Today was a(nother) good day just like yesterday....

and tomorrow will be yet another - the first day of my new life as an 'almost' Licensed 1-Star Junior Trainee Instructor!! Just a few things to organise and boxes to tick and I should be on my way. Amazing - it is still sinking in....I think I'll be a different more centered and thoughtful (i hope!) person in future...

Although passing the course was very important to me, it wasn't everything. In fact, I was quite prepared not to pass and was preparing myself emotionally incase I didn't. The content was huge - way more than horsemanship, and the standards high, as they should be. I feel very priveleged (even though my brain has gone and I can't spell!) to have been able to come to this amazing special 'heart of parelli' and soak up the savvy of those around me. We were so fortunate to have instructors of the calibre of Carol Coppinger, Tina Giordano, Ann Kiser and of course Linda....it was great to be reassured by Jackie and Russell being here too, though I barely got to say two words to them as we are all so busy.

I have shared my week with an incredible group of people - I know we always say that about Parelli people but its true!! I have found a great friend and support in Sandy down in Christchurch and I'm sure we'll spend many hours together in future - I hope she feels the same way. I also made some special american friends - if it was possible this course was even better than Fastrack, but I did miss not playing with a horse!! Pat found time to come to our graduation ceremony, which was very special - and asked us what we had learned. Very hard to pick just one highlight - there were so many. Mine was all about the value of simulations - I feel I now know the games on a different level - unpeeling the onion again - watch out ponies!! Mark Weiler also found time to come and left us with some valuable parls of wisdom, as did Pat of course.

I need to really get my horsemanship up there now - with winter on it's way out I'll be out there past dark again and rain or no rain I'll be progressing. Had a bit of a wake-up call when I discovered that many of the instructors here ride 5 hours a day and that the externs lessons are sometimes 4 hours long - whoops - ponies you and I need to get fit!!
Other highlights - getting to meet Kim Shannon who I knew through her blog, seeing the Parelli horse and human superstars in the flesh, walking down to the lodge in the hot sun soaking up that special atmosphere that I have never experienced anywhere else, watching the sun set amidst thundery clouds and lightning driving back to the apartment, falling about laughing as we enjoyed the team building excercise, mastering the pretzel knot (thanks Sandy for being such a patient teacher!), learning from Carol the master and enjoying her sense of humour and countless other highlights.....and secretly planning when I can come back!!

Disappointments - only that I have to leave and couldn't stay for the Summit and Instructor conference but this was tempered with excitement of planning my life when I come home and soon being able to officially teach people up to L3 online!!

Looking forward to catching up with my friends back home.....and summer!!!!