Summer Nostalgia

Every time I feel the summer coming, I can't help but fly back to 2011, when I worked at a summer camp for the season. Those 10 weeks at camp were probably the hardest moments I've had in my life––working with horses, children, and adults with disabilities is definitely not an easy job! But those 10 weeks have also been the most nourishing weeks I've ever had, and I would definitely not be who I am today if I hadn't lived them.

Not only I learned to teach young, inexperienced riders how to ride, and even jump their first fences, but I also learned some basics of horseback riding for persons with disabilities. I learned about myself and about God––even if I tried very hard not to be influenced by the religious atmosphere of the camp. I learned about love, about giving to others, and about friendship.

I sometimes regret not staying in closer contact with the people I met at camp. I guess I could still write to them and maybe even schedule a Skype meeting––and I might probably do so, before more time flies away without staying in touch with them––but I regret I haven't had the chance to talk more in the past few years with all these wonderful people.

But at least I know all the memories I collected with them will be forever in my heart. All the beautiful Maine landscapes. The sunrises and sunsets, the beach, the morning sound of the waves hitting the land. Fireflies on the way to the horsefield at night. The Sisterhood, Pants and Liz. Our mother Betty. An unpronounceable name reduced to PJ. Storytelling in the woods. The semi-savage, bipolar horses, the kids that rode them, and Sue's "I did it" every time she hopped on a horse. Crazy people. Midsummer fest. Fairy lights. Escaping to Boston and chilling on a rooftop. Feeling like Portland is the biggest city on Earth. Tie-dye. Wishing for beer, eating the biggest pad thai to ever exist, and playing with miniature sand. Wednesday Barbecue. Arts and crafts, baby showers. Ice cream. Running in the rain back to camp from Old Orchard Beach. Being left by the train, running to Saco, and being left again. Getting our nails done. Irish fairy dust. Irish people always have their feet cold. Piano man. Lilies and broken lilies...

...I just realised I could go on forever, but I guess I'll leave it here. Here's to you, beautiful Oceanwood, to your children, to a place I know I can call home, and to all the friends I made there! I hope I can visit you again soon!

Love,

Photography: Laura Beltran-Rubio – Natalie Souness

Here We Go Again... Showjumping Season!

It definitely isn't a secret how much I love to ride my baby horse, even if he's a little bipolar and probably will never grow up. But more that riding him on a daily basis, what I love the most is having the chance of participating in different showjumping competitions with him! ...Which is why I'm glad to tell you that the showjumping competitions season has finally started again, meaning that––from now on––I will spend most of my weekends surrounded by horses, friends, and –of course– showjumping!

Today I'm sharing with you some pictures my daddy took while I was walking Coco back to his stall last weekend during our first competition of the year.

Is anybody as excited as I am?!

Love,

The Horse Show

I love my horse. I really do. But, as in any other relationship, there are highs and lows –nipples and thorns, some dear friends of mine call them...

Last weekend, we went to a show jumping competition, and it couldn't have been any better. To be honest, I don't ride to win or to become an Olympian. I just ride because I love it! And, in a similar manner, I go to horse shows just to have some fun!

But when you're having issues with your horse, things aren't so great. The last time I had competed I got eliminated, basically because my horse and I just weren't speaking the same language. If you're not a horse rider, you might not understand it at all, but this is even worse than having communication problems with your human couple...

I remember my coach's words: What are we going to do with your horse?

To me, that sounded like giving up/selling the horse. What he probably didn't realise before I told him was there's no way I'm giving up on my horse. He's the love of my life –it's even better than having children, at least for now– and I'm pretty sure I still have lots to learn from him. I just needed to learn how to ride him again. And we needed some couple therapy!

After two intense weeks of trying to understand each other again, some tears –OK, maybe quite a lot of them–, fighting against my fears and beating the nerves... I think we're finally on the same side of the road again. This weekend was just amazing –and not exactly because I won the competition on the first day!

Remember how Avatars link with their horses? I had probably never felt that link as much as I did this weekend! My horse and I were finally one only creature, flying above the jumps in such harmony that it felt more like dancing than anything else. And from here on, I hope we can overcome –together– any other obstacles we must face. In the end, that's why we come to this world: to learn to always find a way to live happily and not get busted by any obstacle we might face!

Love,

Bye, Bye, Summer!

I don't know about you, but to me, summer has come to an end. And it's not exactly because I got bored of it or because I never liked it to begin with... It's just because it run away, without letting me grab it and making it stay for a while longer! I didn't quite realise this before I had to dress for the Derby last weekend. It was kind of sunny, but pretty chilly outside... I honestly didn't want to wear a coat––since I'll probably have an overdose of them later on––but I didn't want to freeze!

My purse––actually, my sister's––was bought in Paris. We loved it, so we got twins. Mine's tan, so it wouldn't match my outfit, and that's why I stole my sister's. In the end, that's why we have sisters for, don't we? To have a double outfit supply! As usual, bracelets were my go-to accessory, although I also wore a ver delicate –and horse-related– necklace that my best friend gave me as a gift a couple of years ago.

All in all, it was a simple outfit, perfect for a day full of horses and friends!

Love,

Horses, horses, horses!

There's probably no doubt that this was a great horse weekend. For those of you who love horses (and show jumping) as much as I do, I'm pretty sure you were following the Spruce Meadows masters. And, although I wasn't able to go, watching live broadcasts -while in class, but shh!- was probably the best option.

Gladly, we also had a big event in Colombia. It was time for an annual Derby that has been making my horse-loving obsession happy during the past few years. By few I mean over a decade... But it still makes me happy going there and spending an amazing weekend among horses and friends.

I honestly suck at taking pictures at these events. First, because I don't have the appropriate camera lens (I seriously need to go shopping) and, second, because I'm usually so concentrated in having fun with my friends, that I just forget about the whole picture-taking job!

Anyway, I managed to snap a few pics, just for you. Hope you like them!

Love,

Photography: Laura Beltran-Rubio

Coco, my baby

Ever since I was a child, I remember loving riding a horse. We had a country house with some horses, and I will always remember spending hours riding around the place with my dad. I then convinced him of sending me to proper riding lessons, and a while after that I started show-jumping. And I've never stopped riding after that. I hope I never do!

Coco is my lovely horse, which my mum gave to me a few years ago. He's a bit crazy, but he's definitely taught me lots of different things. I love him and I love grooming him, riding him and going to show-jumping competitions with him! This weekend after my riding lesson, I decided I should do something I didn't do since I was a child: bareback riding! It was the first time I did this on Coco (I never had the courage to do it before, since he's a bit too crazy), but it was amazing! U'm sure I'll do it again soon, and hopefully I'll repeat it lots of times more!

Love,