The Idaho chapters

My Idaho journey is ending as it started: My mom helped me move up here with a truck and u-haul trailer; now, she's coming up to help me move back to Colorado with the truck and a [horse] trailer. Full circle, and such.
So what about the in between? I realize that I have much to be grateful for in thinking about all the things I got to do while working for Appaloosa Journal. In the course of that time, I:

• Got to visit Albuquerque, New Mexico for my first American Horse Publications seminar. I remember thinking "It's nice to be back in a state that has I-25." And if you want to hear a funny story, ask me whether New Mexico is a part of the U.S.'s 50 states.
  
• Got to see Oklahoma City. In July 2007 I covered the National Appaloosa Show in OKC, and not only got to see first hand a major breed show for the first time, but visited a lot of cool places, like the Alfred P. Murrah building memorial site, a really neat Oklahoma firefighters museum and the racetrack (of course!).
• Got to go to Saratoga Springs, New York for my second AHP seminar, where I won third place in the "service to the reader" category with my Appaloosa-minded racing feature. I also got to visit Saratoga Race Park, the National Racing Museum and walk along downtown SS. It was awesome, because that town is very horse-oriented and I can appreciate that mentality! I also got to stay a few extra days for a photo seminar with Gabrielle Boiselle, a German equine photographer who taught me quite a lot.
  
• Got to cover the 2008 World Championship Appaloosa Show, where I honed my photographic skills learned at AHP and also got some great tips from Trey Talbot. It was my second trip to Fort Worth but the first time I was able to drive around downtown and really see everything in Cowtown.
• Got to cover the 2009 National Appaloosa Show held in Jackson, Mississippi. I got stuck in Memphis, Tennessee during the flight down and was stuck in a hotel with no air conditioning (my room did have it) and saw some of the most bizarre traveling outfits ever created (think all pink spandex on someone that shouldn't have been wearing spandex at all). I also learned why anyone not born in the South should not live there. Humidity = Yuck.
• Got to go on the 2009 Chief Joseph Trail Ride, from Hamilton, Montana to Big Hole, Montana. It was the first time I ever rode 18 miles in one day (my muscles were protesting by the second hour) and I had to wuss out the second day and only ride half of the 31 miles they covered that day. Yes, little old ladies can ride longer than me—they're made of sterner stuff. That ride was amazing.
  
• Returned to Fort Worth for the 2009 World Show and also got to spend sometime in the historic stockyards, which was awesome. And experienced Billy Bob's, the largest honkytonk in the world. (And as far as I'm concerned, the Grizzly Rose in Denver was better.)

I'd say that those experiences add up to at least partially negate all the drama and politics that are part of the horse club. I always loved what I did—the interviews, the photos, the writing—and I still do. But I've learned that it's not always possible to reconcile what you love with the environment you're in; thus, it's time to start a new chapter in Colorado.
And in the next post, I'll talk about the things in Moscow I've come to appreciate and really will miss. [Hint: It's all the people.]