I've been off writing for quite a while, living a little too hard to stop and blog about it. Now, lots of my friends are posting the beginnings of their study abroad adventures all over the world, or chronicling their babies' first steps, or their professional careers.
I'm doing none of those things.
I'm home on the first real break I have taken in, er, a really long time. The beauty of coming home from my summer job with a camp cold is that I've been forbidden from doing any work, or training for anything, so I've had a lot of time to get stir crazy, but also to do somethings to center myself and get ready for the upcoming junior year at Middlebury. In case you were curious, here is how you center yourself, a la TLDH (Team Little Dark Horse):
1. You go a little crazy with the experimental recipes (and make your parents eat a lot of vegetarian cooking): like forbidden rice (but with some mango and less lime next time), and this one (still good in the fridge after 8 days = winner). Peanut rice noodles came out a little, er, better luck next time.
My friend Liza, who was another riding instructor at Camp Nashoba North this summer, made the trip up to Houlton with me and we immediately took over the kitchen. It didn't hurt that I talked Mom into buying a big bottle of Srirachia, possibly the best discovery of my camp experience.
2. You go camping with your horse:
Neil and Dublin made it up Day Mountain to catch this view at Acadia National Park.
3. You reflect on how tough your summer job was:
Liz Moyer photo, from the barn staff remake of this gem:
Guess who I'm playing (hint, not T Swift)...
4. You pull your horse out of the field and jump some jumps:
and reflect that maybe, at some point this year, your horse grew up a little bit.
5. You stay up late, read books you don't have to read for school, and stalk all your friends who can never be in the same place at once:
even if he's kind of an asshole.
Friends and other awesome folks, adventure is always on the horizon. Lots of you are going away or doing big things or trying new stuff, rock on. TLDH will be here when you get back, and if Neil has anything to say about it, we will do some shakerattlen'rolling of our own.
Kick on!
Marina and Neil
