I loved Adamant, a teeny tiny town reachable only by miles of dirt roads, yet somehow close to dancing. It had a tiny little shop and post office next door, plus forests, a pond, and dirt roads we tromped on every day.

But Central Vermont was too inconvenient for my long-distance boyfriend. While he definitely didn’t want to tell me where to live, he also complained about the situation. So when it was time to move, I tried to pick a place closer to a major airport. That took me all the way to Springfield, Massachusetts, over three hours from my friends I’d made, and practically the opposite of Adamant’s middle-of-nowhere feel.

Feebs loved the backyard, but I was reminded why I left Salt Lake City. She is a country dog. Between the city noise, frequent thunderstorms (and even a tornado warning), having to start all finding friends and hiking spots and dancing, and the fact that said boyfriend broke up with me soon after we arrived, things were rough.

Still, I’m glad we stayed. I learned a lot about what she likes, what I like, and what we’re looking for. By the end of the summer, we’d found places to dance and hike. And to my surprise, I accidentally found a much better partner, too.