get tired, and burring his face in the snow. However, our lives changed in that winter of 2013 when, while running through the snow, he slipped on the ice and got himself a herniated disk.

He couldn’t walk properly for months, he took different medicines, did physiotherapy sessions, and yes, we did spend a crazy amount of Euros (at the same time trying to afford our wedding) but it didn’t matter, because we were grateful and so happy that he was still with us. Since then, we enjoyed every single of second with him by our side. We are really lucky to see him turning 11. It’s incredible to look back to the weekend that we thought we would lose him at 5 years old, I can’t even believe it. I AM SO GRATEFUL.

Because of that winter, he always had trouble with his back and hips. The past 2 years were filled with ups and downs. Every time he got a bad back pain we would think: “that’s it”. No, it is not a nice feeling knowing that someday your best friend won’t be able to walk anymore and you will need to make a decision. Well, this time is now closer than we might know. This year has been a pretty tough one for him, for all of us. His well being is one of the main reasons why we almost didn’t take trips this year, and also because I haven’t been feeling like posting on social media as often as I used to.

In the past month he got way worse, and after a few exams we discovered that he doesn’t have the ligaments of his hips anymore, and that the only thing that keeps him walking are his muscles. He is too old for a surgery, and is now taking painkillers and doing physiotherapy sessions. All this to provide him the best quality of life we can, but we painfully know that it won’t work for long, and that the day we’ve been avoiding for years is approaching.

Yes. He is still here with us. As I write this post, he’s in the balcony chewing on a bone, and his condition improved in the past couple of weeks. He’s still the same crazy dog, but unfortunately his body doesn’t allow him to do most of the things he wants to. Now, after all this background (important to get you involved and help you understand how we ended up here) let’s talk about Enzzo’s last trip.

This trip was supposed to happen last May/June, but because Enzzo wasn’t in a good state, we postponed it to September with some changes to adjust to the current situation. It will be a road trip, and it will involve the beach and the sea, because that’s Enzzo’s favourite place on Earth (and where he grew up in Brazil, on the beach). Coincidence or not, the only exercise he’s allowed to do is swimming, and that’s exactly what he most loves doing (after eating, I guess). We thought he deserved to see the sea for the last time, and so we decided to go forward with our plan to drive from Munich to Sardinia, Italy.

Yes, it is a long way, but we will make stops along the route, and all the places where we are staying at are dog friendly, but most importantly in this case: (dog) handicap friendly, which means, no stairs (his worse enemy at the moment). So here’s how it’s going to be:

Day 1: Munich (home) to Verona
Day 2: Verona to Pisa
Day 3: Pisa – Livorno (ferry) – Sardinia
Day 4 to day 9: Sardinia
Day 10: Sardinia – Livorno – Casole d’Elsa
Day 11: Casole d’Elsa
Day 12: Casole d’Elsa to Garda Lake
Day 13: Garda Lake
Day 14: Garda Lake – Munich (home)

Lots of planning, booking, lists and preparations are being made throughout this month of August, including talks with his vet and physiotherapist. All of this without even knowing if it’s going to work (fingers crossed) because if he gets worse, it will all have to be cancelled last minute. We will definitely need some positive thoughts from your side, and hope that in just a few days Enzzo will be embarking on his last trip with us, when he will be able to swim in the sea again… for the last time.

Of course, if everything goes well, you will be able to follow Enzzo’s last trip on our Instagram and Facebook. The trip will happen between August 31^st and September 13^th, afterwards you will be reading all about it here on the blog.

Thank you all for understanding our difficult time. Enzzo will always be our traveling dog, and we will never forget all the adventures we lived together in this life. Here is to more unforgettable moments with him!