I’m redoing my life plans.

The lockdowns of 2020 gave me the Poochmobile.  I spent hours learning and planning.  The van arrived in 2021 and converting it took me through the summer and early fall.  Now here I am, at the birth of 2022.  What comes next?

The Malignant Narcissist

That’s the working title.  I don’t expect it to stick, but it contains the fuel for my passion.  And it’s not just inspired by Trump’s lies and the destruction they have inflicted on our democracy.  Years ago another narcissist bullied me nearly to a breaking point.  She lost.  I found a pro bono lawyer and we sued.  But I vowed at that time to one day turn the torment her lies wrought on me into art.  So I’m writing a screenplay.

That’s what I did before I dove into the pet world.  My life path has been an unexpected one.  As a young person deciding “what I would be when I grew up”, I had narrowed it down to either fashion designer or ballerina. I chose fashion.  Won a contest.  Made it to Seventh Avenue. After five or so years, I found myself wanting more. I became an actress/writer.  Rescuing Woofie and BeaR dogs brought me back to fashion.  The pandemic now returns me to finding my voice through the the craft of storytelling.

Trips!

My mom is 96, and as long as she’s alive, I won’t be straying too far from home.  But there’s so much to explore inside a one-day drive.

For 2022 and the Poochmobile, the question becomes, how will I use it? It’s no fun to aimlessly travel alone.  And, while it would be fun to go all out developing a youtube series documenting my solo female #vanlife travels, historically I suck at promoting stuff like that.  And the internet is a crowded place,  If you’re not going to dedicate the time and money promotion requires, you will live in silent isolation.

At first bloom, I plan a few writing excursions: solo weekend local trips to harvest host locations. My protagonist lives in a van. The story isn’t about vanlife, but it is a part of the world of my story.  What better way to achieve authenticity than to live it?

I also want to build a real life connection to my social media dog friends.  The plan is to organize a few meetups built around fun events.  One I’m thinking of is the Tulip Festival in Holland, MI.  One is a wine festival near Niagara Falls.  And I really want to go to Maine.  They have a summer lobster festival.  For each event I want to meet up with some local dogs, organize a bunch of fun content creation moments, maybe hook up with a local rescue and promote what they’re doing, and end the excursion with a fun Poochmobile party.

The final thing I would LOVE to do is promote truth (in our world of lies) through something like Dogs for Democracy. I have no idea how I would do this, but it’s resting on my mind. If this idea lights your fire, let’s talk.

Do you have “new normal” plans?

COVID showed me that I don’t like isolation. Artistic ventures have always kept me good company, and they will continue t do that.  But those creations are a form of isolation. They come with the hope that simply posting them somewhere will build a connection.  But in truth that doesn’t  happen without serious promotion, which I suck at. Social media can give you a platform for your voice. It can also make you realize that no one can hear you.

So my 2022 goal is to build real life connections.

The Poochmobile is my vehicle to achieve that, literally.

How did COVID hit you?  Are you rethinking your future?  It there a cool event in the town where you live?  Do you had 4-5 doggie-mama friends who would like to organize something with me?  Who wants to help me make this happen?  I would love to hear from you in the comments below.