Nic's Bit - My Excellent Adventure to South Carolina

I always request the window seat so
I can see the clouds and land below.

The plane landed in Augusta, Georgia on a WARM WINTER DAY. For my Mom and I, this was extremely strange because we are used to the freezing Massachusetts weather.

I loved the breakfasts at the
Carriage House Inn.

When we got there, we drove to Aiken, South Carolina, then arrived at our Bed and Breakfast (the Carriage House Inn) and unloaded all of our clothes. We took a walk to a little Deli across the street then came back, got dressed and headed off to the barn.

We had a brand new, never before rented, rental car and mini GPS named Tom Tom to guide us there.

The barn we drove to was one of my Mom’s trainer’s barns. My Mom saw Jaliska for the first time in awhile and we got J’s reaction to seeing her again, on video. It was hilarious!

I rode a Quarter Horse named Chex, and I cantered him the first day and jumped him the next. My Mom rode Jaliska and was super psyched to ride her for the first time in so long!

It was a huge difference in the weather and the nature around us. We went on a trail ride and I saw so much green grass! There were also palm trees everywhere!!! 

The farm where I rode everyday was awesome!

On the last day, I got to try out an adorable pony who is a mix of three or four different breeds. We call him Pepper but his show name is Dr. Pepper. When I rode him I had a little trouble getting him to canter but that means he is a great challenge for me in riding him. Who wants a perfect pony? I know I don’t!

The previous owner of our barn in Massachusetts has a house in Aiken, so we visited her. She has a beautiful home and a stable in her yard!

I got to see the horses that used to be at her barn in Massachusetts that are now in Aiken, Kismet and Ruckus! There were two other pinto horses there too. They were huge but really sweet.

When we had to fly home I was sad to leave sunny South Carolina but I was glad to see my brother, Dad, dogs, and all my classmates again (did I mention I got out of three days of school to go to Aiken?!).

So Nicole and Mom's excellent adventure came to an end, but with every ending, comes a new beginning. I already can't wait for the next adventure to start!

Horse Time

Riding is the best therapy that I can think of, albeit probably not the cheapest, for I can be in the worst mood and yet after only few minutes spent on a horse, I feel like a different person.

I recall how I used to get so uptight when training (and alas still do sometimes) that one day upon hearing me complain for the umpteenth time about how “awful I was at this” or  well “that didn’t go as planned” or “when will I ever learn how to do this right,” etc., etc., etc. my best riding buddy Katrina gently pointed out that, “Victoria, there is no such thing as bad ‘horse time.’”

Fast-forward to today.

I found myself once again hyper-focused on learning how to do “this” exactly right. In this case the “this” would be a certain dressage technique. OK, so I admit, all dressage techniques, and dressage for that matter, are new to me, but anyway, I digress.

The point is that when I was done with my lesson and ultimately stopped thinking for a moment, I was suddenly overcome by a feeling of sheer happiness. It took over my body, like some alien being and the magnitude of it was almost overwhelming. Without realizing it, I was not just smiling, I was beaming and a calm, peacefulness filled my soul.

Hmmm, I thought to myself, this is what it’s all about, not jumping a Prix or having perfect form or winning a competition, but the pure joy that comes from “horse time.”

So I finally get it, this is what my good friend was talking about, to simply enjoy the time and everything else is, well, just details.

A Litttle Slice of Heaven

I am a big believer in what is “meant to be, will be” and that “things always work out for the best.” So even though I stated in my December post that “all I want for Christmas is for Jaliska to go to Florida,” I really did not understand the full implications of that wish.

In retrospect, what I really wanted was for Jaliska to be professionally trained, full-time in an outdoor setting for the winter and that is exactly what she ended up getting. Just in South Carolina, not Florida.

So, even though I was initially disappointed that Jaliska didn’t go to Wellington to train, she ultimately ended up in the right place.

Let me elaborate.

Checkout this outdoor riding area!

The farm that Jaliska is staying at in Aiken is absolutely spectacular. It has sprawling fields, outdoor rings, and a large grassy jumping area. All abutting woods and trails. The farm is in such a rural setting, you drive through miles of cotton fields to get there, it’s like you have checked out from civilization altogether, the only reminder, the buzz of an occasional plane overhead (and of course the state-of-the-art stables). All this and still only 25 minutes from down town Aiken.

The climate is so mild that Jaliska is in turnout around the clock with the exception of coming in to eat her grain, and to be tacked and groomed. She is pretty much treated like a princess, six days a week she gets focused, high quality training in the morning and is taken for a hack around the property in the afternoon.

