Following a distinguished line of well-loved pups, I brought Hudson home after a short road trip to Wisconsin yesterday. I’d been thinking about it for over a year, making lists and preparing. Then, last week, the timing finally felt right.

My only self-imposed stipulations were that it couldn’t be a Chow Chow or a girl. I wanted no room for comparisons to my sweet Kallie. I wanted something different and new to me. Plus, I needed a dog who could (eventually) walk with me on the 3-5 mile walks I’ve been taking over the last couple of years. The Golden Retriever’s physique and temperament checked all the boxes.

Bringing Hudson home conjures nostalgic memories of bringing Kallie home in 2012. Then, I was only a year out from Ken’s death—more lost and fragile than I wanted anyone to know. Kallie was the impetus for dragging me out of myself and back into the world at large. She did it expertly, and is forever entrenched in the most special place in my heart for that and so many other reasons.

Hudson has a less daunting job with the current version of me. My only expectations of him are playing in the house (learning to negotiate the stairs, please) and the yard, going on hikes and walking the neighborhood with me, visiting the farmer’s market in the summer, and whatever else we decide to get up to! Also, naps. Lots of naps.

I love loving a dog, and after almost two years, it feels right, and it feels like I’m home, too. (I also feel tired, slighly punctured, and pretty blissful.) But, with the benefit of experience, I know we’ll settle into our routine soon enough.