Horse Therapy

Noosa, Queensland

Australia

Hello friends! SO I went horseback riding today. OH. MY. GOD. First of all, I got a charming horse named Ollie, who they affectionately called “the wanderer.” I thought nothing of this because I was so glad I didn’t get “Frenzy.” Like seriously, who names a horse “Frenzy”? Why not just cut to the chase and call him “Bone Crusher” or “Human Slayer.” Anyways, as it turns out, riding “the wanderer” was a challenge, to say the least. See we were on a trail through a forested area, and having a horse that wanders off the trails means that you get smacked in the face by a lot of branches. Face, arms, the best gash is across the top of my thigh.

And that was with pants on. The horse of coarse (haha) isn’t thinking about you sitting on top of it, so while it’s not like it's going to run smack into a tree, THE HORSE will happily duck under a branch leaving YOU to be helplessly carried into it.

Another note about horseback riding, you’re RIDING A HORSE. A real live animal, and a big one at that. Oh yeah, and they run. First of all, this is for the ladies, when riding a trotting horse wear a sports bra. Heck, wear two. In addition to being bruised and battered I thought I was going to have black eyes. So this trotting horse situation, so SCARY. A trot is kind of like our jog for a horse.

Horse to Human Terminology

Walk = Walk

Trot = Jog

Canter = Run

Gallop = Sprint

I was literally bracing myself for the fall the whole time. Like we’d be walking and all of the sudden the horse would break into a trot; fire the pistol, we were off.

It’s insane, you’re flying all over the place – everytime my feet flew out of the stirrups, and I lost the reins a couple of times, and then I cried. The thing you need to understand is that when riding upon the back of a horse, is that your instinctual reactions are completely wrong.

So when the horse broke into a trot, instinctually I would tighten my legs around the horse and lean in towards the horse. The same way a jockey sits to get a horse to gallop.

A Jockey

A Nichole Kristen

(not a jockey)

In the future:

• Step 5: Slowing Down and Stopping

  
  

  • No matter how much fun you're having riding a horse, eventually you're going to want to stop.

  1. Most horses are trained to slow down and stop when the reins are pulled backwards.
  2. Even if you want to stop quickly, never jerk back hard on the reins. This could cause the horse to rear up.
  3. Release any leg pressure on the horse before you ask it to slow down or stop.
  4. Make sure you have a solid seat on the saddle before pulling back on the reins.
  5. If the horse stops abruptly, you might need to lean backwards and push on the stirrups with your feet, heels forward, to keep your balance.
  6. Once the horse has come to a complete stop, remember to release the pressure on the reins to let the horse know its finished obeying the command.

Now this is all good and fine when you're practicing on a horse that is standing still with the instructor coaching you by your side, but a whole different story when your horse is in motion.I hung on until the half way point when we stopped for a break and snacks, but I swore I was not getting back on that horse. I’m like crying and shaking, plus I’m bruised and in a chipper voice, our instructor's like, “Water or orange juice?” Surely you jest. Then the guy suggested that I just let myself fall off the horse so I would see it wasn’t that bad. I smiled and laughed, not sure if he was joking as visions of Christopher Reeve came to me.

During our break the woman said that we could go a different way and have the horse just walk, which didn’t sound too bad. So I climb back on the horse, and the woman asks if I’m sure I don’t want to go for a trot, and I was like, “Dude, it’s all I can do to get back on the horse,” and then I had a chuckle to myself for using the expression in such a literal manner, not surprisingly it phased her less.

Me "getting back in the saddle"

And yeah, I know I should stop calling women “dude.” Sorry Grandma.

So the ride back was nice, although really it was more of a nature walk than a horse ride, but that was perfect for me. She was like going on about the different trees and birds and I’m on my horse like ”yeah” every five seconds in between getting slapped by branches. But that part was most enjoyable to me.

While the guy was driving me back to my hostel, he was like, “So you’ve realized horse riding isn’t for you?” And I mean, it was definitely a character building experience. And the trails were really cool and we rode through a lake which was sweet, and wet. It was a challenge, but I made it through and it was still a good experience. Then he asked me where I was from and of coarse I was like, “From the States." And he was like, “Oh ya, the Americans always say that they don’t do horse trotting in America.” I was thinking, SERIOUSLY?!?! I know he heard my accent before I strapped myself to a huge running beast! Like, YA! The only horse riding experience I had was when I was like nine sitting on a walking horse while some dude in a cowboy hat held the reins. They definitely do it different in Oz.

