I officially have a new dog

Up until about 2.5 months ago, I had owned at least one dog for 25 straight years (I think 28 to be more precise). The one I had put down 2.5 months ago was my favorite of the lot. She was an all white Siberian Husky, and while she wasn't void of her share of quirks, she was a bundle full of joy and energy, always seeming to have a big smile on her face. It took 2.5 months before I thought I may be ready to research and potentially get another. A couple of dog shelter volunteers stopped by Saturday morning with a 1.5-year-old Siberian Husky (a combination of white, black, grey, and red), and unless she has a bad check-up which confirms an earlier doctor's worry about cataracts (a later check-up countered that belief, and from what I can see, she doesn't have any problems with her sight), she's found herself a new home. 

To this point, it's honestly been a rather surreal and draining experience. I was so busy with my college courses when my first husky was a puppy, my father, whom worked at home at the time, took the brunt of the responsibility. That's not the case this time, and with me working at home, it's been quite the couple of days for me, especially on the sleeping front (or lack there of). I was able to take her for three walks today, so I'm praying to the puppy gods that she's had enough exercise to warrant more sleep this evening (for both she and I). 

As I mentioned, along with being quite tiring, it's been a surreal couple of days too, and that's because this dog reminds me so much of my last one. From her eyes, to her smile, to her energy, and knack for chewing up things, to some of her other antics, there are times I look over and I see my old dog. That's difficult at times, and I'm beginning to wonder if I got another dog too soon. After my last one was diagnosed with cancer and had to be put down, I kept telling myself I'd never allow myself to get that close to a dog again. Hopefully, before too terribly long, I'm able to get over my last dog suddenly passing away, and this one will start distinguishing herself, so I'm not always reminded of the old one when spending time with this one. This might be a bigger adjustment than I had anticipated, but hopefully before too long, this will be the start of a good life change for me, and I'll be able to move forward and grow as a result.