Lark, youve got me convinced! You have made great advances over these past few years.

From reading all your posts, tho, i would still say you lack a long term plan. If travel is still on your agenda, how does having a dog fit in? Is it taking money away from your travel account? Etc. What if your san diego future possible roommate doesnt want a dog?

So im not saying those are the exact objections, but it looks like you are not fitting your short term goals into your long term goals. So it looks impulsive, and then your long term goals may suffer as a result. I think your parents want you to focus on long term, and then short terms that support the long term. But the specifics are up to you.