Tuesday, March 12, 2013

March 11th - 6:51pm

There are some things that take you by suprise even when they shouldn't. The sunset over Rancho Pampa. The beauty of Virtuoso and the other horses hanging their heads out the windows. The crispness in the air after a warm day that tells of fall at last. The early hour of said sunset confirming that.
I always wondered how I would spend my final days here at the end of April. What plans would I make, who would I see and the like. Today would have started the real countdown. Today would be 49 days until my return stateside. Bound to be an emotional time but sure to be filled with memories. The auction, Picaro, Camilla, Rodrigo, Martin, Rachel and everything that has come to make up Rancho Pampa. Plus the new memories that were set up to be made. New horses arriving, Emma, tango dancing. For reasons I cannot begin to fathom I no longer have to decide how to spend my last week here. It has already passed me by. And perhaps that is best. Tomorrow night I will board the final plane to take me home. Hopefully it will be possible to do without tears as I am about done with those after today. Leaving it two months earlier than expected is hard. Leaving this country without being able to say a real goodbye to the people that have befriended, helped and influenced me is tougher. Knowing the last horses I will ride for many months were the three I sat on last Monday is painful. Incredibly painful. I have come to this country become so attached to this country and these people due to these horses. They have been my lifeblood for so long that the thought of going any length of time without swinging a leg over is terrifying. But I'll do it. Because not fixing this means forever carrying it as a weakness and shortening my future as a rider. It's got to be done and I'm finding that knowledge makes it easier to walk away. Or rather gimp away as that's about all I am doing now days.
Regardless of this outcome, however, I would do this whole adventure again. It has been an incredible learning experience with an amazing group of horses and people. Cannot ask for anymore than that. The experiences I have had here will shape my riding for years to come. I suspect one could find Martin's influences in my riding, teaching and horse management for the rest of my time with horses. And that is certainly not a bad thing. Not a bad thing in the least. He's opened my eyes to a lot. Held my hand when I needed it and kicked my ass when I needed that to. Thanks Martin (and yes, I'm sorry and it is all my fault). Don't even remember when that joke started but it still makes me laugh every time. It's the little things like that that have made this experience great. The horses, the reason behind it all, get featured almost every day on this blog. They're a huge part. But it's those little things. Those little stupid things that make it or break it. And here, they certainly made it.



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