The spirit of running on the beach

About two years ago, I accidentally came across this photo by Ellen Kooi. For me, it represents absolute happiness, complete carefree abandon, and I always have it as my wallpaper or somewhere I can see it frequently because seeing those dogs running wild on the beach always brings a smile to my face.

With that image etched in my brain, a few days ago I found myself on a beach at the foot of the Golden Gate when I realized it was the closest I would ever get in real life to my favorite photo. The beach is called Crissy Field, it's where all the dog walkers go and the place just radiates happiness.

The dogs run around like crazy, playing peacefully with each other, running, jumping, chasing the ball and throwing themselves into the sea as if they were aquatic record-breakers. They never get tired, never. For them, there are no worries beyond enjoying the moment to the fullest, and for others, it's relaxing to watch them; one could spend hours looking at them.

I remember that when I met the Consort, I was unemployed (not everything has been glamour and appearing in magazines, friends, it took a lot to get here but it's better not to talk about the boring stuff) and when he asked me what I wanted to do with my life, I told him I planned to become a dog walker. It was a serious goal, I couldn't think of a better job in the world and I was about to do it with a friend. Finally, I took another path, also quite interesting, and the only thing I regret is having been so overwhelmed all that time with what I was going to do with my life. In the end, it's better to focus on chasing a ball that has just been thrown to you, without thinking about anything else than getting it, bringing it back and waiting for another one to be thrown. In the end, everything works out if you don't get tired and keep going, so it's better to be happy along the way.

Of course, when I saw the scene, I went for the most beautiful being on this earth and we spent the whole day chasing each other, biting, and kissing. I'm talking about Will, what did you think?

This post is dedicated to all of you who are suffering from going back to the office and long for the spirit of the beach.

Doggy kisses,
The Countess who would have been a fantastic dog walker