“My dog healed my broken heart”
When author Belinda Jones, 49, was dumped, it took an exciting adventure and someone very special to make her smile again…
’d lived in Los I Angeles for 15 years when I met Nathan in a bar on New Year’s Eve in 2008. He was 13 years younger than me but was mature for his age and I fancied him straight away. He was in the Navy and based in Chicago, so we flew back and forth to see each other for three months before he was eventually stationed closer to me. We chatted about marriage and kids and I started saving for our future. I was sure that he was The One.
But in December 2009, Nathan found out he was going to be deployed to Somalia and told me he didn’t want to have a long-distance relationship. It was over. I was devastated, but I knew he’d always put his career in the Navy first and there was nothing I could say that would change his mind.
For months I wallowed. I pulled away from my friends and spent days in tears. My family were all back in the UK and I’d never felt more lonely.
Then, one day in March 2010, I walked past a dog shelter and saw some of the rescue pets outside – and one caught my eye immediately. Bodie, a two-yearold mixed breed with golden fur, had a gorgeous underbite that made it look like he was grinning. The rescuers told me he’d be put down that week if he wasn’t rehomed. Horrified at the thought, I said I’d take him.
PERFECT DISTRACTION
Two weeks later, Bodie arrived at my apartment. It was earlier than expected and I didn’t even have a dog bowl or lead – it felt like I was bringing a newborn home without having a nursery ready! So I busied myself making my flat doggy friendly. At the end of the day, I realised I hadn’t thought about Nathan for hours. My cute dog was the perfect distraction from a broken heart.
Over the following days, I spent hours hiking with Bodie in the Los Angeles hills, going to dog parks and meeting up with friends. My pal Molly had an English Mastiff called Winnie, and they loved playing together.
FREEDOM
But then Molly moved 1,000 miles away to Portland, Oregon, so I decided to take Bodie on a road trip to visit them.
I hired a car and set off. We made a stop in Santa Barbara where Bodie saw the ocean for the first time – running along the beach after him, I felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I was the happiest I’d been in months.
I loved chatting to other dog owners, too. Most were men, but while I had the occasional flirty chat, it didn’t go any further, which was fine by me. I wasn’t ready for anything serious. Bodie was all the company I needed!
For the next two weeks, we made our way up the coast; staying at dog-friendly hotels. I never felt alone as people would always stop to chat to us both.
I realised I finally felt completely free of my heartbreak. I was content being alone and it was such a relief to not think about Nathan constantly. Just being able to watch Bodie have so much fun made me realise I’d never be alone if I was with him.
Along the way, we did have a couple of tricky patches – Bodie didn’t fare too well on a boat trip and howled the whole time at a drive-in cinema. But otherwise, he was a dream. We went on woodland walks with other dog owners, combed beaches and even went on a trip to a dogthemed winery before we made it to Portland.
We spent a wonderful three days with Molly and Winnie
❛Bodie Made Me realise that i’d never Be alone if i was with him❜
and went to a dog parade before driving home along a different route. At first I was nervous about going back home, but instead of being sad and down, I just planned our next adventure.
A NEW CAREER
Over the next couple of years, we drove across America twice and last year we moved back to the UK to stay with my mum until I decide what’s next for us.
Finding Bodie when I was in such a bad place was the best thing that could have happened. He’s become the love of my life and coming home to him every night is the best feeling in the world. I used to want marriage and kids, but I’m more than happy with just Bodie now.
He has given me a new career writing about our adventures as I started blogging about our trips. I got so many hits and lots of people contacted me to say they loved our story.
After my split with Nathan, I never thought I’d want to date again, but I’m now more open to the idea after all these years. But whoever I meet will have to be a dog person – and Bodie would have to give his approval!