Zatopek
Andy and Zatopek
I had thought about owning a dog for years, but just didn't think I would have the time being a fulltime graduate student working on my engineering PhD. At the end of last summer, I went for it anyways, knowing I could offer a better life than what she currently had. At the time I was very depressed and lonely, getting my PhD in a small town where everyone is either college aged or retired, there weren't many people in their late 20s for me to befriend - so I turned to alcohol to drown my depression. Of course this only made things worse. Once I got Zatopek, I had to wake up early to take her out, and be there at night to feed her. An unforseen side effect, this caused me to stop drinking as much to fulfill my responsibility. I also starting going for runs with her and being outside more. Long story short, I went from being a depressed, lazy, psuedo-alcoholic, to a happy, energetic, athletic person, who has the best, cuddly dog ever!