I am so happy that I made the trip to Aiken to visit Jaliska. It more than confirmed the fact that I made the right decision, and while I was there, I got to explore the charm of the city and interact with it's residents. I was just delighted all around with the setting and hospitality, I mean really, how many high-end steak houses will let you dine in your boots and chaps? Not an issue in Aiken, “of course you can, this is a horse town” the owner declared.

I just loved it.

So with J getting the royal treatment in Aiken, I can now focus exclusively on my training, with the goal of taking it to the next level. I am hoping that when Jaliska comes back, I can meet her somewhere upwards, towards the middle.

Visit Quest Facebook to see more photos of Aiken, SC.

Time Well Spent

Precious time spent with my daughter in Aiken.

My life has taken some really interesting, and unexpected, turns since beginning my Quest.

Take, for instance, the fact that I ended up on a riding holiday in Aiken, SC, with my daughter recently.

Now, never would I have dreamed that I would be going to Aiken last week, or any other time for that matter, but that is exactly where I ended up.  

This all came about by what can only be described as a somewhat bizarre series of events all of which were triggered by my posting a "Help Wanted" ad in the local paper, the specific details of which I have decided I will leave to my book.

In any event, due to this posting, Aiken is exactly where I went and I am so glad that I did. 

Let me explain. 

My daughter turns eleven next month and in doing the math I calculate that I have only about six years left with her before she is off to college. In all reality she will most likely “check out” even sooner once she starts high school.

Now this may seem like a long time but I have learned in my “old-age” that these years will be gone in what feels like an instant.

So to have five glorious, fun-filled, sun-filled days of riding and cavorting about with just the two of us – is a gift.

Thank you, Quest.

Reunited with Jaliska in Aiken



The living room at the
Carriage House Bed & Breakfast.



Nic and I arrive at the Carriage House Bed & Breakfast, and to our mutual delight, it is just charming, we instantly love it and Dottie, the innkeeper, immediately makes us feel right at home.

After unpacking and changing into what would be our attire for the next five days i.e. britches, boots and chaps, we head over to Adrienne’s farm. I cannot wait any longer to be reunited with my horse.

I knew Adrienne would still be at an Eventing competition (which we found out later that she won) but I wanted to go early to see J and hang out with her. 

Horse and rider, together again.

 

When I meet up with Jaliska, she cannot keep her nose off me, it is hilarious, she is so happy to see me.  I feel the same way.

The stable and property here are just beautiful and I am thrilled with the field that Jaliska is in (which she shares with Adrienne’s 25 year old mare).

She looks so relaxed and content. I can tell she has filled out with some new muscle.

After finding all my tack (and Nic the snacks in my trunk) we proceed to lay down with our heads resting on our jackets in the field to soak up some of the warm Aiken sunshine. I haven’t done this since I was 14.

Adrienne arrives and we quickly attempt to brush off all the dried grass covering our back sides.

We tack up and hop on our horses. Jaliska for me and Chex, a quarter horse, for Nicole. We  have a mother-daughter group lesson, something we haven’t done for over a year.

I love it.

It’s so nice to be on my horse again, riding alongside my daughter, in the warm southern air.

Southern Hospitality

Our plane lands at the Augusta, Georgia airport right around noon. When making our way to the jet way from the airplane, we are instantly hit with bright southern sunshine and along with it 70 degree temperatures. A stark contrast from Massachusetts, I must say, for when leaving the house this morning, my car temperature gauge registered a chilly18 degrees.

It’s amazing what a 50 + degree shift in temperature (upwards that is) can do to ones attitude. I, for one, had permanent smile affixed on my face, nearly the entire stay.

Nicole and I make our way to the rental car place, which I notice is located conveniently across from the baggage claim. A major multi-tasker, I immediately appreciate the fact that while I am completing the paperwork for my car, I can be watching out for my bag.

Nic and I rode in style during our stay
in Aiken, SC.

At Ace Rentals, I am greeted by southern hospitality at it's finest. I ask the pleasant lady at the counter to “please make sure that I have a GPS for my trip.”

I am majorly geographically challenged so when Rhonda, my former neighbor and now local resident, said it’s a must have in Aiken, that was the only encouragement I needed, and not only did the rental car lady give me a GPS, at half price I might add, but she threw in a free car upgrade to boot.

I initial all the spots on the form and once the paperwork is complete, I glance towards baggage claim, low and behold, my luggage is making its way down the conveyor belt.
This trip is off to a fine start, if I must say so myself.