Family

This entry is dedicated solely to my family. They are the most important people in my life and i wouldn't be me without them.

Jackson- you are such a butthead but such a great person at the same time. You know how to push my buttons more than anyone i know. You also know how to make me laugh. You are always finding a way to make the best of a situation; you see opportunities where other people don't and that is amazing. Your quick, witty remarks can either piss me off or make me laugh. You'd probably say they piss me off more often than not, but even when they do i still wonder how you got so clever. I know you probably think it's weird for me to say all this about you but you need to know it. I miss you more than you know and love you so much. Thanks for being my smart-ass little brother. Love you fo eya and eya.

Booth- tall and silent. That's how a lot of people see you. Or maybe just mom...But you are smart, patient, and thoughtful. You have the ability to know when to say the right thing whether it makes other people smile, laugh, or think. You always get a wonderful reaction because no one ever expects it from you. You used to be the mediator between jackson and me but now we can all be together without trying to kill one another. I know that i can talk to you about anything. I am so thankful and lucky to have you as my brother. I love you tons.

To both of you: the times that we have all sat together, just the three of us, have been so much fun. I remember so many times where i would come home from somewhere to find you two in the kitchen and we would all start talking about random things. Or meandering over into your room when i was bored to sit down and talk with you two about school, or how mad mom and dad made us sometimes. I can't wait to see you both next week, and face it, you are going to have to hug me. I love you guys a lot and will always be here for you whether you need me or not.

Nana, you are the best grandmother i could have ever asked for. I have done so many fun things with you and you have passed so much of your wisdom on to me. You are always supportive and encouraging me to do what i love. You are so sweet and kind. I love you more than words can say and always will. Thank you for shaping me into the person i am today. I truly love you.

Mom, you know how i feel about you. You are one of my best friends which is pretty rare for a daughter to be able to say. If you ever need a reminder of how much i love you, read through all of your birthday cards, and mother's day cards because i know they will pass on my love. Thank you for making me, me and teaching me all the things i know. Thank you for making me confident and thoughtful. Thank you for always listening even while you were half asleep in bed. Thank you for giving me advice when i need it, and thank you for pushing me to follow my dreams and chase after what i want. I love you to the moon and back infinity times.

Dad, i love you so much. It's weird the connection a father and a daughter have...it's something truly extraordinary. I know that you are always there for me and want to make sure i never go through things alone. You have taught me to be strong, and witty (some might call me a smart-ass). You showed me that sometimes you have to do things you don't want to do in order to get to the things you love. You have taught me how to be steadfast and not care what other people think. Please know that no matter what ever happens, i love you always. I would never have wanted anybody else as a dad but you. I will be your sweetpea forever.

All of you are my world, and i couldn't live without you. No matter what, you will always come first because you are my family.

"What greater thing is there for human souls than to feel that they are joined for life - to be with each other in silent, unspeakable memories."

I love you guys.

Oh Wow

Colic surgery, new horse, better riding, lots of laughs, and numerous adventures. These are all things (condensed of course) that have happened since i last wrote.

I got to watch a colic surgery on a horse i was in no way attached to which was wonderful in a strange way. It was a wednesday (our days "off" but really, the days we take for field trips/adventures) and i got out of the shower to learn from Suzie that we were going to get a tour of the Chino Hills Equine hospital. I was really excited. To keep up with tradition, we stopped to get doughnuts. The only reason i wanted to fill you in on this side trip is because i want to remember that Mama's Doughnuts has the best coconut doughnut ever. Alright, moving on. The tour was absolutely fascinating. I got to see the operating rooms, the recovery rooms, the barn where all the patients were, the lab, the x-ray room, the tools that were used, and the list goes on and on. Joe, the generous man who gave us the tour, explained to us how a typical surgery went. As we were getting ready to leave, we ran into one of the doctors that Suzie knows and he invited us to sit in on a colic surgery that was going to be preformed in a half hour. Little did i know, that in the next four hours i would see so much. We dubiously ate lunch beforehand and luckily didn't live to regret it. As i sat above in the viewing room i thought to myself how surreal the whole thing was; it wasn't natural for a horse to be lying on a bed with its legs in the air, having surgery on its stomach. That was the hardest part for me. Overall, however, it was very fascinating. I would go on to describe the surgery in full, but it would be bore you. It was so interesting in person. The doctor did a great job at being thorough and giving advice to the owner. He ended up re-secting the large intestine by cutting most of it out. Before he did that he made sure to examine every inch of the small intestine which, mind you, is only 67 feet long. No big deal. It was intriguing. Even though i can handle the blood aspect of it, I could never be an equine vet because i would get too attached to the horses and not be able to look at it from an objective angle. I admire the people who are there though, that takes a decent amount of strength. Hopefully, i will never see them again, unless we go back and visit.

