If yesterday wasn't busy enough today was quite full as well. Brought my mom coffee at the hospital (where she works) then to my grandmothers to mooch breakfast. Some definite perks to going to school near my home town. After was errands but my day was cut short when smarty pants me locked my phone and keys in my car. So ended up hanging at the dorm waiting for chem and sorority meetings since there wasn't much else I could do with all my things locked in the car. So hung out with the roomie, went to a chem meeting then met with my sorority for our new member meeting and pledge class elections. Thrilled to announce that I was elected pledge class president of the alpha class of Sigma Delta Tau! Very excited and cannot wait to get started! Have a bunch of cool ideas I'd love to present to the members of the sorority! Plus organize the ideas of the other girls. Basically, I am incredibly excited about the whole thing! And get to ride tomorrow!
It is going to be a crazy week with a bunch going on. Sorority meetings, tests, work and everything else. So happy to be busy but this week is going to be a long one! And probably starting it off quite poorly by staying up watching Pride and Prejudice with the roomies but it is a great movie. It has dancing, horses and ribbon in it!
Sunday, September 8, 2013
September 7th - 11:55pm
Hanging out with the roomies after dance and trying to take a moment to update the blog since apparently a couple people do actually read this! In Argentina it was so easy to take him to write because once the day was finished it was free time. Now there is always something! Friday night was contra dancing which was fantastic fun. Lots of great dancers, an awesome band and fantastic people. We went to ihop after and topped the night off with chocolate chip pancakes. Yummy awesomeness right there.
Saturday morning I managed to drag myself out of bed early to pick up donuts and play cheerleader for my mom and friends during the 5k mud run. I wasn't allowed to run due to the knee was thoroughly enjoyed trying to follow them around and trying to take photos of the various obstacles. From there back downtown to two swing dance lessons. Worked on transitioning from lindy to charleston then on various jazz steps to throw into the dancing. After was a hair class where Sarah taught us all sorts of cool ways to put up our hair for dancing to keep it nice, together and pretty. Then she braided mine around and I loved it! Plus it never moved during the dance. Was so excited. The dance after was fun but I was so tired from contra and the morning that I think I hung out more than I danced. Did join into the shim sham and dance circle though which was very exciting! I've never jumped in and done a dance circle before so was really nervous but had a super fun time. Stuff like that just makes me want to keep working and get super super good!
Dinner at Spring Roll was quite and fun which was exactly what I needed after a crazy day. Curled up on the couch now listening to my roomies chat and about to fall asleep out here for the night!
Saturday morning I managed to drag myself out of bed early to pick up donuts and play cheerleader for my mom and friends during the 5k mud run. I wasn't allowed to run due to the knee was thoroughly enjoyed trying to follow them around and trying to take photos of the various obstacles. From there back downtown to two swing dance lessons. Worked on transitioning from lindy to charleston then on various jazz steps to throw into the dancing. After was a hair class where Sarah taught us all sorts of cool ways to put up our hair for dancing to keep it nice, together and pretty. Then she braided mine around and I loved it! Plus it never moved during the dance. Was so excited. The dance after was fun but I was so tired from contra and the morning that I think I hung out more than I danced. Did join into the shim sham and dance circle though which was very exciting! I've never jumped in and done a dance circle before so was really nervous but had a super fun time. Stuff like that just makes me want to keep working and get super super good!
Dinner at Spring Roll was quite and fun which was exactly what I needed after a crazy day. Curled up on the couch now listening to my roomies chat and about to fall asleep out here for the night!
Friday, September 6, 2013
September 6th - 4:29pm
Missed writing yesterday since it was a pretty boring day. And because I passed out right after getting home. No riding but was up at 8:00 for class followed by advising meetings. I am officially a biology major with a spanish minor and 40 hours on the record. Despite it being my first year of real school I am technically a sophomore after taking AP courses and random classes at the local tech school. Nothing special or exciting but knocked some of the general required courses out of the way. Now to just get started in those math and science courses. Studied a bit after class then doc appointment followed by picking up one of my girls from school. Took her to an IEA lesson then headed home to study for a bit. My roomie and I hung out/chatted for a bit but we were both out super early.
