For one, not having grown up with pets in my life, and having simply been the financial provider for my children’s pets, my view of pets was that they were nothing but a liability. Therefore, the most responsible and logical conclusion at the time was to find its owner or to get this 7 pound baby animal adopted by a loving family. After all, how can anyone, besides me, refuse to take in such an adorable fur ball! One look into its eyes and it would be all over.

To my surprise, this task proved to be harder than expected. First, no one in the apartment complex claimed a lost puppy. Second, the combination of most local Chinese people not being fond of mutts and all my foreigner colleagues being within a month of leaving the country decreased the chance of her adoption to zero. Third, having seen firsthand the horrific conditions of the local animal shelter, I couldn’t bear the thought of reducing this full and innocent puppy life to one of hopelessness and near death.

There I was, contract ended, due to leave, dying to come home, yet this puppy had come into my life. Conflicted and torn between my logical self and my emotional self, an inner war shortly ensued. I was reduced to torturous hours of head scratching, researching, and soul searching, while one friend after another left for the summer. In the end, I delayed my departure by 2 months to get her the required shots, apply for her official passport, and board her on the most appropriate international flight so that she can have a life in the USA with me.

I named her Meraki, a Greek word meaning to do everything with soul, creativity, and love. It’s such an appropriate name for her because it certainly took all of things for me to go from rescuing her from the streets, to accepting her into my life, then to brining her all the way home where I’m starting a new chapter. Looking back on the year with all the challenges of starting afresh with a new career path, Meraki has been by my side every step of the way, literally. She is completely attached to me and protective of me. She constantly reminds me to look at the brighter, happier, and warmer side of things. She is teaching me fully to live in the moment, love unconditionally, and let go. While I continue to be faced with many growing pains both personally and professionally, I’m mindful of my energy and I make a conscientious effort to choose simplicity, innocence, and positivity. For as long as Meraki is in my life, I plan to “Meraki” the heck out of this business and everything that we meet on this journey. It makes me wonder, in the end, who really rescued who after all?