One of the most fun things I've ever done with Sami: we marched in a Westie parade down 6th Avenue in New York City. Hundreds of proud owners, bagpipes, and more Westies in one place than I have ever seen or expect to see again.

The occasion was Tartan Week - New York's annual celebration of Scottish heritage every April, crowned by the Tartan Day Parade. The streets fill with Scottish clans, pipers, and, crucially, the Scottish dog breeds. Collies, hunting hounds, terriers of every kind - I saw more Scottish breeds than I knew existed, though I'll admit I could only reliably identify the Scotties (black and blonde) and, obviously, our people: the Westies, strutting up 6th Avenue with a sense of purpose, place of honor well earned.

Every dog and their mom wore tartan, each outfit more creative than the last - there's even an official Best Dressed Dog contest, whose Westie category had been won the year before by a Chloe in a truly formidable tartan ensemble. Sami wore a plaid shirt with his name on it, plus a traditional Scottish bonnet that stayed on his head for exactly thirty seconds - long enough for one photo, because Sami does not do hats. Never has, never will.

How did we end up there? A lucky coincidence: we happened to be in New York during the parade's 25th anniversary, found out there was a Westie group marching, and discovered that many of them were our Instagram friends. So we joined, met internet friends in the flesh, and for one day Sami got to be an honorary New York Westie.

If you're ever in New York in April: go. Trust me.

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