Technically, I got a new horse for the next year and a half! She is truly suzie's but, she is my project for the rest of the time i'm here. She got here yesterday morning and is adorable. Her name is Vega (pronounced "Bega") after the plane Amelia Earhart flew. She's an andalusian/thoroughbred cross with bay coloring and black socks and a black dorsal marking down her back. She has soft eyes and a sweet disposition. At least so far. Apparently she might be a little bit of a problem child to start but i'm sure after i spend some time training her, she will be adored by many. Hope so. She is only 1 1/2 years old. I get to start riding her in the spring and show her before i leave. I can't wait! I will post pictures and write about my success, or failures, with her. I am sure there will be many bites, kicks, and lessons to learn. So exciting!

Having raven here is indescribable. I still can't get over seeing him every morning when i wake up and walk out of my room. He is always blowing me away with his willingness to try the new things i ask of him when we work. He is proud that an old dog can learn new tricks. He is starting to feel different when i ride him and it's so cool to think that it's only been three weeks. I love him.

It's a love hate relationship with the kittens. They have tripled in size since i got them and their energy has sky rocketed. Tomorrow night they are being exiled into a stall. I can't wait to actually sleep, even though i'll miss them cuddling up to me and purring in my ear. Like i said, love hate.

Can i just say that i am so overwhelmed/ecstatic/anxious/happy/thrilled that i get to visit home for thanksgiving!!! I cannot wait to see my family, my home, my friends, and the familiar things i miss. I can't wait to meet my parents at the airport, drive on 35W to see the skyline, drive down my alley, drag my suitcase through my backyard, open my back door, smell the wonderful smell of my home, catch up with my brothers, run upstairs, plop down on my bed and take in the fact that i will get to see my friends in the next 24 hours. Only two and a half more weeks! Wow, that is going to go by insanely fast.

Is it annoying if i say how lucky i am again? If it is, too bad. I'm so damn lucky.

Until next time....

love,

greer

I'm Running out of Titles

I've been thinking about having a home all day today. I've been thinking about how nice it will be when i have a home of my own, when i walk in the door and feel so cozy and comfortable. Last week i was walking through target and passed through the home goods section and saw all of these cute things that i would buy if i had a place to put them. It is funny to think that a couple of years ago when my mom would drag me through the home section of stores i would say "really? and why would i want to look at that stuff?", but now it's fun to imagine what will one day be in a place i live. I can't wait. My mom told me a couple days ago that my bedroom back home was going to be in the City Pages (a local newspaper). It made me pine for my warm, soft, plush bed and the walls where all my pictures were. I cannot wait to sleep in my own bed when i visit home. Those of you who know me, know how much i love my bed and the one i have out here can, in no way whatsoever, compare.

Today i also thought about how lucky i am. I was remembering how with my previous jobs there would be days where the time to get ready for work would roll around, or i'd be on my way in and couldn't stop thinking about how it was the last thing i wanted to do. But with this, the worst part is getting up early and that's about it. I keep wondering if the brilliance and dazzle of it all will fade. My gut is telling me it won't. Another reassuring factor is that susie still loves it and she has been doing it for 30 years. I am pretty sure that once you fall in love with horses, there is no falling out.

