Kids heading off to school in Bhutan
The year was 2007. I had 15 minutes before my next class so I sprinted to the Davis center at UVM to grab an overly priced and caffeinated beverage. While anxiously waiting in line for my caffeine buzz, I couldn’t help but notice a large poster hanging in a sea of other posters and flyers. Students: Come join us on a trip to India and Bhutan. Three weeks. Course Credit. All inclusive trip. Don’t miss out on this once in a lifetime opportunity. Contact ……I’m not sure what came over me that particular afternoon, but I instantaneously knew I had to go to India and we would be leaving in less than a year.
What’s so funny about this trip was that Bhutan was supposed to be the highlight. Bhutan is a tiny country located on the southern slopes of the Eastern end of the Himalayas. The government actually restricts the level of tourism each year, or the number of people they allow into the country. Therefore, the fact that we were traveling to this country at all was a huge deal. Bhutan was an extraordinary place with a compassionate culture, but India was like nothing I had ever experienced before.
not quite a horse...but pretty cute!
India was insane. Calcutta was overwhelming to all the senses. It was like the city was spiraling around you like a twister. The markets were incredible. There was meat hanging under tents that would kill you if you ate it, there were naked children everywhere, there was music, dancing, singing, jewelry making, monkeys and so much more. Darjeeling was also spectacular. There was more tea then I had ever seen in my life. There were roads I didn’t think cars, or small buses could even drive up. There were hotels and homes literally built on the edge of cliffs. India opened my eyes and was one of the best decisions I ever made.
more fun in India!
What does India have to do with the price of horses, you may be wondering? This all boils down to education and the importance of education, in my opinion. If I never went to UVM, I would never have stumbled across that poster, and I would have never emailed the Professor who led me on this unforgettable journey.
I wouldn’t change my life for anything. Horses remain to be a focal point in my life, but they do not completely define me. It’s so easy to get caught up in the “drama” with horses. Sometimes I will be talking to someone in the barn and thinking about what I am saying as the words are coming out of my mouth. I am trying to get my horse to sit and lift more in the canter but he is just struggling. Well, what about everything that’s happening outside of this tiny little bubble?
It’s so easy to fall into this world where the ONLY thing that matters is MY horse and MY riding. Nothing else exists and absolutely nothing else matters. I am guilty of this way of life and I know almost all my horse friends are wired similarly. This isn’t to say that this life style is bad, or that there is something terribly wrong with being a diehard competitor. Although, I think there might be something less interesting going on here within this life style.
If I am standing with three riders at a dinner party, let’s say, and two of them want to talk to me about their horse’s health or training, and the third person wants to talk about current events in North and South Korea, I absolutely would gravitate towards door number three, not because I detest horses, or talking to other riders, but I have more interests and ideas than just horses.
I have ZERO intentions at pointing fingers at those who have risen to the top of the sport, but missed out on educational opportunities. Rather, I think there’s something to be said about more worldly individuals. You don’t have to go to college to be fascinated by this planet and by what life has to offer. You don’t have to have a degree in engineering to travel the world. All of these options are out there for us and that’s up to us whether or not we want to explore, experience and learn more.
Maybe this blog is less about encouraging people to go to school, and more about becoming a well-rounded individual with thoughts that expand beyond the realm of horses. Perhaps this piece is a reminder to MYSELF to get out of my own head and appreciate all that I have. I want to remind myself and others that while we have incredible lives filled with horses, jumping and competitions, that there is still a universe out there simply waiting to be explored and contemplated!
this is EN...I had to include ONE horse pic!
