Every project begins somewhere.
This one began on a beach in Albania, with a stray dog who decided we were worth following.
“The palette of counting.to is his palette. The warmth you feel in the interface is his warmth.”
While building counting.to, I traveled to Albania. We got off in the middle of a city — no ride, no plan — just heavy backpacks and a 2 km walk to the Airbnb.
That’s when he appeared. A stray, trotting alongside us through the streets. Dogs follow people with bags all the time. He’d lose interest eventually.
I tossed him some bread, half thinking it would satisfy him and he’d leave. He didn’t take any of it. He wasn’t following us for food.
At some point, he started barking at men who passed too close — not aggressive, just watchful. Like he’d decided we were his responsibility now. And slowly, without noticing the moment it happened, I stopped feeling like a stranger. I felt looked after.
As the days passed, finding him became the whole morning routine. Not a walk — a mission to find doggo. We’d head out scanning the streets, the beach, the usual spots.
Every time — he’d spot us from far away and come running. Full sprint, tail going. Day after day. He never forgot us. He was always looking too.
He was calm and fluffy, never pushy, never loud. Just happy to be next to us. When it came time to pick colors for counting.to, I kept coming back to him. The sandy cream of his coat. The deep brown of his face. The steel blue of the sea behind him at golden hour. It all felt right — warm, honest, a little bit wild.
This countdown is dedicated to doggo
A countdown is really just anticipation given shape. It’s the same feeling he has when he spots us from across the beach — that full-sprint, tail-going joy of knowing something good is coming.
That’s what we hope counting.to feels like for you. The excitement of a friend’s arrival, a partner’s birthday, a family reunion — or even something quiet you’ve planned just for yourself. Every countdown is someone looking forward to someone.
If this project ever does well enough, we’d love nothing more than to bring him home and give him the life he deserves. Until then, I’m counting down to my next morning walk with him.