I trapped Fuznutz tonight in an empty stall (this is the elusive black and white, plump barn kitty). He and his girlfriend were hanging around the feed cart and quickly darted down the barn aisle as i came out of my room and caught sight of them. But Fuznutz couldn't stay away; he was curled up on top of the hay bales the entire time i was mucking stalls. When i found him there i took a couple steps toward him to see if i could pet him but he swiftly jumped onto the top of the wall between the two stalls and hopped down into the other stall. I quickly ran over and shut the stall door, trapping him in. I was proud of myself for a second. I thought that for the next few days i would keep him in there, give him some food and water and wait for susie to get back to take him to the vet. Then he looked at me and immediately decided i was milk-able, so he started crying like a little baby for me to let him out. Once he started pacing the stall like a pro i felt bad and gave in. I opened the door saying "here you go fuznutz" in a sweet voice. The little shit zoomed past me and disappeared into the dark parking lot. After our incident tonight, i probably won't see him for another week.

I'm listening to a song called Dodo right now by dave matthews and it's a really pretty song. Just thought i would share! I hope life is being good to you. Until next time....

love,

greer

Five weeks

Wow. Five whole weeks, has it really been so long already? At home, waiting five weeks for something would seem like forever but here they just fly by.

Raven finally got here two days ago. I can't even begin to describe the relief/happiness/excitement/comfort i felt the second i saw him. He got here at 430 in the morning and i stayed up with him all day. I don't know how i did it. I was so impressed by his confidence as he started to settle in and show me that he is the bravest horse i know. Within three hours he was acting like he had been here all his life. I took him out in the afternoon and let him meander around in the covered arena. He was curious with everything, but especially skeptical about the cows across the way. I think their horns have him wondering. Today he kept a younger horse company in the turnout pen and didn't stress when rain started coming down...after all he is from Minnesota. Later in the day he got to split an apple with me as i sat on my trunk outside his stall waiting for the rain to get quiet. He is going to get so spoiled be so close to me all the time. He's already started nickering at me ever so softly when i walk past him. I love it.

The kittens are driving me insane at night. They have gotten bigger, noisier, even more curious, and clumsy. They sit in my hair and chew on it, run over my face, chase my feet when i move around under the covers, pounce onto one another and roll on the floor, and attack my shoes that are placed neatly against the wall each night (every morning they are in a different spot then when i left them, especially my sneakers which they somehow drag around by the laces). Usually when they wake me up i only have enough energy to moan in annoyance and try to fall back asleep. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. I've started playing with them at night after letting them stuff their bellies with food, all in an effort to make them less rowdy throughout the night. It helps, thankfully. I just don't understand why every time i come into the room during the day they are curled up in balls sleeping and when i come in at night they decide to cause a ruckus. I never even considered how much different having three kittens in a little room compared to a house would be. It's very different. Good thing i adore them like crazy.

My riding is getting so, so, so much better. It's so fun to get on a horse and work with it in such a better, more efficient way. During each ride i am constantly repeating things Susie has told me to do in my head. I need to work on a lot still but the improvement i have made feels great. I am so excited to see how much more everything changes within the next month.

I've noticed the lack of how great fires smell here. I think a huge part of the feeling of it being fall is being outside and starting to smell people's fires in their houses. You don't smell that here because its the burning season. Everything is dry and ready to burst into flames if one lick of a fire gets loose. It's too bad because that smell against a cold, crisp night is so good. I am excited to go home at Christmas, walk around at night and smell fires. I'm excited to be bundled up in a coat and my snow boots and hear the crunching of the snow underneath my feet. I'm excited to see big, white snowflakes fall. The time between now and then is going to go by before i know it.

So that's whats going on with me for now. There are tons of other things but i am way too tired to think of them right now. Maybe next time...

love,

greer

New Things

Its weird to think that I’ve been here for three weeks on tuesday already. It seems like it hasn't been that long but at the same time it feels like i've been here longer. I still have not discovered if this is something good, or if it is something bad. I can’t even describe how many things I have learned to you all. Just thinking about listing them makes me feel overwhelmed. If you can imagine me imagining all the things I’ve learned and feeling stressed, I think that might be pretty decent insight into how much knowledge I’m gaining. Susie has come up with a really great system of keep track of it all; for each new subject that I learn about, whether it be food/nutrition/tack/health care/barn management/theory, I start a new notebook to fill. She was showing me all of hers and it was cool to see them in the bookcase and think that I was one day going to know all of the things in those in addition to what I had filled with my notebooks. So, needless to say, today I went to target and I now have four notebooks that are ready to be filled. Ha, and it’s only been two weeks and 5 days.

