My Must Have | Q1 2025

By Jim Lowe, D.V.M. – Vice President of External Communications and Marketing

My “must have” is not a cutting-edge piece of IT, the latest travel-chic packing solution, or a favorite snack.

It’s a bit tattered and worn, both from age and miles, and far removed from the newness it once possessed.  It’s multi-colored, stuffed, and is approximately 10 inches tall.  It is packed for every trip, and when forgotten, it is immediately noticed upon checking in to the night’s hotel.

It is a teddy bear, more specifically, it is Peef.  Peef came to our family when our daughter was very young and accompanied a book by the same name. 

My wife and I lived and practiced side-by-side for over twelve years.  Every minute of every day we knew where we each were and how each of our days was going.  So, the decision to leave private practice for industry disrupted not only our professional lives, but, most importantly, it turned our personal lives upside down.  Our daughter was two years old when I began the life of a traveling technical services veterinarian, and leaving a young family at home did stimulate a lot of self-reflection as to the kind of dad- and husband-material I was.  Peef represented the part of my family that got to travel with me and he’s been my travel companion since those early days.  He’s a reminder of what’s most important, a symbol of how fast our daughter is growing up, and someone to talk to upon returning to the hotel room.  He has coffee with me in the mornings and is in-charge of the hotel room when I’m not around.

Travel with something sentimental.  Something that has no utility but reminds you why you do what you do and who you do it for.

Do you have a “must have?” If so, we would love to hear about it! Email us at industryvets@gmail.com.