On the Road with Maya: Maya's Story

Maya, beachcombing at Nehalem Bay, Oregon, 2014

In all the years of keeping this travel journal blog, I realize I’ve never told Maya’s story and how she came to be a part of our lives and travels. Some of our friends know her story and were there when it began but many do not, so here goes…

Having lunch with a Mt. Hood view, Oregon 2012

In the spring of 2010 David and I were both working long hours at our respective jobs. We were petless at that time, our last dog had died two years before and we knew our busy lives could not give a puppy or kitten the proper attention they deserved. We were beginning to envision our big dream of buying an RV and traveling the United States and Canada. We weren’t sure yet exactly how that would work out, or if we even wanted to travel with a dog. Having a pet does complicate traveling and we hadn’t decided for sure that we wanted those complications.

Our very first week on the road, Hyde Park campground near Santa Fe, NM, 2012

Adjusting to RV life

Not all that hard to do

But in the meantime, the house was awfully empty without a dog. We missed our little shelties welcoming us home every day and the long walks we all took together. I brought a few stray kitties home from the Botanical Garden where I worked, and we kept them a few weeks, shared ring worms with some of them and eventually found homes for them. There was one we almost kept, but he did not like the car so he would not have been happy traveling.

Roan Mountain on the Appalachian Trail, Tennessee, 2013

One day I got an e-mail from a friend with a picture of a dog that needed a home. The dog looked very sheltie-like, had big beautiful eyes and a very touching story. Her owner had cancer and only had days to live. She had kept her dog with her and then it had become too late for her to find a home for her beloved Myra (that was Maya’s name before). The ex-husband wanted to take the dog to the city pound. Friends stepped in and ‘rescued’ Myra. Several foster homes had been found for her and one man had adopted her for a few weeks and then brought her back. Things were not working out at all for Myra. She was one heartbroken dog. And she was 6 years old. Most people didn’t want to adopt an older dog.

Who could resist these beautiful eyes?

Morning mist in the Sequoias, California, 2014

Her story touched me so much. When I showed David the e-mail and photo I asked, could we at least meet her and consider if she could be part of our family? She was not a puppy and it might work out. He was touched too and said yes. I e-mailed back, and we arranged to meet Myra.

Our first reaction to her was, “Oh, she is much bigger than she looked in her picture.” Myra was not a sheltie at all but a 52-pound Australian Sheppard. She was very friendly but obviously nervous and unsure. Considering all the changes she had been through, we couldn’t blame her. Despite her nervousness and pacing, David and I could see what a sweet and well-trained dog she was. We made arrangements for her to stay with us for the weekend. And she never left.

Top of Mt. Baxter, Adirondack Mountains, New York, 2013

Taking advantage of a pond, Acadia National Park, Maine, 2013

The first thing we did was change her name ever so slightly. Myra was just not a dog name to me. I had a hard time calling her that. But we didn’t want to change things on her too much. She had been through enough. Thankfully she didn’t even seem to notice the dropped ‘r’ in her name.

Maya had some separation anxiety. She took to us very quickly, almost clinging and didn’t want to be left alone. I think she was still very insecure, not knowing that this was going to be her forever home, that we weren’t going to trade her off in a few weeks. The week after we got her was spring break and I was able to take a few days off from work to help her adjust. After a few weeks, Maya seemed to relax and know that it was all going to be ok.

Volunteering at Government Canyon State Park, 2014

Pets and kisses are all part of campground duty

But Maya was still a very high energy dog and in order for her to relax and be ok all day while we were gone, she needed some serious exercise. David took her for a mile walk every morning before work. I came home for lunch and walked her, then we both walked her a couple of miles every night. And on weekends there were trips to the dog park or longer hikes in the hill country.

Occasionally the rain was a little too much even for Maya

But a warm towel is a good thing

That summer we all lost weight. David and Maya both lost 12 pounds and I lost about 3. Maya had been a bedside dog the last year of her life and was overweight. Everybody was in much better shape after all that walking. The separation anxiety melted away. Maya melted everyone’s heart. It was becoming obvious that she was a very special dog.

We found out that Maya had been in Delta Dog training, a therapy dog program. So, we all went to training mainly to learn what Maya already knew and for David and me to be able to work with her.

Sometimes life gives you a lot of flies, Michigan 2015

And sometimes you have to take refuge in the shower

We took Maya camping with us and of course she was a great traveler and camper. The first time we all slept, or I should say tried to sleep, in a tent together, Maya kept us up all night kissing us. She was just so happy we were all sleeping together on the ground, how it should be in her eyes.