Mom and dad left almost a week ago to go back home. It was nice to have them here. Mom got to ride while dad ran errands to figure out how to get the internet (I finally have it in my room, thank you dad). We went to laguna beach and oh my god was it beautiful. We, regretfully, didn’t bring our swimsuits. It was so frustrating because the water was nice once you got used to it, and the ocean is always tempting you to go into it. We walked along the beach and let the sun soak into our skin. It was fun to think that I was wearing shorts and a tee-shirt on the beach, wading in the water at the end of September. It was fun to know that the beach is only thirty minutes away from me now. I am definitely going there on one of my days off. Anyways, we went to the Cliff for dinner and all I can say is yum. We sat outside, on the cliff obviously, and ate dinner. The sunset was pink and as the glowing sun dropped into the water, Catalina was a black anchor out in the ocean. Then once the sun was a hot pink sliver on the horizon, the entire sky lit up bright orange, a light pink, magenta, pale pale yellow, and streaks of light gray. It was so perfect. I love the ocean almost as much as i love horses.

Last wednesday was one of the most mischievous days i've had in a while. Susie and I got up at 6 and left the house to start our trip to the Santa Anita racetrack to watch the morning workouts. We were in the car, in traffic, for an hour and a half. Keep in mind this place is less than 30 minutes away with clear freeways. We finally got there and discovered that there were no horses on the grounds. Bummer. However, the security guard said we could go and look around. Not a bummer. Needless to say, we pulled some pretty sneaky stuff. It started out innocent...just walking around in the stands (did i mention the backdrop for the bright green, manicured track is mountains and gorgeous palm trees?), exploring hallways, stairways, etc. Then we somehow found our way to the jockeys door and quickly snapped a photo of me in front of it. Then we magically got to walk on the racetrack itself and i got to take a picture at the starting gate, and from the winners circle. It was beyond cool to be that sneaky and get to do that. It was so amazing to walk on the track and think about all of the famous racehorses that had won there, especially Seabiscuit. Walking around and seeing all the old, beautiful architecture made me imagine what it would be like back in the day. There must have been so much excitement radiating from that track. Being there made me realize i actually do like historical outings, as long as i know enough about the place i'm exploring. After we left the track we went to a tack store and spent four and a half hours there. I learned more things i didn't know. Then after that, it got even better. Before i continue, however, i have to let you in on something that was put into play a week or two back. So, susie had come to the conclusion that she needed a barn kitty. Or two for that matter. They were needed because there are mice that like to hide behind the tack trunks, and there are people at the barn who like kitties, and what's a barn without a cat? So, with the need for kitties, we thought it would be a good idea to stop at the humane society on our way back home. Not such a great idea. We got to the kitty room, and were immediately sucker punched by the adorable, mewing kittens. We walked around trying to ignore the little ones because they would take too long to learn how to hunt. We found these two boy cats that we thought would be good candidates and asked if we could take them out. The lady who was working said they were on hold. Shoot. So we walked around the corner, and there they were. There were two pairs of blue eyes, and a pair of brown staring at us. As we walked closer, one started reaching his paw out at us. Like i said, we were sucker punched. Before we knew it, we were walking out the door with merlin, rolls royce, and alison. Oh boy. I mean, we couldn't leave just the one right? All three were necessary, or at least that's what we had to keep telling ourselves. They are so squeezable and lovable. Except for when they claw at my eyelashes when i sleep, and attack my feet when i walk across my room. I'm laughing to myself because i know that all of my friends tell me i'm going to be a cat lady one day. Well i guess that day came, and the worst part is i couldn't help it. Now i have three little kittens that lounge on my bed, and play in my hair. Oh and did i tell you there are horses ten feet away from me at all times and the ocean is only thirty minutes away? Life is good. Now just transport my family, friends, and horse and life is perfect.

