First Day

I finally made it! I checked into the Guide Dog campus. I am unpacked. I have my dog supplies; food, bowel, leash, etc. are all ready to go. There's a white fluffy dog bed right next to my own. All that's needed is my four-legged friend.

I have to tell that I'm incredibly excited as well as anxious. To be very honest, being back in this place that hasn't changed all that much after 13 years, I'm thinking of Stacey more than I ever thought I would, the fun we had and the challenges we faced. I'm excited to get a new dog, but I'm also anxious about whether or not it will be as good. My head says it will, but my heart's not as sure.

The people in my class seem to be quite nice. There are twelve of us total, six first-timers and six retrains. There are several teachers on summer break, so it's nice to have people here who sort of understand what I do. There's someone who does disability advocacy. There are two college students, and someone who's getting her PhD in linguistics. One of my classmates makes a lucrative living by playing the stock market. So as I you can see, I find myself in a very successful and highly animated group. We have folks who live in Iowa as well as folks who were born in China, so it's exciting times.

Tomorrow morning, I get to sleep in, eat, and start at 7 a.m. instead of 6. We have lectures and orientation in the morning, and then Dog Day in the afternoon. Yes, they make us wait until the afternoon. That means you will have to wait until tomorrow night to find out more.