I feel like I’ve learned a lifetime of lessons in just a few short months. If I had known what I was in for I never would have left Washington. Perhaps it’s better not to know what’s coming. I sometimes look at it like driving down the road at night. The headlights only illuminate a limited number of feet ahead of the vehicle, but we keep driving to our destination despite the narrow view.
I think I could write a great deal more about what not to do rather than what to do when moving such a long distance. Perhaps many of you have moved several times and have it down to a science, but the last move I made was in my early twenties and it was literally across the yard. Moving 1500 miles was culture shock. I’m still recovering, and I’ve been here nearly three months!
Education is constant—whether you’re in your teens and looking ahead to college, in a career, or in your senior years. Life is a journey of surprises! I’m grateful for the privilege to serve the horse industry I love. I’ve found the older I get the less I seem to know. Life is going by faster than I can imagine. I’m hanging on, trying to enjoy the crazy ride.
This month’s cover story is about a woman I met online several months ago. She is a cancer survivor and a brilliant life coach. She helped me at the beginning of my journey and has a great perspective on life. Read Vonie’s story on page 6.
Lastly, I’ve found that my animals adapt to change much better than I do. I find great comfort in watching them interact and I really need them right now. I can report there are physical benefits in moving to a drier climate. My dog Enya no longer scratches all the time and April no longer has a fungal infection on her back legs. There’s always a silver lining!
Quote: A wise man said: Don’t be afraid to start over again. This time, you’re not starting from scratch, you’re starting from experience.
~ Biggs Burke – Entrepreneur-Record Executive-Film Producer
See this article in the September 2021 online edition:
Owner/Publisher Karen’s lifelong love of horses began at a very early age when she wore out a couple of rocking horses before convincing her parents to get her the real thing. That ill-tempered bay gelding, Brandy, was a challenge for the young horsewoman, but it drove her ambition to become a horse trainer. After attending Canyonview Equestrian College’s Horsemanship Program, Karen realized she needed work that was a little more lucrative than training, so she took a job with Customs Brokerage to pay the bills. There, she discovered an affinity for computers and a talent for creating informative, entertaining newsletters. The Northwest Horse Source began as such a letter in December 1995, with a distribution of 1000 copies for its 12 black and white pages. Now 29 years later, it’s an online magazine and website with a reach of over 10,000 per month and growing! Not bad for the results of one woman’s dream to work with horses!
Today, Karen remains involved with every aspect of the magazine and treasures the community of thousands who share a common passion.
You have a great positive outlook, Karen! Keep it up!
-Marilyn
Thanks Marilyn! I sure appreciate it!