3 life-changing lessons I learned after I became a dog walker in NYC.
It was about four months since I arrived in New York with a dream of living a life that I’ve always wanted to live. I had quit my corporate job in Korea and decided to live in the city where I was born. My friends and family back home were all excited about my new adventure. But my daily life was nothing but waking up late to make breakfast, think about what to eat for lunch, and dinner after lunch. Sometimes I tried to figure out where my life was heading, but everything felt like pitch-black darkness. It was so dark that I couldn’t see whether this road would lead me to a cliff edge or a garden full of flowers.
Compared to the slow speed of new life at which I was adjusted, my saving balance had shrunk at an alarming rate. I worked my ass off at my previous company for six years and saved enough money to make my dream come true. But the cost of living in NYC was so much higher than I expected that I started feeling anxious.
I had to make some money, but doing what? I didn’t want to commit to something that can sabotage my whole plan and end up doing the same thing as I used to do. When I talked to my sister over the phone, she said she was looking for someone to take her puppy for a walk. Then my eyes opened. That’s it! I could make some money, exercise, and see cute puppies.
But to be honest, I had no idea what to expect from dog walking except money, exercise, and a little bit of companionship. Not so long after, I found an app called Wag and applied to become a dog walker. It is like an Uber but for dogs.
Becoming a certified dog walker
Signing up for the app doesn’t mean that I could immediately become a dog walker. I had to pass an exam. They asked all sorts of questions from how to use different types of harnesses to what to do when your dog meets another dog. With the help of Google and Youtube, I managed to get a certificate. After you become a certified walker, you can then view the posts from dog owners and request matches. After a few trials and rejects, Wag finally matched me with a puppy named Po, who lives only 10 minutes away from where I lived.
When I met the owner, I explained how much I love dogs and skillful I am with dogs. Po seemed to like me, so I started walking him every day for 30 minutes during lunchtime.
Lesson 1. Every day with a new excitement
Po was the happiest dog in the world, rain or shine. Whenever I opened the door, he greeted me with that distinctive smile. He would jump around because he was just so happy to see me. One day, I forgot something from the apartment and had to come back after I finished the walk. Guess what? He was as excited as the first time he met me. For this tiny dog, every day, every moment was another excitement.
We tend to forget the joy and passion when we get used to things. The job you dreamed of is not exciting anymore after a few months. The butterfly in your stomach is gone after several dates. I hope we can all learn from Po how much joy we can have when we don’t lose such excitement.
Lesson 2. Progress over Perfection
By the time I became more confident with my dog walking, I had got another client named Frank. Frank was a large size schnauzer, and I could see his bare-bones through the sparse hair, and he was trembling when he saw me for the first time. The owner said they adopted him from the shelter recently. I couldn’t imagine how much pain and sorrow he had to go through. His eyes were deep gray, and it made me sad when I looked into his eyes.
Frank never learned how to walk on a leash, so he pulled me so hard like an ox pulling a cart. I tried to lure him with treats and cast various tricks, but I hardly saw improvement. I almost gave up on training him.
But after a few weeks, I noticed he was pulling a lot less. He was still way ahead of me, but I could finally say that we were walking, not running, or chasing. After we finished walking, he would try to come up on my lap, asking for a hug, as if he deserves some treat. While Frank learned how to walk, I learned how to live by myself in the new city.
When we try to do something that we have never done before, of course, it takes a lot more effort and time. Don’t be discouraged but keep doing it; we will eventually get there.
Lesson 3. The power of routine
The dog walking was a great source of side income and revitalized my drooping daily life. I almost forgot how precious it was to have things to do every day since I left my day job. As I started living with more routine, daunting big goals began to look approachable, and I could make progress little by little every day.
After months-long winter, spring had finally come in NYC. Flowers shyly raised their heads on the side road, and green leaves came upon the barely dried trees. Frank’s fur was getting shinier, and Po was still excited as usual. There have been many changes in my life, as well. I met like-minded friends in this lonely city, started a new contract job that excites me every day, and found my next apartment in Upper West Side.
I had to say goodbye to these lovely souls, but the lesson they taught me is still with me.