One of my classes was cancelled today so had a quit morning then headed to the library to pour over the books. Got my Pre-Cal and Spanish wrapped up and took a chunk out of my neuroscience. Going to try to work a bit more on the neuro and spend Sunday on Chem. Enough to keep me busy but staying on top of it so far thank goodness. Hopefully this semester stays this way!
Going out dancing tonight with some friends. Contra tonight and a swing dance workshop tomorrow. Super excited. As excited as I am about dance and whatnot, I can't wait to be riding more. That's what I want this blog to really be about. Coming back to the saddle after five months out and a total life style change. First things is probably getting back in a saddle! Next month I think. Hopefully!
One of my classes was cancelled today so had a quit morning then headed to the library to pour over the books. Got my Pre-Cal and Spanish wrapped up and took a chunk out of my neuroscience. Going to try to work a bit more on the neuro and spend Sunday on Chem. Enough to keep me busy but staying on top of it so far thank goodness. Hopefully this semester stays this way!
Going out dancing tonight with some friends. Contra tonight and a swing dance workshop tomorrow. Super excited. As excited as I am about dance and whatnot, I can't wait to be riding more. That's what I want this blog to really be about. Coming back to the saddle after five months out and a total life style change. First things is probably getting back in a saddle! Next month I think. Hopefully!
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
September 4th - 11:01pm
Another crazy busy day. Up at 6:30 to get to the library by 7:30 to class by 8:00. Then classes all morning, chem lab for the afternoon. Picked up my girls and headed to the barn. Apparently Indy boy was a little funky upfront yesterday so spent most of this ride working on transitions and lateral work.
My brother Matt rides as well and gave him a brief lesson/lecture on the difference of working on two, three or four tracks. Moving the shoulders around and being in control of where it all goes. Indy wasn't thrilled but he lived and did a fine job of it. Threw in trot transitions the whole way through the baby lateral work and by the end of it all he was nice and soft. Let the reins out and he stretched right down. Still one of the best feelings in the world. Watching the jumping going on in the lesson makes me excited to be back to that though! Also a great feeling.
After the barn, I ran the kids home and then stopped by my dorm for a shower, new clothes and headed out to blues. Not a huge blues dancer but always game to hang out and listen to live music. Now home though and totally exhausted. Tomorrow is my quiet day with just an 8:00 and advising meeting. Then homework. No barn sadly enough but sounds like it will be a full weekend of dancing, sorority stuff and awesomeness!
My brother Matt rides as well and gave him a brief lesson/lecture on the difference of working on two, three or four tracks. Moving the shoulders around and being in control of where it all goes. Indy wasn't thrilled but he lived and did a fine job of it. Threw in trot transitions the whole way through the baby lateral work and by the end of it all he was nice and soft. Let the reins out and he stretched right down. Still one of the best feelings in the world. Watching the jumping going on in the lesson makes me excited to be back to that though! Also a great feeling.
After the barn, I ran the kids home and then stopped by my dorm for a shower, new clothes and headed out to blues. Not a huge blues dancer but always game to hang out and listen to live music. Now home though and totally exhausted. Tomorrow is my quiet day with just an 8:00 and advising meeting. Then homework. No barn sadly enough but sounds like it will be a full weekend of dancing, sorority stuff and awesomeness!
Indy boy!
My afternoon chem lab and all it's excitement...
Make shift knee brace. Pony club version!
Blues dancing with friends
Monday, September 2, 2013
September 2nd - 9:40pm
Despite it being labor day, this Monday started off with an early morning. An 8:00 Spanish course followed by Pre-Cal and Behavioral Neuroscience. At the moment I am a Biology major and Spanish minor. Some days I am 100% for it and others I would love something a hair easier but that's how it goes I guess. Spent some time in the math lab since I'm determined to ace pre-cal despite it being my worst subject.
Since we had class I failed to realize that the munchkins I drive did not have school. So went to their school to discover they weren't there. Debated on heading back to school to finish homework but decided I wanted to go ride my newly leased horse instead of being responsible. Ponies before pre-cal. Indy was a good boy. It was so freaking hot we were both sweating way too much after even a little work. Just some basic transition and lateral work with a couple changes thrown in. Mostly the up, down, up, down my boss in Argentina taught us so thoroughly. I don't use stirrups/saddle with my knee so just in a bareback pad so is a heck of a work out to come back from a general level of fitness to working a young horse on the flat. I was so sore after the first few rides but feeling better and getting my rhythm back. Im sure it will be quite awhile before I am back to my previous ability but whatever. I'm just ridiculously happy to be back riding.
