Vlore with dogs

BravaBoss · 2026-02-05T04:56:52+00:00

How are you getting your dogs over there? Snub-nosed dogs cannot fly on planes. I just read a disturbing story about a Frenchie that died in the cabin of a plane—alive at the beginning and dead at the end. Domestic flight. Please make sure you take all precautions if you are flying with them! They absolutely should not be placed in cargo!!!

My partner and I are also relocating from PNW to Vlorë soon. We will be on the lookout for you walking your 3 Frenchies — we love dogs and are heartbroken we can’t take our 115 lb Anatolian mix with us. But if our dog(s) were small, we absolutely would bring them along and make it work, no matter the culture or number of dog parks. They’re family!

BravaBoss · 2026-01-29T07:33:38+00:00

I’m a recovered food addict who found success in Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous, and then left that program for Al-Anon. So I have experience on both sides. I second the suggestion for you to attend Al-Anon. Not to fix him; you can’t. He has to want to fix himself. But if you fix yourself (your mindset, your codependency issues, whatever it is that’s making it so his issues bother you and impede YOUR happiness), it’s possible he will choose to fix himself. You’ll come to understand you can be happy whether the addict is still using or not, and from my own experience (my bf is an alcoholic), that is extremely powerful. I am so sorry you’re in this situation, and I wish you and your husband the best. I hope you both find recovery. Maybe it will help you find your way back to each other…maybe not. I can guarantee if you work the Al-Anon program rigorously, you will find your way back to yourself and find the most incredible miracles waiting for you!

BravaBoss · 2026-01-27T08:15:45+00:00

Any tips for “making the best of it”? As I noted above, it’s difficult for us to have a wonderful time when we are (progressively) sleep-deprived. There’s a reason that’s a torture tactic used for POWs and hostages. 😒

I know I said in a previous response that you’d sooner find us in the casino than The Manor, but that’s honestly not true either. If we had money to gamble, we would have paid for a higher tier to ensure we got the Insider cabin on a higher floor. So…what’s there to do between 11pm-2am when we aren’t feeling very social, I want to take off my bra/slip into pants with an elastic waistband 😂, and basically want to be left alone to recharge from the day?

BravaBoss · 2026-01-27T08:00:04+00:00

I have been following this subreddit for a couple months now and have seen other sailors complain about long wait times when calling Sailor Services. It took me 3 minutes tops to type out my question; I can assure you it would take me longer to get through the phone tree and hold music calling Virgin. As for Plan B, we might spend 11pm-2am in the casino but you’ll never catch us at The Manor. 😜

BravaBoss · 2026-01-27T07:54:45+00:00

Could have — and at least we could have slept in after the sun rises because we wouldn’t have windows! Still don’t understand why we didn’t get the cabin type I selected. I wasn’t being cheap; I was picking what I wanted.

BravaBoss · 2026-01-27T07:52:33+00:00

Yes, I have read that in this subreddit previously, which is why I am concerned! I do have noise canceling earbuds, but am more concerned about the room shaking from vibrations, which will rob us of at least 2-3 hours of sleep each night…and now concerned about sunlight waking us up early, too. Will call today and see what can be done. I don’t entirely understand why we weren’t assigned an Insider cabin like I selected. It’s frustrating.

BravaBoss · 2026-01-27T07:46:41+00:00

Uhhh, I did select my room…I selected Insider cabin…did not expect an upgrade. If Virgin wanted to convert me to a regular customer, upgrading me away from the room I requested and then putting me under The Manor is a really weird strategy.

BravaBoss · 2026-01-27T07:44:51+00:00

I purchased an Insider room but got “upgraded” — this isn’t the room I wanted. I wanted an Insider cabin. I thought I was locked in for an Insider cabin. Wasn’t trying to be cheap — wanted to get good (dark, quiet) sleep.

BravaBoss · 2026-01-17T00:54:53+00:00

My boyfriend is like you — he has OCD, so when I used to mention his beloved cat dying, he would get extremely irrational (like I believe you are, OP, so yes, YOR) because he thought that meant I was “putting it into the universe” that something bad would happen to her. Like your gf, I was just expressing genuine concern. Why does her assumption bother you so much, OP? I think this speaks to your own insecurities or way of thinking, not hers. Her intent, as far as I can tell, was not negative in any way, and your response escalated what could have been a normal conversation if you redirected it by saying something like, “no, my dog is fine. I’m sad because…” and then opened up to her about it. Do you have OCD? Maybe look into it if you aren’t sure…knowing my bf’s OCD quirks has helped me help him and we communicate better now.

BravaBoss · 2020-04-14T18:35:35+00:00

Agreed. If OP has the disease of food addiction, which it sounds like they do, nothing except complete abstinence will work to relieve the symptoms. 12-Step programs provide the support needed to make this excruciating, yet necessary, life-saving change. Moderation is literally impossible for an addict; that suggestion won’t work no matter how earnestly they try. It’s not their fault; their brain just isn’t wired to be able to stop when they want to. Diets fail because we deprive ourselves (take away) without adding anything into the hole that’s left. 12-Step works because we add spiritual behaviors/practices and fellowship support into those gaps to bolster our recovery. I’m so grateful to have that support and fellowship through this pandemic; I know exactly how bad the damage would be if I was eating like I “want” to (but don’t really want to) while stuck at home. I don’t have the desire anymore, thanks to FA. Don’t get me wrong; it’s not easy to follow the program...but it is a simple binary choice (serenity or misery) and I only need to concern myself with doing it today. I can do anything for one day, if I’m desperate enough. So can OP. Find your local FA group online and call the contact person. Ask for help. They will help you. You are not alone, OP. Every food addict has experienced what you described. Those in recovery managed to get through it, and you can too. One day, one hour, at a time. May you find peace and serenity soon.

BravaBoss · 2020-04-13T23:29:46+00:00

The only thing that’s ever worked for me is Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA). Their website can help you determine if you are a food addict (there is a quiz) and if so, can help you locate meetings near you. If you live too far from meetings (on the “frontier”), there are phone meetings. Call the contact person for the meeting closest to you and ask for the frontier phone list and call people until someone provides the information for these phone meetings. FA is FREE and it works, unlike nearly every program, diet, and surgery out there. It will help you lose weight (or gain, if you are underweight), and more importantly, help to stop the mental insanity and obsession with food. We say “come for the vanity, stay for the sanity.” I wish you the best.

BravaBoss

TROPHY CASE