Brave Enough

Who knew that Kentucky could bring so much inspiration? I arrived in KY on Friday afternoon, parking downtown and right between The Village Idiot and The Shakespeare Cafe. Perfect spot. While Taylor was at work, I worked on getting a feel for downtown Lexington. In the words of Taylor, it's "Up and Coming." AKA a lot of cool places to eat and a few stores here and there, but still lots of available space to grow. I was followed by a homeless man while I was exploring, so I dove into quite a few of the stores off to the side, including a jewelry store with hand-crafted silver pieces. As I was roaming the store, I struck up a conversation with the young lady working the counter. It turns out she and I were in similar boats. She did an international teaching program and was living and teaching in Turkey, until this summer when the political unrest forced her to return to the states. So until she can get back there, she is living with her parents, found a job to work just to earn some income, and is feeling rather stuck. Now, she knows what it is she is moving towards after this hiccup whereas I am still figuring that out, but it was nice to hear that even without a significant other's influence, people can sometimes find themselves in a position like mine. It helped me feel less idiotic for my predicament.

I also decided that I would treat myself to my own piece of jewelry, something that I bought for myself. I found a piece that is adjustable, beautiful, simple, and unique; rather representative, if I do say so myself.

When Taylor texted me to ask how it was going, I responded with, "I have bought myself jewelry and I must be stopped. Send me somewhere else."

He responded with the perfect coffee shop hangout just outside of downtown. When I open my own, I would happily decorate it in the way that theirs is. It is nothing but positive quotes, bright colors, and mismatched furniture. It is an amazing place for a racing, creative mind to thrive.

Afterwards, Taylor came and met me and we headed to the hospital to see his grandfather. It was a surprisingly beautiful experience. I am typically very weary of hospitals; it brings me a lot of sadness and fear to be surrounded by those who are possibly sick beyond help.

I have also been so wrapped up in my own growth lately that I forgot how powerful the structure of family is, how magnificent it feels to be sitting in a room sharing memories and laughter even in the rough times, and how blessed I have been to have that family structure in my life. It was also inspiring to see the love that Taylor's grandparents shared. They give off such an essence of care and pure love that you can't help but feel it being in their presence. It helped remind me of what I will be seeking in my future.

We quickly went by Taylor's parent's house where I fell in love with his dog, Duncan. We are now best friends and never to be parted. Afterwards we went to a hole-in-the-wall restaurant for some of the best Italian that I have ever eaten. Now, with Taylor's grandfather's situation, we decided it would be best to stay in a hotel so that we didn't have to be a burden at the house. The place was an extended stay hotel and was not terrible at all, despite our bug-friend that kept us company all weekend. He was a rather stoic little thing, honestly. Taylor and I were both exhausted from the week, so we called it early so we could prep for adventures the next day.

Saturday turned out to be gorgeous and we unearthed Taylor's convertible for what he called it's "final ride of the season." I had my camera adventure pack geared up and ready for whatever came our way that day. The morning started us out in horse country, where top thoroughbreds are raised in Kentucky for the derbies and other seasonal horse races. There are miles and miles of nothing but farmland, rolling pastures, and gorgeous mares and steeds. As it happened, the Bourbon Chase was also happening at the same time we were driving through these countryside farms, so we had to avoid hitting runners on the narrow winding roads. The Bourbon Chase is a 200 mile relay race along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, and a huge event for the city. (http://www.bourbonchase.com/race) I will say this, Lexington definitely has a culture all it's own between bourbon and thoroughbreds. We even passed a castle! Apparently, this rich guy's wife asked for a castle, and he abided. He imported all this material from Europe and began building it. When it was almost complete, the wife divorced him. Bummer, right? So now it's a B&B. If you ever want to visit Lexington, I suggest trying to stay in the castle. (http://www.thecastlepost.com/default.asp)

Once we finished winding through the rolling hills, Taylor drove me up to a lookout site called Highbridge Park (http://www.worldtimzone.com/railtrail/highbridge/). Breathtaking is not strong enough to describe how it felt to be overlooking this amazing engineering structure, and the river curving gently around the mountains. My photos could not do it justice, but I certainly tried. There is something that comes alive in me when I experience the raw beauty of nature. It is a feeling that I cannot describe, but it brings me such a calm peace that enables me to feel an optimism for the world and how it could be.

We headed back to the house and went on a 4 mile walk before we went to the Lindsey Stirling concert that evening in Louisville. Now, I was expecting something amazing, but even then, my expectations greatly underestimated the concert that was Lindsey Stirling. For those who don't know who she is, please reference the following video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3KUyPKbR7Q) and a million others of her. She is a splendid violinist and such a strong performer. Her tour and new album are titled "Brave Enough". Throughout the concert, she had moments where she shared some of her personal life, including losing one of her best friends last year to an illness. She told the whole crowd how hard it was to be strong, to believe the best in the world when it seems so dark, to have faith in God when you think you have every reason not to. It made me admire her even more than I did for her talent. Her spirit is so generous and true. That concert filled my spirit <3

On Sunday, I somehow managed to talk Taylor into going on a trail ride with me. We headed out to the barn and met some of the horses. I have not ridden since I was in 5th grade, when I was in tears because I was afraid that I would be thrown off. I took lessons in 1st and 2nd grade and I quit the day I was thrown from my horse because she got spooked by an animal in the woods. In the first few minutes of riding that Sunday, a buck came out of nowhere and spooked the horses. Guess what? They reared and ran the other direction. Poor Taylor's heart about jumped out of his chest. I was shocked that I remembered what I should do when a horse does that. Squeeze your legs, lean forward, pull the reigns and hold on tight. It sort of represented life, honestly, including the part where Taylor turned and yelled that I owed him a bourbon for doing this with me. It's terrifying knowing that my life was, in that moment, in the hooves of that horse, but I also had some control over where he took it. I had to rely completely on instinct in that moment, and it paid off.

The rest of the trail ride was full of simple beauties and a calm pace. The horses behaved amazingly, and despite the rocky start everyone had a great time. I also conquered my old fear of being bucked, and remembered how wonderful horses are as creatures. I simply had to be brave enough to try it again.