All over the map

 I’m sometimes superstitious about writing about future plans or things that haven’t happened yet so I save the details for a recap after the fact. For many things though, a lot of the fun starts with the planning and anticipation of the upcoming fun thing. This feels like one of those things.

I had a week booked off work mid July for a clinic and destination show in Vancouver. I had so much time off riding this winter and such a big setback that I’ve made it to exactly zero of the schooling and semi local events I’d planned as a lead up. I’m left feeling nowhere near ready to show. Still, I was keeping it in the calendar as a goal. My thinking was that I just go have fun and ride at whatever level I can. Being there and riding is the win, forget all the rest.

I started booking things and reserving things and generally making it real. Costs were being calculated and budgeted, entries filled, packing lists were being started. 

And then. THEN. I’m not even sure how this all started, but basically one night while I was looking at entries and reserving ferries,  I was also messaging friends and we were discussing having an online show day and submitting our tests together. “Ha, $40 at the local arena, instead of hours of ferries and travelling and almost $2000 budgeted to do the same tests in person. It’s so ridiculous! That's what a vacation would cost!” I made the mistake of exclaiming to my husband.

 Husband happened to be watching a Blue Jays game on tv, and yet still happened to hear the $2000 part (his hearing is strong for discussions involving money, normally less so for topics including horses). He opined that we could probably fly to Toronto and pay for hotels and baseball game tickets on the same budget, something he’d find infinitely more enjoyable than camping at a horse show in Vancouver and battling a day of ever changing ferry bookings and travel each way. I filed that dream baseball trip factoid away as just another thing horse shows are more expensive than and crossed my fingers for the stars to align and there be no issues with the ferries or reservations. Most importantly, I remembered to appreciate how wonderful he is for supporting me at a horse show when there are probably thousands of other things he’d rather do on any given day. 

But later that night, I started thinking. Because an epic baseball trip would be a super thing for my husband. Was he joking or would he really want to go? There would be a day off between games, though. What to do, hmm, let’s see if there’s something fun. WAIT. How far is baby Trademark from Toronto? *checks geography, sees it’s an easy side trip, proceeds to not sleep all night because things just got super exciting*

I already have time booked off work for the show, I already had plans made to be away from home. The show is an annual event and will be there next year. Baby pony will only be a foal once. 

Husband G deserves a fun getaway. So do I.

Decision made. The flights and hotels are booked. I’m going to go meet my new pony.