My name is Kelly, and Bella is my 90 lb, 6 year old chocolate lab. I met Bella when she was 7 weeks old and fell in love. We have been adventuring ever since. Although not every place I wander allows her to be with me, you will discover she pretty much goes wherever I go. Seriously! My friends know that if I’m there, Bella’s there. I often reference her presence with me as “we” in stories and everyone knows that’s Bella.

I have moved a lot in my life, so starting new and experiencing and exploring unfamiliar territory is nothing novel to me. Growing up, I spent time living in Florida, Iowa, Tennessee, and back to Florida. I have recently found myself in Denver, Colorado after accepting an internship at the Denver Zoo. I fell in love with the mountains, and even though my internship is over, I plan on staying in this beautiful state for a little while longer. I prefer the challenge that the mountains offer over the waves that the ocean so devotedly offers. I also love the culture that Colorado brings to the table. As someone who is very passionate about animal welfare and human health, I find Denver has lots to offer in the ways of organic, wholesome, sustainable produce and animal products. This is great as I transition to a more vegetarian diet. I also love all the naturally made, local products that are so abundant in the marketplace. Yoga, live music, and drinking craft beer are also things I love and I find my biggest dilemma is making a choice between all the options the city has to offer. While I miss my friends and family back home, I am excited to see what this upcoming year will bring me. I think that Bella is happier here as well. I know she absolutely misses home, but watching her run and hike trails by my side makes me so happy, as I can see her joyful energy flowing out of her.

My dream is to obtain a 4-wheel drive vehicle that Bella and I can easily sleep in, and travel Northwest America and Canada. There’s so much I want to see. The best part about traveling/hiking with Bella is that she is one the most well behaved dogs you will ever meet. She stays right by my side, does not run unruly off the trails and through the brush. Bells has been off-the-leash trained since she was a puppy, responding instantly to vocal cues and commands. She waits patiently for me on trails, and has even picked the right trails home when I have gotten confused on where to go. Hopefully we will be able to do this soon, and I will be able to share these adventures with all of you.