
WRITING PROMPT RESPONSE
A Thrilling Race Down One of the Highest Sand Dunes in the World
March Six Word Photo Story Challenge: “Pet People”
I will beat you. Every time.
He did. Almost every time. Beat me. It depended on how the wind changed the shape of the dune on where I picked up speed and where I slowed down again. But usually, towards the end, he was ahead of me.
Which might have ended in a crash or two. Because steering with this simple cardboard was basically impossible. And I could reach speeds up to 80 mph.
From 2015 until 2018 I was working as a sandboarding instructor in the Namib desert (southern Africa). While I was hired as a standup instructor (just like snowboarding), I also sometimes helped out on the lie-down boarding which Zak, my boss’s dog loved.
We were a good team on the dune and my buddy Zak would usually follow me around. And often up and down as well. This way we got to do our exercise of the day during work so that in the afternoons we could party.
Mary Chang asked us to share our pet stories in the March writing prompt. While this dog never really belonged to me, he and I grew together. We went on several excursions into the desert, cured out our hangovers together (this dog gets serious hangovers from partying all night), and became more than friends.
I decided to make a series out of this prompt because I got more stories to tell and experiences to share even though I never owned a pet.
This is the writing prompt if you would like to take part in it as well:
More of the series presenting my relationship with pets I never owned…
“You’re Not Going Anywhere Without Me”
March Six Word Photo Story Challenge: “Pet People”
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