So it looks like I’m off to horse therapy tonight, hope you all are well!

XOXO

Eloise

Noosa, Queensland

Australia

This is our good friend Eloise, the first cockroach I encountered in Australia. We actually met her the night before when she scurried into our bathroom, where we would later uncomfortably pee knowing that she had crawled into a crack in the floor. But this is the little princess the next morning; on her back fluttering about. Later, housekeeping nonchalantly came in, picked her up and threw her away to the amazement and disgust of the onlooking backpackers.

And yes, that IS a long strand of hair in the top of this photograph. Sanitary.

But not to worry, there would many more cockroaches to follow in surprising places like on toilets, in bunk beds and even in luggage! Oh, and cockroaches fly here. The fun to be had!

Still

Brisbane, Queensland

Australia

Sitting in the library, hovered over my laptop, cackling like a mad woman over Aunt Shawnee and Uncle Ron's e-mail's; completely ruining the quiet library atmosphere.

Currently trapped in the library. As it began, it had to have been ninety degrees here and so I went touring, like the tourists do, and I was in a great gallery all day. I go to walk out and the sky is falling. As I'm standing there in the comfort of the gallery, watching people in shorts and tank tops run for cover as if it's the end of the world.

As I looked down at my shorts and tank top I decided to take another lap around the gallery until the storm was over.

By the way, the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA to those in the know, WHAT a HIDEOUS abbreviation), had an amazing fashion display. Three rooms of Easton Pearson's clothes. Fabulous.

And these were totally in the exhibit. I was like a kid in a candy store. A really mean candy store where you can't touch or afford the candy. Boo.

So you know how everyone was dying to know which way the water goes when you flush a toilet here.... Here's my much anticipated answer:

I just don't know.

And not for a lack of trying to answer this truly riveting question. I find myself, even when in a drunken state, whipping around to inspect which way the toilet flushes. I'm disturbingly fixated on this problem and it's become an obsession that I'm somewhat ashamed of. It goes straight down, I've yet to encounter an ancient enough toilet that does otherwise.

Although, now that I think of it, I guess I could just see which way the water goes in the sink. Hmmm. Wow. A month and a half I've been here. Have you heard? I'm a college graduate.

I went abseiling recently. I'm leaving a link to a youtube video of abseiling below so you can get an idea of what it is. This video is of Kangaroo Point, which is where I did it BUT I only did the descent part. And it wasn't at night. And I did it by myself. So really, it's nothing like the following video, so here goes nothing.

The video refers to abseiling as a "piece of cake." LIES! That wasn't cake at all! I've never been on the verge of tears, wind and rocks coming at me like hail while eating cake! Speaking of which, I could really go for some cake....

Not the point! Abseiling was really scary the first time, because you go off the side of the cliff backwards and you have to be ninety degrees from the side of the cliff before you can start walking down it. It feels completely unnatural.

BUT after the first time it was really fun. Still scary, but once I knew I wasn't going to die a comical death at a place ridiculously named "Kangaroo Point," then it was fun.

And I saw the Deep Blue Orchestra. Excellent. They're this completely nontraditional orchestra that put on a fantastic show. They play their instruments while dancing, and they wear costumes. And they were so good to the audience, they have you text in requests and they encourage videoing and taking pictures. It was so fun. I took like 80 videos. Ok, 8, but still, that was like all of my camera memory.

And I went to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary!

So get this, when I was next in line, the snake totally peed on the like nine year old boy in front of me. It was sooooo gross. It seriously looked like throw up. Eww. And the staff was like on the floor laughing so hard, and the boy looked like he was going to pass out. I mean, it's bad enough when you're holding a snake, you're already kind of in a vulnerable position. But then it pees on you. There's just no preparing for that.