I know that this entry is extremely long but there is just one, small, simple thing i remembered; i have had deja vu so many times at the barn it is scary. I don't know about you but i believe that everything happens for a reason, and i think i'm getting deja vu because i'm really supposed to be here. Every time it starts happening, i giggle to myself and smile because at that moment everything feels right. It's a great feeling.

Well thanks for reading. I hope i always keep you smiling and entertained. Until next time....

love,

-greer

Crazy For You

Here is something that i wrote before i left minnesota. It's not finished but i wanted to write it while i remembered! I hope you all like it!

Time to say goodbyes

after many hellos

how to say it i really don't know

but as a girl you call your friend

its necessary to tie you all in

i never thought my dream would take me away

one thousand and nine hundred miles today

But each one that passes, i will know

Minneapolis you've made me smile,

you've also made me grow.

The people i've met,

and the things that i've done,

will be in my heart forever

acting as my very own sun.

For now they guide me to the west

and what follows is an attempt

to make my words their absolute best.

Since we were six,

and drilled holes in trees with sticks

you have been around.

Bold and eccentric,

i think that's why we first clicked.

From sledding in winter,

and beaches in summer,

you will always be one of my front runners.

In my heart you will stay,

Til my blonde hair turns gray.

I love you forever Miss Chanel A.

As you ran around the bases,

there were many cheering faces.

In our yellow "jersesys"

that's when life was not so topsy turvy.

You were at my party with the pony.

Never in my life have you once been a phony.

Honest and true,

that's why i love you.

Extremely smart,

it's just an extra bonus that you are full of heart.

Your love of life is contagious,

the way you work seems hellacious.

Babyvamps you're truly amazing.

I admire how your fire in life is constantly blazing.

You attract people who know how to have fun.

I'm glad i got to be one of the lucky ones.

To call you a friend is a blessing.

I love you always and forever

babyvamps, shmem,

and most often known as my best friend.

Judge budge:

You were one of the first friends at school.

Little did i know together we'd be such fools;

sitting in my kitchen and meeting boys on my couch.

If you and gregg get married,

i'll be the one to vouch

that he got lucky

because you are beautiful, smart, and funny.

You stick up for all of us, ready to pack a punch

(not to mention your lady gaga crush).

You are gangly and it's great,

you never let other girls hate.

You are kind and you are grand,

always there to lend a hand.

I hope you know i'll miss you lots,

in the meantime party please!

I'll be stuck in solidarity

love you always, greer b.b.

There is a boy i know so well,

and a long time ago my heart fell

for his cute face and scruffy beard,

he grabs my butt but it's not weird.

He is brilliant in everything he does

except using spellcheck,

that's shmem and i's job.

He is too sweet and deserves the best.

In a dance competition,

he'll put you to the test.

He can move like none other,

and when there's music,

run for cover!

I'll miss your quirky self more than you know

love you to the moon joejoe.

You often get teased because you're so short,

i wonder if you'd ever resort

to a punch or a jab?

Or maybe a pinch like a crab,

but wait,

you're not that bad.

You have soul, you have 'tude.

We flashed new york our boobs.

Forgive me for sharing,

but you shouldn't be caring

because ever so sweetly

you helped me pretend to be "Dmitri".

You are loyal and sweet

without you, i'll weep.

But come christmas,

I'll see your bright, shining face

and it will feel like their never was a trace

of us being apart.

Until then, my friend,

time will move like a sloth.

I love you till the end Rachel M Roth.

Lil-bit, chief red buffalo, and elizabit:

these are all names i call you for the hell of it.

How to describe you, i'll never know.

But by using ebonics,

i hope will help show.

Gurl, i luv joo

alwayz have,

frum dat time in science,

when we waz doin dat lab.

Ur energy captured me,

i'll never forget:

king of the forest, and "wazzup betch?!"

chief woap and chief buffs,

friendth till da end.

