This man and his pit bull prove that travel is the best therapy

For many years Ara Gureghian worked as a gourmet chef, where his love and knowledge of cuisine and unique style—which included coming to your house and cooking for you in your own kitchen—provided food lovers with an adventurous dining experience. Now, it’s been nine years since Gureghian last served up a dish, as he left that life behind to pursue his own adventure. It’s a journey that focuses on peace and healing. One that involves a motorcycle, a sidecar and a pit bull named Spirit.

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Eleven years ago Gureghian’s life changed when his 26-year-old son passed away after a long battle with liver cancer. Heartbroken and shattered, he spent two years trying to regain solid ground. Not being able to find acceptance or deal with his grief, Gureghian quit his job and decided to go on a quest to rediscover the meaning of life—but first he found a new companion. ‘

Eleven years ago Gureghian’s life changed when his 26-year-old son passed away after a long battle with liver cancer. Gureghian quit his job and decided to go on a quest to rediscover the meaning of life on a motorcycle with a dog named Spirit.

“I went to the shelter, and there he was; he was in the last cubicle on the right,” said Gureghian in an article for Life With Dogs. “I’ll never forget that day. Just curled up in the corner, he raised his head, we made eye contact. There was no hesitation calling him Spirit.”

Like Gureghian, Spirit had suffered loss and pain. He had been physically abused and was beaten down badly before Gureghian adopted him. In an article for Life With Dogs, Gureghian described Spirit as “skin and bones”—he had lost a piece of his soul.

After some bonding time, Gureghian and Spirit hit the road, with nothing more than a thousand dollars and each other. They keep busy by hiking, cooking, and writing. Gureghian also takes a lot of photographs and has plans to turn them into a photo book, complete with nine years of travel photography, quotes and maps.

Gureghian and Spirit hit the road, with nothing more than a thousand dollars and each other. They keep busy by hiking, cooking, and writing.

Gureghian doesn’t see an end in sight and says that his journey is a spiritual one. He is not concerned with a destination and he has all the company he needs in Spirit. “Spirit is my therapy,” Gureghian tells Life With Dogs. “This guy knows me better than I know myself. We’re together 24-7. I’ve learned a lot from him.” Spirit will soon be crowned an official therapy dog, a specific type of service dog.

Grief is interesting in that it has so many different ugly faces, but it also causes humans to come up with unique ways to cope. Gureghian was just another person dealing with grief, when he found a way out—travel and unexpected companionship. Of course the pain of losing a loved one may never fully go away, but experiencing what the world has to offer is a great way to fill that emptiness and feel good again. Seeing what is beyond your own four walls could be life changing. It was for Gureghian—who with a little help from Spirit found the perfect recipe for catharsis.