I had always known that I wanted to adopt my own dog, but I never thought that it would happen while I was still in college full-time. I thought that my busy schedule would definitely get in the way. However, a little thing called COVID rudely interrupted the world and flipped my entire college experience upside down. Because of this, I had more free time than ever, never left my house and became lonely very quickly.
In March of 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic took over the world, I left my Tallahassee apartment and moved back home to my parents and the rest of my family. I was obviously bored, just like everyone else in quarantine, and began surfing the internet for the cutest puppies. Before COVID, I figured I would just adopt a dog right after I graduated college, but quarantine was the perfect excuse to speed up that process. Before I knew it, hundreds of Facebook posts and adoption forms later, I finally came across the perfect pup. The cutest little hound dog came across my feed, and I immediately messaged the adoption facility. A short two-hour drive later and I came face-to-face with my soon-to-be fur baby for the first time. She was calm, happy and super friendly. I decided to name her Daisy.
The first week of having Daisy was nothing but pure joy. She was exactly what I had been missing. Throughout quarantine, she quickly became attached to me and me to her. Our days consisted of lots of playtime, long walks and trips to the dog park. I am glad that I had the free time to dedicate to her. It would have been nearly impossible to raise Daisy with in-person classes and a part-time job.
Once school started back up in the fall, I decided to move into my own house back in Tallahassee and took Daisy with me. Daisy has been the perfect distraction for stressful school days. She gives me something to put my focus on and truly brings me so much comfort. The bond that has been built between us is like no other. She has even become the perfect resource for my boyfriend and friends to add a little boost to their stressful days. Don’t get me wrong, having a puppy is an insanely large financial and physical responsibility, especially in college. I’ve had my fair share of poop to clean up, torn-up couch cushions and uncontrollable energy, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
We recently celebrated Daisy’s first birthday, and I cannot believe how time has flown by. I’ve loved having Daisy by my side through my last year here at Florida State University and I know she loves it here too. She loves walking around campus, coming with me to local restaurants and bars and seeing other pups along the way. She is the best college companion, and I think that anyone who is up for the responsibility should definitely adopt a pup of their own.
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