Taking you away iz lyke breathing wit no oxygen.

A montage of songz,

a mix of crazy nights.

Having a lion for best freend is tight!

My love for you is deep,

like the silk pillows on which you sleep.

But seriously, don't theenk

i don't love joo.

I'm here for you no matter what,

for the days when you're stuck in a rut.

Espeyshally dose.

Pink is what you tickle me,

i love you always

-greer "griggle" bee

What a weird name, i thought when i heard

that your first name isn't even a word.

It's amazing in fits in that sentence six times,

let's see how many more we can fit in with rhymes.

Red head, great and (at times) hate,

special, extreme, punctured spleen,

exuberant, exciting, freaky (when fighting),

sweet, endearing, hard of hearing,

cooking-evader, cleaning up later,

like a key, opens doors for me,

boulder, skier, expert beer drinker,

paddle boat with greer. Wow i'm stopping here.

So as you can see,

there are a lot of words with E's

but you are the best,

it's rare for me to confess

that you are my favorite form

of t-time, of E.

It's not very rogue

to say you will always be a best friend to me

E Tyler Hoeg

Sadsim, puffin

I don't know where to begin.

You are as sweet as the colors of fall,

as enthusiastic as a 10 year old.

And as kind hearted as a wise old woman who has seen it all.

You have an outlook on life that seems to be:

Keep being you and i'll keep being me,

yes you fall,

and when you do,

get right back up,

and keep seeing it through.

You've taught me to be more thoughtful, loving, and carefree.

Please keep being you, because i'll keep being me.

Love you forever,

in my heart you'll be.

i love you tons

sincerely, greer b

Poundcakes are for eating,

but this poundcake is deceiving.

You mess with her and i doubt you'll get a gentle beating.

She is fiery, she is witting,

taking a bit might not be pretty.

She can romp, she can dance

When i was 9, i peed her pants.

She is loving, she is grand.

If she were able, she'd be my man.

She has my back, i have hers.

To describe our friendship there are no words.

I'll miss you, you'll miss me

but together we will always be.

Through your highs, and through your lows

I'll be here to scare your woes.

No matter if we have give and take,

or make skyping our only date,

i'll be here through thick and thin

because Caelli Feliz Wright,

you are my kin.

Like i said, not finished. Until next time

love,

greer

Initation Weekend

so my first weekend is almost completely over. i have to say that being here on my own, more is less, has been beneficial. it's forced me to learn the routine quickly and become familiar with the horses. now they don't think i'm just some stranger coming into their stalls. another part of being here on my own has taught me another thing: exhaustion. last night i was ready to go to bed at nine (keep in mind it was a saturday night). i was too tired to shower even. yea, i know it's kind of disgusting but my body just didn't want to do anymore than it needed to. it was funny to lie in bed at 10 and think that my friends were somewhere partying or going out and there i was lying in bed, ready to pass out. i've stopped waking up and thinking i'm in bed at home. the room is starting to feel like home now, and so is the barn.

i saw the kitty again last night. as i came down to the barn from dinner and passed the hallway, i looked over and there he was lying next to a tack trunk. immediately i thought about trapping him in the feed room but then remembered suzie wouldn't be home for another day so it wouldn't be easy keeping him in there. i went over to pet him and he teased me by rolling on his back. then as soon as i was close enough to scratch his belly, he ran. i think i'm going to bring down a couple treats tonight.

so since raven is still not here i've taken to this one chestnut mare at the barn named risky. on wednesday night i had to be on colic watch with her. for those of you that don't know, a horse colics when there is pain in their abdomen. there are lots of different kinds and it can, in serious cases, kill a horse. so that first night i had to get up every two and a half hours to check on her and hand walk her. it wasn't fun but it made me adore her. now whenever i pass by her, or clean out her stall, i always give her a little extra love. she is in no way complaining; she half fell asleep today when i was rubbing her cheek. she's my object of affection until raven comes.

