Items

• 2020-12-10

  Life Before "Quarantine"

  In the months before most of the world shut down due to COVID-19, my life was social, fun, and happy. During January of 2020, I had recently gotten to lease a horse for Christmas. I was getting used to riding my horse and going to the barn daily while developing friendships through horseback riding. In February of 2020, I had made friends and bonded with my horse at the barn where I did not have to wear a mask or even be aware of cleanliness and sanitation. When March of 2020 came around, it became a task to be careful of who you’re around and where you go due to the cases developing in the United States. School went online around the middle of March, but my barn was still wide open and did not require masks, temperature-taking, or sanitation before entering. This made life feel normal despite not seeing school friends daily anymore. My barn closed to outsiders from April-May, but for only one month. I was able to see my friends, still without rules such as wearing masks, but only for a two-hour limit due to capacity limitations. From May-November, life was great. I saw my friends often, did well in online school, and maintained the barn as a big part of my life. Now, December of 2020, my barn requires masks, but they are not strict about it. I am still getting outside, staying active and healthy both physically and mentally, and keeping a social life. Although I am doing well in “quarantine,” I would much rather be at school in-person and be doing activities without safety precautions and limitations. Life is different, but I’ve developed entirely new perspectives and these new situations have helped me grow as a person.
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  2020-11-06

  Vacation Visits

  I had the most gracious and welcoming hosts on my trip to Alaska. I barely knew them aside from our communications over a horse I’d sold them and they invited me to visit, stay, and spend some time exploring the great outdoors of Alaska on horseback with them. After we finished one of our rides, we came across a group of people from the inlands of Alaska. None of this group had ever been on a horse, let alone seen one up close. The horse I sold proudly stood there while each kid took a turn sitting in the saddle and getting a taste of what being horseback was all about. It was one of my most proud moments of this great big mustang gelding that I tamed, broke, started, trained, and put out into the world to make it a better place.