I want to be established in the Welsh community...

This past weekend we had a bus tour scheduled, one that was basically set up for us by the Maryland-in-London program. We could only pick one of several options that Maryland would set up for us, so when we decided on horseback riding in Wales we weren't entirely sure we were making the right decision. I can now say that, for me, this was the perfect trip.

Let me start off by noting how pleasantly surprised I was by bus travel. It was actually very comfortable and relaxing, and for a trip through England and Wales it was perfect because we were able to enjoy the gorgeous countryside for the entire trip. After a leaving at 9:30 and a three hour drive, we got to the town of Chepstow on the border of England and Wales. Like the silly tourists that we are, we went to the bridge and took pictures with one foot in England and one in Wales-- two places at once! Then we walked through Chepstow castle, which was absolutely amazing. The ruins were so beautiful as were the views; we literally could stop saying "Oh my God, will you look at this?!" After that we drove another half hour to Tinturn, where we saw the ruins of Tinturn Abbey, another beautiful sight. We also walked up to ruins of the old Wiccan church that burned down, killing dozens of the witches in it. The last stop of the day was Hay-on-Wye, a book town with literally 35 different book shops (and not much else). It was very endearing though, and I did make a few good finds.

That night we went to a "club" directly beneath our "hotel." The club was really more like a high school dance, and the hotel was more like the accommodations for steerage on the Titanic. The highlight of the night was when we met a few Welsh high school girls, who were enthralled by our accents and the fact that we were from the States. It seems to be a trend here that every young girl is obsessed with the idea of moving to L.A. They even called the hotel we were staying in "so posh!"

The next day was something I didn't even realize I had been missing. I haven't been riding for so many years, but when we got to the horses I was so happy and was honestly surprised at how comfortable I felt around them right off the bat. When we actually started riding, it was so entertaining because so many of my friends had no idea what they were doing. Obviously I'm not exactly a professional, but I did feel good about it. I was expecting a simple, rather boring walk through the countryside, but it was a bit more exciting than that.

First of all, Molly and I both told the instructors that we had riding experience, so they gave us somewhat more difficult horses. We started by walking on paved paths, but soon the instructors told us that we were going to trot. I was shocked when, as soon as this happened, posting came right back to me and felt completely natural, even easier than I remember it being when I was actually getting lessons. I was thrilled by the feeling and absolutely loved it. We made our way up to the hills, where we eventually left paved paths and started going up much less established trails. When we had to go over a rather deep, very rocky and very steep little stream, many of my friends freaked out and all but gave up. This of course only thrilled me more.

After a few difficult areas we were just walking across the side of the muddy hill when my horse, Marble, began pawing the ground. A few minutes later he made the executive decision to lay down. Luckily I got off at exactly the right time, just as he got to the ground but before he could roll on top of me. The instructors began screaming his name, whipping him and kicking him to get up, but this horse was determined to roll for a full minute. After that, when I tried to grab his reins, he broke into a canter down the mountain. One of the instructors finally caught him and they decided to put me on a different, more well-behaved pony this time.

The ret of the ride back down was rather uneventful, until they had us break up into two groups: those who wanted to ride for a half hour longer, and those who wanted to quite. Naturally Molly and I stayed out, along with five other girls. At the very end one of the instructors asked us if we wanted to canter, and we of course said yes. It was amazing. Moving so fast on the back of that huge animal, leaning into his neck and holding the reins tight. Afterward the instructor admitted that no, that was not exactly a canter... more like a gallop. I still can't believe how much I miss riding.

When we were finally on our way back to the stable Molly and I were talking, and she commented on how last weekend we climbed to the top of a dormant volcano and this weekend we galloped on horses in Wales. "You make me do all these crazy adventurous things!" she told me, "I wasn't like this before I met you!" I couldn't be happier. :)