I'm hoping to get a saddle/stirrups back in the near future but until I am totally confident in my new knee I'm not risking it. Not suppose to be riding until November but figured my sanity was more important than my knee! So glad to be back at it even the tiniest little bit. Ten horses a day to none was hard but I'll get back. My goal is to be doing 1.30m within the next two years. Was originally trying to do it in one but with school I figured I had to be realistic. Indy is the start and just going up from here! Another 8:00am tomorrow (8:00AMs all week actually!). Tomorrow is class, my munchkins and sorority stuff then barn again Wednesday!
Since we had class I failed to realize that the munchkins I drive did not have school. So went to their school to discover they weren't there. Debated on heading back to school to finish homework but decided I wanted to go ride my newly leased horse instead of being responsible. Ponies before pre-cal. Indy was a good boy. It was so freaking hot we were both sweating way too much after even a little work. Just some basic transition and lateral work with a couple changes thrown in. Mostly the up, down, up, down my boss in Argentina taught us so thoroughly. I don't use stirrups/saddle with my knee so just in a bareback pad so is a heck of a work out to come back from a general level of fitness to working a young horse on the flat. I was so sore after the first few rides but feeling better and getting my rhythm back. Im sure it will be quite awhile before I am back to my previous ability but whatever. I'm just ridiculously happy to be back riding.
I'm hoping to get a saddle/stirrups back in the near future but until I am totally confident in my new knee I'm not risking it. Not suppose to be riding until November but figured my sanity was more important than my knee! So glad to be back at it even the tiniest little bit. Ten horses a day to none was hard but I'll get back. My goal is to be doing 1.30m within the next two years. Was originally trying to do it in one but with school I figured I had to be realistic. Indy is the start and just going up from here! Another 8:00am tomorrow (8:00AMs all week actually!). Tomorrow is class, my munchkins and sorority stuff then barn again Wednesday!
The vending machines at libraries crack me up...
September 1st - 10:00am
"When one door closes, another opens..."
Since my last time writing, so many doors have opened. On the encouragement of a close friend I have decided to dive back into the world of blogging. From May 2012 to March 2013, I spent a fair bit of time cataloging my daily life as a working student in Buenos Aires, Argentina at Rancho Pampa. I wrote about my experiences there in the blog "In Argentina at Rancho Pampa" (http://inargentinaatranchopampa.blogspot.com/). It was an incredible experience that ended all too abruptly due to injury. One big surgery, five months of rehab and only a tiny bit of my sanity later, I am at the edge of diving back into the horse world. Since the last five months have given me the time and encouragement to begin other adventures as well, this will not be a horse only blog. I want to keep a second catalog of my adventures while getting back in the saddle but also wish to document by freshman year of college. That is what this blog will be about. My time as a student, return as a rider and experiences from both.
Two things prompt the start of this blog. The first being my darling friend Megg's arrival to my hometown. As anyone who kept up with my blog in Argentina knows, Megg was my roomie, confidant, friend and ally for three months at Rancho Pampa. She is an awesome rider and a kick ass person. Who is here RIGHT NOW. I drug her out to the barn, to my family's place, all over the city, through my campus to a local plantation and finally out swing dancing. I thoroughly enjoyed the time she spent here and cannot wait to see her again when I fly up to her hometown in October.
The second thing to prompt the start of this blog is last week, exactly five months post op, I climbed back on a horse. I'd be lying to say I wasn't incredibly nervous to swing that leg over but I did it and haven't quit smiling. Two days later, I climbed back on again and within an hour of getting off had organized trial lease on the horse for September. This girl is back in business! After selling all my guys, it is an awesome feeling to have one back. I have a saddle rack with MY name on it. No saddle since I can't use stirrups still but if I wanted to bring my saddle I could! Absolutely thrilled! He is a 17hh, Hano/TB gelding with a heart of gold. Cannot wait to truly begin this journey forward with him. Fingers crossed it is a great one!
Photos of Indy and I on my first ride back.
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