The High Trail on the Pacific Crest Trail, Ansel Adams Wilderness, California 2014

A year later, David and I left Maya with friends for two weeks while we rented an RV in Oregon. We flew to Portland and drove the RV to Crater Lake with many stops in beautiful State Parks and beaches along the way. It rained almost the whole time we were in Crater Lake. But we hiked all day in rain gear, came back to the RV, had a hot shower, cooked dinner in a warm, dry RV, had a hot meal and a good night’s sleep with no rocks poking in our backs. We decided for sure we wanted to buy an RV, sell the house and hit the road a.s.a.p.

On a hot day in the desert, resting in the car is not so bad

The next year flew by as David and I prepared for the big changes in all our lives. Maya and I completed PAWS training (another therapy dog program) and were both certified as a therapy team. Even though she wouldn’t get to be a therapy dog for very long, she seemed born to do it. I wanted to give her the opportunity to do that work for a while. We visited nursing homes and facilities with Down’s Syndrome children and young adults. Maya was a huge hit and so very sweet and gentle. She seemed to really have a sense for the people who needed to pet with her most. And crying was never allowed. Anyone who was crying had their tears licked away and Maya doing every silly thing she could do to cheer them up.

"Ain't no mountain high enough..." Jewel Basin, Montana 2014

In June of 2012, right before our 35^th wedding anniversary, David, Maya and I all took off for places unknown – to be vagabonds and live on the road together for however long it suited us. You know the story from here. We traveled for almost 3 ½ years continuously and then for the last two summers we have been traveling in the west (not too far from West Texas where my parents live) while living and going to school in Nacogdoches in far East Texas.

Bee sting on the paw requires a rescue

Whidbey Island, Washington 2014

Maya refused to give up her therapy dog duties afterall and continued them while we were on the road together. She found the people in campgrounds who most needed pets. It amazed me how many times she would go up to someone and just lay her head on their lap or nuzzle them into petting her. Some people would say how much they were missing their dog that they had to leave at home for their vacation as they petted and talked to Maya. Sometimes others would break down and cry telling us of the recent loss of their beloved dog. If Maya could reach their face, the tears were licked away. Also, thanks to Maya, we made some great friends on the road. Seems like she may have known who we most needed to meet.

Friends Dustin, Melissa and Rocky that Maya introduced us to, 2016

You might think it was the dogs that attracted Maya but not so,

Maya first introduced us to Dustin and Melissa in 2013 in the

Smoky Mountains when they were traveling without Rocky

More friends, Tom and Sandi from Minnesota and Maya's twin, Nikki

This spring while packing and preparing to move to Alpine, it was becoming ever more obvious that Maya was not going to make this move with us. She had bounded back from several health issues this last year but after Christmas it became harder and harder for her to get up and walk. Her appetite was waning, and she just didn’t feel that well anymore. At 14 ½, age was finally catching up with her. But still she had a tremendous heart and love of life. She rested when she needed to and wanted to play and be silly when she felt good enough to do so. She was still so sweet, not only to us but to everyone. Not a cranky bone in her aging body! I sure can’t say the same.

Getting carried outside, March 2018

It's nice to be moved around in bed. Much easier sometimes...

As heartbroken as we were, David and I tried to stay up and positive for Maya. She had brought such joy to our lives and was the best traveling companion we could ever have wanted. She deserved for us to give her our best at the last. We were grateful that she didn’t have cancer and that we didn’t have to put her through extreme treatments or surgeries. She just got old. All we had to do was love on her and make the days left to her the best we could and finally, let her go. And that we did.

One day in mid-March, we decided it was time to help Maya leave us. She had lost so much weight, wasn’t eating and on her last morning she couldn’t get up at all. The vet had done a great job helping us keep her mostly pain-free, but that morning we saw pain in her eyes. She was telling us it was time. We held Maya close and tried very hard not to cry, but we did. And she licked our tears away making us smile.

Maya just two days before she left us, still as beautiful and silly as ever

with a sprig of holly in her mouth

Over the years when we would be out in our own neighborhoods or on the road, most people would know Maya’s name and not ours. We were known as Maya’s people and that was always just fine by us. Now that she is gone, we both realize what a privilege it was to be Maya’s people and we are very happy and proud to have been so.

Maya's people

Waterton National Park, Alberta, Canada 2014

Split Rock Lighthouse, Michigan, 2015

Six years ago, when I started blogging and named this blog “On the Road with Maya,” I had an inkling that this day might come and that one day I might regret having named my blog after her. But I don’t and I’m not going to change the name now. To me “On the Road with Maya” will be forever symbolic of living and loving life to its fullest, embracing adventure and when needed, having the tears licked away…