trekking

After the volunteer work, I went on an 8-day trek in the central highlands - on horseback. I got to see animals & views & landscapes I never would have seen had I not been on a horse. The guide, Marvin, only spoke Spanish, so we practiced conversations (more like he quizzed me constantly!) & he let me ride his most beautiful stallion, Gladiador. In between rides we went ziplining in the cloud forest, explored local towns & then spent the last night in the hot springs under the main (active) volcano, Arenal.

my first horse, Tuliana

sisters - Tuliana & Sintella

my favorite horse

putting Gladiador through his paces

Marvin can do all sorts of tricks...he is an amazing rider

lunch breaks were always near a waterfall or creek

we were invited to dinner by some strangers - Ticos are really the friendliest people.

city slickers?

More after the jump!

my favorite combination

combine just about anything with beautiful horses, & i'm in.  i'm still a huge horse nerd...i'd still probably ask santa for a pony. so obviously, if you combine gorgeous fashion (in this case, capes!) with a gorgeous horse, i'm sold. i would love to lead my horse thru new york city...could you imagine being a part of this shoot?

 via {a glamorous little side project}

image of the day

 decorated my tree last night. it is a sad little thing, so bare. i would love a real tree, but they dry out so fast here. one of my very favorite parts of christmas decorating is unwrapping all the ornaments & laughing at our terrible homemade ornaments (who knew pretzels could last 19 years?!), the photos of us with santa (i have an amazing one where i am just screeeaming) & the momentos that still decorate our tree after all these years. decorating the tree helps me to center myself...directing my attention away from the materialistic, consumer christmas & bringing me back to what christmas is really about.

not so secret obsession

absolutely gorgeous.

(wednesday edit: i just got an email from my boyfriend's mom...she is going to look at a halflinger horse this week, which it the same horse that i'm pretty sure the last photo is.  coincidence???)