yesterday, i surprised myself. i'm not sure if this ever happens to you but sometimes i feel like i am not quite sure of myself and think that if someone asked me what i wanted to do, or where i wanted to go with this whole thing, all i could say is "hm that's a good question. i haven't figured it out yet." But last night, i proved myself wrong. the lady who was helping me clean stalls was asking me questions like "what do you want to do after, where do you want to be, do you want to do it full time" and so on. the crazy part was that i had answers for all the questions. i knew the answers without really knowing that i had known them. as i was responding to her, my mind took a backseat and my mouth kept going. and it wasn't wrong. i guess i knew, subconsciously, where i want to be eventually (back in minnesota), and what i want to do (train full time), and what i want my life to be like (happy). granted, these things are all probably going to change but it was relieving to listen to myself and feel confident that i have things i want to accomplish. its also comforting because it let me know that subconsciously, i'm always working towards something. so now i just need to get there.

one thing that i am kind of ashamed to admit, is how much i miss having the internet at my fingertips 24/7. There's no wireless at the barn, and in a way it makes me feel like a hermit. its sad how much i rely on the internet to keep in-touch with friends but thats the reality of our culture. my mom and dad are supposed to be flying out tomorrow (SO EXCITED!) and hopefully while they're here we can go buy a USB verizon connector or whatever that thing is. i mean come on, i need to at least be able to skype with my friends from the comfort of my adorable new room.

i'll try to post some pictures next time. thanks for reading and i miss everyone tons. until next time

love,

greer

OH MY GOD

hey everybody! i have to admit it feels really strange to say that because i'm not actually talking to you. i'm just writing whats going on with my new, crazy, exciting adventure for whoever wants to know. i thought this would be the easiest way to keep anyone who wants to know, up to date.

ok wow. how can i even explain how my life has done a complete 180 within the last 48 hours. I am halfway across the country, trees are prickly looking, family is reached only through phone, days start at 7 AM and end at 10 PM, mountains are always in my line of sight, summer is back, and horses are not twenty minutes away anymore. so many things have happened since i've been here, and all of them have been great. I can't believe its only been two days. i need to get used to feeling like a sponge that needs to soak everything that's laid in front of me, up. there is going to be so, so, SO much to learn.

the first morning i was here we went to another barn to give lessons, and this place was unlike anything i've ever seen. the house was situated on top of a tiny hill and as you walked to the side of it, the little sanctuary made itself known. It was this adorable, little barn tucked away like a hidden paradise with a half arena tucked next to tall, flowery hedges. it's crazy that out here, the smallest piece of land is allowed horses. my mom has always said that she wants her dream barn to be connected to the kitchen, and here i think that would be possible. maybe. it was so cool and satisfying to be immersed into learning so quickly upon getting out here. I sat watching lessons and learning, and thought to myself "this is my life for the next year and a half, how lucky am i?"

i wake up each morning to walk across the hall to go to the bathroom and the horses can't stop talking to me; they think i've been awake long enough to give them food. little do they know, i am half asleep. the mornings are cold and crisp and the sun glows orange through the barn and bounces off the hills past the arena. there's not much green, but soon there will be. the time passes so quickly because i am constantly busy with something. for example, today in my "downtime" i vacuumed all the spiders and cobwebs out from the tack room. never in my life have i felt so creeped out, yet satisfied at the same time. it's going to be a weekly thing now. this morning i rode and it felt good to be on a horse. raven isn't here yet and i am beyond anxious for him to be. his stall is directly across from my room and i can't wait to wake up, give him a kiss, then go brush my teeth. i also can't wait to start working with him and see how he develops. ahhh so exciting!!

My goals are: learn everything, make mistakes, stay out of everyones way as much as possible or just be helpful, have fun, and get Susan's dog to stop barking at me. Also to trap the elusive barn kitty that sneaks around at night. Oh and not to get bit by a black widow. Easy enough. The one hard part will be not being homesick. I've already felt pangs of it here and there but being busy helps more than i could have imagined. Besides, once raven is here i will be fine. But it's not just him i miss.

well thanks for reading! I hope i kept you interested enough that you actually got to this part. until next time...

love,

greer