And that cute cuddly Koala Bear, not so sweet! It was adorable, but it was like digging it's cute little CLAWS into me the whole time. And there I am, Smile!!! while the mascot of Australia pierces the skin. I totally have scratches from that little sucker. Hopefully that wasn't the one with Chlamydia. Because oh ya, koalas can carry Chlamydia. Kinda slutty.

Other than that I walk around a lot. Every once in a while when I'm crossing a bridge I see the majestic CityCats parting the Brisbane River. And in the corner, I shake my fist at said "cats."

LOVE you guys!!!! I always look forward to hearing from you. Going to go see City Hall today. Apparently there is a clock tower that the people of Brisbane are all excited about.

Oh ya, and I'm still in Brisbane. I originally booked my hostel for like 3 days, and I think I've been here for like 3 weeks now. Leaving tomorrow for Noosa. I believe I'm in for more beaches. Life is tough that way....

XOXO

Very Scary Sheep (yes sheep)

Brisbane, Queensland

Australia

This video was taken at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary.

The sheep are real, as is the raw emotion.

No sheep were harmed in the making of this video, only my pride.

The Majestic City Cat

Brisbane, Queensland

Australia

Sitting in my bunk bed in the hostel right now, it's about one thirty in the morning, and this absurd older man is under his covers eating. I swear, we hear him do this every night. First he rummages through his suitcase in the dark (because apparently it never occurs to him to get the food before we turn out the lights). This takes a while because it is dark in the room. Then he finally finds the bag, and just when you think it's quiet enough to go back to sleep, NO!!!!! he opens the crinkly bag and begins eating. Chomping and crunching, sounding like he's all but licking the inside of the bag. Now for the most part we're used to this, but tonight he saw me awake and started a one sided conversation with me about "why there are too many Chinese in Australia." Now, this is not a conversation in which I wish to partake, but he rattled on for like ten minutes by himself until everyone was awake. Hostel liven is just so glamorous.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb pictures make it look like it was cold, but that was only because it was night time and we were on top of the bridge where it gets pretty windy. It's actually downright HOT. I'd guess around eighty five to ninety degrees recently. It's insane that this is the beginning of their Spring. Me and all of my tourist friends can't imagine it getting any hotter. And currently all my friends are tourists.

It's funny because you're in Australia raring to meet all these great Aussies and then you get to the hostel where everyone else is a tourist, too. But then you think, "OK, I'll go out in the city and really see Australia." And then you do all the touristy things where you in fact meet MORE TOURISTS! I only legitimately made friends with one Australian and somehow immediately lost his number so will probably never see him again. Oh well.

Currently in Brisbane; this picture is from Mount Coot-tha Lookout. I've been heading North where it is hotter, but eventually I will go back South of Sydney where the weather will be cooler.

Australia is easy living. I actually feel like I'm just in a different part of the US. Except people are more friendly, and have sweet accents. Traveling is so much fun, I keep telling people that I'm on the "Working Holiday Visa," but it's heavy on the Holiday and light on the Working so far.

I've done so much, but I kinda don't even know where to start. I'm going to Australia Zoo tomorrow, actually in six hours. Australia Zoo is the late Steve Irwin's zoo and it's supposed to be pretty amazing so I'm excited for that.

And I toured Queensland's own XXXX Brewery today where we drank a bunch of free beer, big surprise.

Go ahead.... be shocked.... I can wait.

And then I went to the Young Designer's Market which was so fabulous. I could only afford the jewelry but it was so fascinating to see their fashion compared to what I'm used to seeing in the US.

And I went kayaking on the Brisbane River. That was really fun, mostly because my dad wasn't leaving me in the dust the whole way. It was a good thing I'd done it before though because they really just put you in the kayak and let you go. The only thing they told us was to be careful of the city cats. Now I'm on a river and genuinely wondering why I should be worried about a cat. To the point that I

almost asked why we should be worried about the city cats, but didn't for fear of receiving an obvious answer like "because they are the cats of the city." So I'm out there splashing and paddling along when I see a huge ferry come up from behind with the name CityCat across the side. CityCat is the company of the river ferries, and we were supposed to be careful of them because they have a huge wake that could potentially flip us. VERY GLAD I DIDN'T ASK WHY WE SHOULD BE AFRAID OF CATS.

XOXO