There are some friendships that begin in the most unexpected ways. Mine with Sandra started because of a dog.
Back in 2017, Sandra came to see a project I had worked on. During our conversation, she spotted Darcy and casually mentioned that she had a cockapoo too. As dog people often do, we immediately started comparing notes — and then discovered something extraordinary: our dogs came from the same breeder and were only four months apart in age.
That tiny coincidence became the beginning of a wonderful friendship.
Over the years, our lives evolved, and we did interior projects together, but the dogs always remained at the centre of our connection. Then, five years later, Sandra and Jessie relocated to Ibiza, beginning a completely new chapter on the island.
A few weeks after Darcy passed away, Sandra invited George and me to visit them.
The invitation meant more to me than she probably realised.
For years, I had dreamed of travelling to Spain with Darcy. But back then, travelling with dogs was far more complicated than it is now. Because Darcy was too big to fly in-cabin, we looked into travelling by train instead. But train journeys in Spain required dogs to be crated. As much as I wanted to share those adventures with her, it simply never happened.
But George changed that.
At just 5.5kg, George was small enough to fly in-cabin with me to Ibiza. Suddenly, something that once felt impossible became wonderfully straightforward. It felt emotional in ways I hadn’t expected, not just because I was travelling with George, but because this was a trip I had once imagined taking with Darcy. And now, I knew I no longer could.
Ibiza became the first place I travelled to with George after her passing. Sandra offered me a chance to step away from the turmoil of emotions, and Ibiza turned out to be the perfect place to exhale.
This time, it was Lulu’s turn.
Morning walks stretched into lazy coffees. Afternoons’ discoveries disappeared into sun-soaked conversations, beach strolls, and the kind of easy companionship that only exists between old friends.
Watching Jessie and Lulu together brought its own joy. Dogs have a way of instantly understanding each other, of living entirely in the moment. I loved seeing Lulu explore Ibiza with Jessie.
What started because of two dogs from the same breeder had somehow led us here: reunited on a Balearic island, sharing sunsets, stories, memories, and healing.
Sometimes life quietly brings people back together exactly when you need them most.
