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If we go, they go. That's our motto. We bring our dogs everywhere with us, whether across town or across an ocean. We provide tips for adventuring with dogs, tell our favorite cycle touring destinations, and share brutally honest stories from the road.

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Who are we?

Adventure with dogs Family picture

Hello! We are Jen and Dave, and we live for outdoor adventure, try to spend as many nights as possible in our tent, and won't say no to a good pint of beer.

No matter where we go, we bring along our two rescue pups, Sora and Laila. If they cannot come along with us, then we don't go. Plain and simple.

In 2015, we quit our office jobs to cycle tour across Europe and South America, towing Sora along for the ride and visiting 22 countries across the two continents over two years.

We hail from Portland, Oregon, but recently relocated to Granada, Spain to to take advantage of the Sierra Nevada mountains, a slower pace of life, and continue our Spanish language skills.

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Our Numbers

  • 3Continents visited
  • 29Countries visited
  • 25kMiles traveled
  • 248Zoomies run
  • 150+Articles written

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On our final morning of Sora's last weekend, we woke early for sunrise, as we had each day.This time, Dave and I did the thank you exercise together. I mentioned this a few weeks ago, but basically, you sit down with your dog and you thank them for everything you appreciate about them.I had done it many times alone with Sora, but never with Dave.We took turns thanking her.Sora, thank you for sitting by my side when I am sad. Sora, thank you for teaching Laila about being a good dog. Sora, thank you for being such an amazing travel companion. Sora, thank you for your morning snuggles and belly rubs. Sora, thank you for having the softest fur in the world. Sora, thank you for giving me the confidence to hike alone. Sora, thank you for giving me my voice. Sora, thank you for learning to trust and love people.There were many, many tears, but then, we began to start thanking her for the funny moments. Ones that made us laugh.Sora, thank you for being quiet so we could sneak you into Greece when we didn't have your correct paperwork. Sora, thank you for teaching me how to get skunk smell out of a dog on our first hike together. Sora, thank you for humping Laila after every meal. Sora, thank you for stealthily stealing my parents' salami from the counter when we were making pizza. Sora, thank you for eating my shit in Patagonia (yes, true story) Thank you for teaching my mom to make and then throw you hard-boiled eggs from the deck to you in the grass below, on demand. Sora, thank you for being so predictable that when you disappeared at camp, all we had to do was go in search of leftover food at nearby campsites.Today marks a week since she's been gone and the hole in our hearts is no smaller, but the memories she gave us made our hearts that much bigger. #sponsored by @zukespets #ZukesPack #LetsGoZukes #LiveLifeOffLeash
As we accepted that Sora's time with us was coming to an end, Dave kept lamenting about how she never had a retirement period. That she skipped the whole stage where she looses control of her bladder and wakes us up in the middle of the night, goes deaf and loses her vision. . I felt differently from Dave. I told him that Sora wouldn't have wanted a retirement. That she wouldn't have wanted to hang out by herself while we had adventures. She would never have wanted to burden us with waking us up during the night to carry her down four flights of stairs. She found the doggy secret to the fountain of youth, whatever that was, she hardly turned gray, barely went deaf, and those beautiful sky blue eyes never clouded with cataracts. . No, no, Sora would never have opted for a retirement when we still had so many more adventures to have together. . On our very last adventure together, we took Sora paddle boarding in the turquoise Waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Tired, she promptly settled on my board and hardly moved the whole time. I like to think that she did enjoy the last ride...that she feeling of gliding over the water soothed her. . Before getting into the water, while waiting for Dave to park the car. I tried giving Sora one of her treats. I broke it into teeny, tiny pieces and she happily took one after another. I was elated. She ate five, which for her at the time was like eating the whole bag. These treats were one of the last foods she ate and I am forever grateful to @zukespets who has been with us on our adventures until the very end. #sponsored #ZukesPack #LetsGoZukes #LiveLifeOffLeash
