2020, a summary

Has it been two months since I wrote anything? Yeahhhh. Whoops. Turns out, it’s hard to find motivation to write when you have no motivation to do… anything. I’ve been better on Instagram (where Archie got his own account so I could stop blowing up all my college friends with ponyponyponypony).

Figured the recap Alberta Equestrian started was as good of a place as any to update and start back in though, so until I get around to writing some other things, this is what we’ve got to work with.

What’s the best thing that happened to you in 2020?

Personal: After three years of living here, I finally feel settled in Indy. I had some really great friendships come together this year and it truly feels like ‘home’. In May of 2021, I’ll officially have lived in Indiana longer than anywhere else except New Mexico.

Horsey: Having six short months with Iggy. Incredibly painful end, but those six months did more for my riding and love of eventing than anything I could have imagined. I fell absolutely head over heels in love with him and feel so, so lucky to have had that time with him.

What’s the worst thing that happened to you in 2020?

Personal: Woof. Definitely some rough relationship issues, both romantic and not. I went through an extremely rough period of not speaking with family members, I had a breakup that felt like I got run over by a bulldozer… It was enough to get me a one way ticket back into therapy (which is awesome! Therapy is great).

Horsey: Having to retire and send Iggy home and losing Doc. They both happened back to back and they both absolutely fucking sucked. Both things still make my heart feel like it went through a meat grinder.

What was your biggest purchase in 2020?

Personal: I’m about to pull the trigger on a new mattress this week so that will probably do it – but otherwise, maybe new brakes for my car? A lot of “little” things added up this year. (And the dog’s vet bills)

Horsey: Uhhhh Archie? Hah. If it’s a material item, then my saddle. But Archie definitely takes the cake with this one.

What was your biggest accomplishment in 2020?

Personal: Not completely losing my shit? I actually had a great year at work which just feels… wrong, but I was able to really stretch my legs professionally this year, make some great connections and complete some really cool projects. I also had my very first first-author poster and my first academic paper accepted, so that’s pretty awesome.

Horsey: The confidence and rides I had on Iggy in the time I had him – I was literally asking to go jump bigger XC fences which has… never happened before. We were seriously schooling novice which seemed like a far off dream for a long time.

Secondly would be the progress I’ve made with Archie in a few months. He’s not the same horse he was in September, for better, and while it hasn’t been fun and glamorous like Iggy’s progress was, it’s been rewarding nonetheless.

What do you feel COVID robbed you of in 2020?

Personal: Seeing my friends and family struggle was really, really hard, especially those who are frontline workers. It really stole our sense of security and safety.

Horsey: Can I blame COVID for Iggy too? I guess moving IEA and then losing the chance to go show him or losing four weeks with him when the barn shut down. It didn’t seem like a big deal at the time, but in hindsight knowing we’d only get six months, it feels much more raw.

Were you subject to any COVID Impulse Buys in 2020?

Personal: I wouldn’t say it was an impulse purchase, but I mean, there was the time I was on lockdown and spontaneously decided to completely redo my bathroom… over a weekend. That might count.

Horsey: HAHA Archie? You mean… not everyone buys a horse sight unseen off a video from 600 miles away mid-pandemic? WEIRD.