Well, this will be my last blog post for a while, unfortunately. The semester is coming to a close and I have to focus on getting the second half of my Thesis written. It is sad to think that I won't be posting here every two weeks. Maybe after I graduate I will come back to it.
Over the course of the semester I learned to appreciate my barn more. I feel like before this semester started I was always yearning for a bigger indoor arena and more jumps and a bigger outdoor arena. And, yes, some days that would be nice to have because I feel like I can move forward in my riding. But, I see now that my barn family and the trails that Angie and I share mean more to me than a fancier stable. I wouldn't trade it for the world.
I've learned to look more closely at my surroundings and to realize how lucky I've been to have this experience. And I hope I can continue to keep Angie and ride horses, but if I ever can't I know I will look back on this period of my life and smile.
It was also interesting to blog about this over the course of the Fall/Winter, because when people think of horse back riding I feel like they think of riding only during the Summer. Most people don't know horses have more energy and a higher tendency to spook in the cold, so it was neat thinking about how to portray Angie on my blog.
I think looking closer at my barn and the trails definitely made me think about setting more and how to use it for my own writing. It also let me look at this place through fresh eyes so I was able to describe it. Sometimes when you get so close to something you just assume everyone else knows what you're talking about too, so you don't describe it as well. I loved looking at everything like I had never seen it before and writing about it like it was my first reaction.
Nature writing has moved closer to my heart through this semester. I feel like I normally wouldn't choose to write about nature when I write non-fiction, but now I think I would. Or maybe I was doing it all along with stories of Angie and the other horses, I just didn't know how to frame it in the arc of a nature story where it connects with the bigger picture. I think I have a better understanding of how to do that now and how to emotionally connect my readers to my stories of Angie better, it is not enough to merely be interesting.
So, blog and readers, this has been such an awesome experience and I'm glad I got to share it with you over the course of this class. I want to thank you for reading and for your comments. And maybe I'll meet you back here one day.
Happy Writing!
