The Bartender asks…. Why the Long Face?!

Cheesy joke, I know. I just couldn’t help myself.

I’m going to deal out some more Momma love here for a second – She taught me many important things, one in particular always stands out in my mind/life. Take the opportunity in front of you. You never know if it’ll come around again.

I’ve taken that to heart the past couple years. I used to be afraid of anything new, too adventerous, or out of my comfort zone. I don’t ever want to look back on my life and say “I really should have done (blank)”. I want to look back and see all the ridiculous, crazy, fun things I did and go “yeah, I lived a hell of a life”.

It all started with the Sidewinder Rollercoaster at Hershey Park. I was probably 8, scared to death of it, and Mom made me get in line with her…. I’m crying, and begging her not to make me ride, and her response is “Just do it one time. If you don’t like it, you never have to do it again”. Great. Fine. I know I’m going to hate it so I only have to survive once to prove I’m really never getting on another one. GOOD.  Well wouldn’t you know, as soon as the ride stops, I ask “can we do it again”. And thus my love of rollercoasters was born.

She always knew that the things that scare us the most, are usually the most worthwhile. And so, as an adult, my first step was to travel out of the country by myself.

Ok, so it wasn’t exactly “solo”, but I traveled all by myself, out of the country, to visit my best friend while she was getting through vet school in St. Kitts and Nevis.

Now I can’t get enough of it. I’ve been known to just be driving down the road and decide “It’s way too nice outside to just go home…” and then take myself to the beach for the rest of the day.

It’s also one of the reasons I almost took an unpaid internship in Australia, with the Australian Baseball League. Mom and I were sitting at Pinkberry and chatting about how I got a Skype interview with them. “The only thing is, its unpaid/stipend…. but its baseball…. and Australia. I don’t know” you know what her response was? “GO”. That was it. GO, put yourself out there and try it. She has such strong, blind faith in all of us kids, its scary sometimes.

So now, especially with #AdventureYear, when opportunity comes a knockin, my hand is already on the doorknob ready to follow the excitement. I’ve enjoyed all the holidays so far in New Orleans, New Years, Mardi Gras, St. Patrick’s Day. The last one I had friends for which is nice, but I didn’t let that stop me from getting out there. Which brings me to today. It’s already been a long week, I drove 6.5 hours to Huntsville, AL to hopefully finish up my blitz. The plan was to hit Huntsville, Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, Fulton, Oxford, Munford, Auburn, and Montgomery…. all in 3 days. Stopping by one of my agencies, I was offered the opportunity to go horseback riding.

UM. YES.

So, I haven’t exactly been on a horse since I was probably 8 or 9. Never had formal lessons like my sister, but always admired the animals, and tried countless times to unsuccessfully talk my parents into getting one. I finished the rest of my visits for the day and headed back to the agency, she led me to her gorgeous farm home and off we went to 1. catch the horses 2. lead them back up the giant hill 3. saddle them and 4. attempt to hike my ass up onto one…

I’m pretty sure I could almost pass as a Kardashian on that one…

It is much harder than it looks. My ass/thighs will be sore probably all weekend. I thought it would be simple…. get on, let him wander around, sit on your butt… awesome. NOPE. This is a live animal, with a mind of his own. Buddy…. the horse. not the elf.

Started right off TROTTING. whoa buddy…. pump the brakes, homegirl has to figure out how to keep herself in the damn saddle before we start the whole running thing. So down the path we went, through the woods, up and down hills, I thought I was getting the hang of it, until it started raining and he decided he was DONE. He pretty much trotted and fought me the whole way back, but I managed to hold on. barely. After the ride, I had to get back on the road 2 hours to my next hotel, luckily, with 2 fresh sandwiches to keep me occupied; wild turkey & deer meat.

I love having the opportunities continue to pop up in my life. Who cares what time it is, or where you’re supposed to be next. I’ll sleep when I’m dead.

Buddy doesn’t like to cooperate for photos.