My sweet pooch, Ginger is about 16 years old. I rescued her at about 4-5 months old and she has been a member of my family ever since. She lived with me at my mum’s while I studied at university, and moved out with me to my first sharehouse in Fitzroy where she had another dog and three cats to play with.

When Tom and I moved in together, she came too. Then, in 2012 we moved to Germany – originally expecting to only stay away two or maybe three years – so we left her behind with my mother.

Two years became three and eventually became five and we’re still not back home in Melbourne. Bringing pets between NZ and Australia is much easier than between Australia and … pretty much anywhere else, but she is 16 years old now and the vet won’t recommend a big, stressful move like that anymore.

I spent about 10 days in Melbourne recently – Ginger has had a big, cancerous tumour removed from her spleen. She’s been extremely sick, and has been starting chemotherapy treatment while she recovers. Not that you’d know it to spend any time with her! She’s still otherwise as healthy as ever (although she stops eating for a day or two between chemo appointments). She loves her walks, and she loves her family!

I’ve missed her so much while we’ve been away, I really love having pets and recommend it to everyone always. Pets are good for you!

The visit to Melbourne was planned at short notice, so I was working while I was there and didn’t have a lot of time to visit everyone or everything I would have liked. Nevertheless, I caught up with lots of friends who have become parents while we have been overseas and explored lots of my old favourite places like Brunswick, Thornbury and Glenferrie Road (Hawthorn).

This visit was all about family, and since Tom wasn’t with me, I stayed with my Grandma and spent the days working at my mum’s house (slightly better internet) to work with my pooch at my feet. It was slightly surreal staying with my Grandma, as she still lives in the house I grew up in, and I stayed in my old childhood bedroom! No posters left on the walls, though – it’s a sewing studio these days!

My Grandma is turning 90 just after Christmas this year, so we’re hoping to head over again at that time – hoping even more so that everyone won’t be too busy to hang out with us a little bit while we’re there!