Sometimes the stars align and everything is just right for things to feel like old times. Old times that are good for the soul. The weekend before R and I flew to New Mexico was like that. It was a horse girl weekend.

We planned a weekend to ride on some quiet country roads that were new to my Lito man and myself. On Saturday morning, we took our time having coffee and breakfast, grooming, and tacking. We glittered our horses! We packed a lunch and left R’s husband with instructions of where to meet us for lunch. We got the music hooked up to the speaker on R’s saddle and struck out. The sun was shining. The air was right. Our horses were amazing…albeit a little quick. They could have won a powerwalking relay race! It was good for the both of us.

The roads were for the most part quiet. The only thing we could have wished for was for the haying to take a break while we rode, but our horses really did handle it well and they have to make hay while the sun shines, you know! Some of those rakes are rather large and scary!

Madeline put it best when talking about ‘barn friends.’ I may not be a part of a boarding barn community (I once was and I loved it) where we are in the same place already to hang out and do horse girl things just because, but you can create that if you want to with a little work. R and I have done that for ourselves thanks to being thrown together as friends in 2012.

I almost felt like a kid again that weekend. Just two horse crazy girls having a good time.

I am not one for really having a word for a year or having resolutions, but 2023 I think has been my gratitude year if I had to put a word on it.

I think 2024 will be my horse girl year. And by that I mean the inner kid version of myself. To more than continue to embrace my inner kid, my inner horse obsessed little girl, but to be her again.

To really live it and breathe it. To be the girl that has fun just because it is me and my horse. To do it for the glory and the grace and the gratitude of it. No worries or excuses. The girl that does not take things or herself too seriously or gets bogged down by unimportant things. Does not worry about what others think. The saddle club kid. Riding. Hanging out. Grooming. Braiding. Glitter. Sitting in the stall while they eat. Sharing space and energy. Just because. To be with others like this. Even more, to create more of this community of quality. Build my own little saddle club. To honor my energy, my self, and my time with those around me more seriously.

I am almost there and I am catching up, my friends!

Since we are coming up on the last month of the year, if you had to give 2023 a word, what would it be? Looking forward to 2024, what word would you like to bestow on the coming year?

Walk in love, dear readers!