We spent Sora's last weekend at the beach, about an hour from Granada. Originally, it was meant to be a birthday weekend for me, but when we learned about Sora's lung, we made it all about her. . We awoke each morning for sunrise and strolled along on the empty beaches. Sora moved slowly, but still took in all the smells. . She had so many flickers of energy and personality that I thought this was all just a bad dream. That we'd go home and she'd be back to her old self. That was was made this all so difficult. She stayed so strong and never showed us she was in pain until the very end. . But I knew in my gut that this would be our last weekend together. So you know what we did? We made it a damn good one. #sponsored by @zukespets #ZukesPack #LetsGoZukes #LiveLifeOffLeash
How do I even begin to thank you all?In my darkest days, you made my gutted heart feel full again with all the love you displayed for Sora.I tried to keep up with all the comments across our social media channels and it was impossible. I'd think I'd finish and then more and more would appear. Please know that if I didn't respond, I've read them all.You hiked, biked, ate falafel, snuggled, and took your dogs along all in the name of Sora.You dedicated photos, precious space on your feeds, and sent me stories telling me how you celebrated and remembered my dog.You wrote posts about Sora with words so beautiful tears streamed down my face.You told me how Sora inspired your own travels, gave you courage to bring your dog along, and how you got a bike trailer because of us.All this for a dog whom most of you have never even met. . Thank you for your love and comfort over this past week. Thank you for joining our adventures. Thank you for taking your dogs along. Thank you for giving me a space to be vulnerable. Thank you for the friendships. Thank you, most of all, for loving Sora.
Today, we celebrate Sora. Thank you so much to everyone who has joined her virtual "furneral" with photos, stories, and dedicating hikes and trail runs to her. I have such immense gratitude for this community that has filled my empty heart during my darkest days. Thank you for letting Sora into your lives and for loving her like an old friend. #sorasnextadventure #powerofsora ---------------------------- I can't fit her entire obituary here. You can read the full version on our blog.Sora Hocholongo, née Gracie, and affectionately also known as Borba, Borbatov, and the Toffee celebrated her chosen birth date on January 24th 2005. With bravery, dignity, and yes, grace, she made her way peacefully to the Rainbow Bridge on October 10th, 2018. Picked up as a three-year-old stray in 2008 in Tri Cities, WA, found herself @fdnewlife shelter in Portland, Oregon where her sky blue eyes seduced her Pappaz, Dave Hoch to come and meet her.  Smitten by her piercing stare, he took her home that same day, February 9, 2008.In 2012, Sora was introduced to her Mammaz, Jen Sotolongo and bonded with her immediately. Most famously, Sora convinced her humans to take her on the adventure of a lifetime: a bicycle tour across Europe and South America.Over the course of her bicycle journey, and travels before and after the trip, Sora visited 29 countries on three continents, arriving by bike, train, car, plane, and boat. Stories of her travels are shared in various publications and she was selected for the cover of the April 2018 issue of @adventurecycling magazine.An proponent of adoption, Sora accepted the job as the Spokesdog for Adoption in the city of Medellín, Colombia. Working with animals rights group @defenzoores_asociacion, she advocated for the adoption and rescue of the abandoned animals roaming city streets and crowding shelters.Having faithfully completed her duties to her beloved humans, and to all the friends she met along her life’s journey. She will be reunited with her brother Maxwell and feline sibling, Nima at the Rainbow Bridge.
Yesterday, with compassion, we said an incredibly difficult good bye to our best friend, Sora. . The likely cancer in her lungs spread like fire, causing a rapid decline of her physical body. The agony of seeing her in pain caused us all unbearable suffering. . For several hours before her time, I lay with her in bed, spooning her, caressing her, thanking her, and telling her I loved her. I left her side only to pee. . I stroked her body and rubbed her belly when she rolled over into my arms. . I told her "I love you" a thousand times, her head would whip back in response to stare into my eyes to reply "I love you too, Mammaz." . I buried my nose into the scruff of her neck, intoxicating myself with her smell, locking it into my memory. I massaged her body as I told her, "Soon, Borbie, soon you will be free." I cried silent tears that soaked her head, breathing long, deep breaths so as not to sob and cause her stress with my profound grief. . When our vet walked in, Sora sat up and thump-thumped her tail. She gave her a kiss on the face, a rarity in her final days, as if to say "thank Dog you're here. I'm ready." . How can the worst day of my life also be one of my best days with her? The hours spent snuggling in bed bring me such gratitude that her affection still remained on her last day together. . The love and admiration you have shown for our beloved dog is remarkable and we want to celebrate her life with all of you. . WE INVITE you to join us this Friday in a virtual "furneral” to send her off on #sorasnextadventure. . How can you particiapte? 