This week has been a whirl of last minute getting ready-ness, goodbyes, long haul flights, hellos, new people, and horses. I was thinking about the best way to share my adventures with you and have decided to share a visual diary of sorts that I am naming the Weekly Feels; a little collection of stories, wonderings and musings and the feelings they evoked in me.
So from the wildflower meadows of Devon, England, here are the first of my Five Weekly Feels.
Wonder
Granted by this stage, I’d been waiting for my plane for over 12 hours in a combination of domestic airports and flown the first international leg of the trip for 11 more, but it always blows my mind how I can step off the lush, wintery soil of New Zealand and land in the humid, orchid filled halls of Singapore only a few hours later.
With it being such a normal part of modern life, it’s so easy to become complacent about air travel and forget that you are being propelled through the sky in a little metal tube to end up in a place completely different than the one you started in. With that in mind, I took a moment to admire the lights and drink my coffee in the short moments I had between transit gates.
When Your Heart Smiles All Over Your Face
Horses. But more importantly, Des. When Kate asked if I wanted to ride Des, I tried to act casual and allow a normal number of seconds to pass before saying yes in a couple-of- decibels-too-high voice. After all, when someone lets you ride their horse, one needs to look as responsible and measured as possible; leaping around with your arms doing excitable hula-hoops might lead them, understandably, to change their mind about your suitability for such an honour.
I love a horse who knows their own worth. One where you don’t even have to close your eyes to imagine them proudly leading their band across the plains. Des is one of those horses; his beauty reminds you what an everyday miracle it is to ride a horse at all.
Kate gave me a lesson on Des and my heart smiled all over my face. I rode my first half pass, flew down the long side in extended trot and felt nothing more than sheer joy for all the minutes and seconds I was up there.
Thank you, Des. All the cells of my body bow down in your honour. Exactly as it should be.
Delight
I mean, what is this sorcery?! Golden feathers. My eyeballs could barely behold such a delight. When Kate led Des over to the mounting block for me, I looked down and for the first time was met with the visual feast of unicorn legs in summer.
I was forced to squeak ‘LOOK AT THOSE!’ whilst immediately taking a photo.
I understand if you feel instantly compelled to make this your screen saver. You’re only human after all.
Gratitude
As I type this, it’s 4 am in the morning (hello teensy bit of jet lag) and it is the first day of the Camp Of The South I am teaching with Kate. Yesterday, we went to the glorious arena of Nicola and Tom at Ayton PRE and I was filled with gratitude for the beautiful space we get to share with an incredible group of people and their lovely horses, and for the work that everyone had done (here’s looking at you Ginny!) in setting it all up.
Beyond that, I am also so grateful for Kate. Kate and I have become close friends but have never met in person until now (a fact that is still quite wild to me). The mark of a good friendship is when you hit the ground running and it’s like you hang out every day. If you look up “person of super radness” in the dictionary, you will see Kate there- a fact that is nothing but appropriate, simply because it reflects reality.
And while we’re on the gratitude train, I’m also very grateful for my husband, who in the midst of winter in New Zealand, holds the fort (and horses) while I trek off to the other side of the world. It is never unnoticed or unappreciated, and thank you never feels sufficient.
A Slight Carboard-ey Feeling
This is a public service announcement. On the domestic flight between Dunedin and Auckland, I was offered the choice between the cookie and the beetroot crackers. Before you say anything (please don’t talk over me) I wanted to give the crackers a chance. I thought, everyone judges the cracker, but has anyone actually tried them?
Well, now I have.
Highly do not recommend.
To your lovely feeling self,
❤️ Jane