🐾 Share a photo of Sora if you met her with your pups in your feed or stories. 🐾 Tell us how Sora inspired you to travel or get outside with your dog. 🐾Take your pup on an adventure, big or small, tomorrow in her honor. 🐾Share a meal of (onion-free) falafel with your dog (Sora's favorite). 🐾Tag us and use #sorasnextadventure so we don't miss anything. . Thank you for your support, kindness, and most of all, your adoration for our Sora.
The first time I met Sora, Dave warned me that she was shy with new people.I wasn't worried because I love animals, and so naturally, they would automatically love me right back.I fell smitten for Sora immediately and took her head in my hands and rubbed and rubbed.The whole time, my new boyfriend was probably sucking in his breath and willing her not to lunge at me. Luckily, Sora fell as hard for me as I did for her.I didn't realize that by shy, he meant fearful and that she could react to my overbearing machine washing of her head. I was ignorant back then.Thanks to Sora, I've since learned that dogs don't automatically love me because I love them.But, luckily Sora did.Our bond cemented together in those first few minutes. For some reason, she trusted me from the start. She knew of the love and life we'd share together.I became her person and she my dog. And nothing will ever break that bond.
On Friday, we went to Sora's oncologist for more tests to try and figure out what is going on. . She still isn't eating much and it's been two weeks. We've tried dozens of different types of foods to try and coax her to eat, but she doesn't want any of them. Actually, she does, I can see how much she wants to eat, but her body won't allow it. After her humans, food is her favorite thing in the world. I have never felt more helpless and heartbroken to not be able to give her what she needs. . An ultrasound showed that she has something in one of her lung "loafs." It could be that her cancer has metastasized or it could be something else. It's making eating painful, likely because it is pushing against her esophagus. She's also been coughing and drinking loads of water each day. . We have the option to do a CAT scan to see if it is indeed cancer and whether it is localized to the one loaf or just an aspiration to see if it's cancer. Both of these options require sedation and then surgery if the mass is localized. . Our final option is to do nothing. To just let Sora live out the rest of her days until we see that she is suffering. . I promised Sora after her fourth surgery and second round of cancer therapies that I would never make her have surgery again. I would never put her back in the cone again. I would never make her have a wound that takes months to heal again. She has spent much of 2018 in a cone recovering from surgeries and radiation treatment and fall of 2017 doing the same. We won't do it to her again. . After days of hardly eating, we see that she isn't well. But in the beginning, she looked so normal. Trotting along on hikes, playing with Laila, barking at strange voices. Just days ago, she was our same Sora on the outside. And she still has sparks of moments that let us know that she's not quite ready. . Our time together is very limited. I stare at her lying on the cool floor, trying to memorize the pattern of her coat. I'm afraid I'll forget. I stroke her fur, soft as an old favorite fleece sweater. I gaze into her eyes and tell her it will be ok, though I think really, she's the one who is telling me.
Our hikes are a little shorter, our adventures more tame. We use the car more often to get around than we usually would. It's an adjustment and sometimes disappointing to have to wait and add another trek or destination to our list for future trips. But it's all ok. Because if we go, she goes. #neverleavethedgbehind #soratheexplorer #galsbestpal
You may never have thought about the importance of sun protection for dogs, but like humans, the sun can lead to damaging eye conditions and skin cancer. Read the article to see how you can prevent sun damage to your dog.

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