I'm baaaccck!!

[1 morejump]

Wow, hey everyone!  I am so glad to be back after being away for, gosh, several years now I think. Weird, feels like it was only yesterday. 

I'm looking around and I see a lot of new faces but I think some of you should hopefully remember me!  I also notice some changes to the forums, different boards that aren't up anymore. So I want to hear from everyone about what is new and how the furry babies are!

I'm trying to remember how far back I need to go to catch everyone up.  On the down side my sweet little Lovebird Strawberry passed away while I was at school, we miss him. On the bright side we got a new dog! His name is Cody and he is a 2 year old Treeing Walker Coonhound, super cute and just a big sweetie, he loves talking to Lance who is also doing well.

As far as Lance the Wonder Horse goes, we were doing a lot the semester before I graduated and he was doing really really well in canter work and seat cues, still just really really basic stuff and then once again, life happened and happened hard. The last semester I was at school I couldn't bring him back with me, no money and the fact that I would have to bring him home through the mountains in winter with snow and ice didn't seem great so he chilled at home for the last semester. And then life hit again!

I am no longer living in America, my application to the US Peace Corps came through and I have been living in Malawi in Southern Africa since the end of Feburary 2011.  It is awesome, I live in a small village (Mbewa village) and just got back from spending 2 weeks in America for Christmas.  It was quite the culture schock and I don't go back until April 2013 but I like it here so that's really all you need.  I have a dog (Dora) and a cat (Squiggles) in the village and they help to keep me sane. I do miss Lance though.

Before I left I tried to find someone willing to exercise him while I was away but I couldn't find anyone with the time or experience or someone I could just flat out trust  to work with him while I am gone. So yes I feel absolutely horrible about that but mom and dad go out and play with him and hand walk him around ever now and then.  When I get back we are going to fix that but I think he's doing ok for now. I haven't been very horsey for a long while now so I miss it a lot.

Anyway, while I was home I squirrled away some cash and here I am again! You will have to be a little patient with me, starting tomorrow I am going back to my village and won't be able to post for a while but it is just good to be back! I missed you all!

[Casey76]

Hi there 

Wow, Malawi, that must be a fantastic experience

It's great to hear from you again Mary, hope you can pop in occasionally when you get the chence

Take care

[crdodgeon]

Ah now, I should've read this post before the other one! 

Still want to hear more about what your role in Malawi is, tho' 

Hello and welcome (back)

[1 morejump]

Here in Malawi I am an environment volunteer with Peace Corps and what does that exactly mean, well it means I do whatever my village wants to do. Right now we are trying to finish a building at our primary school.  The last Member of Parliment was vited out before it was completed and the new MP didn't want to touch it.  So we are doing it by trying to find our own funding, so far, we are done with the floors and have made the blackboards. Next we are going to be doing plaster for the walls.

Aside from that I have an eco-tourism club, they do traditional dances for tourists. And I work with the women's club, they are doing knitting to raise money to start a cell phone charging business.

When I'm not working I like traveling around the country, Liwonde National Park is really cool and the SCUBA diving here is great, I love it. There aren't many horses here though, so I miss riding and my horse.

[Wendy]

  Sounds so exciting!

[ChrissieW]

  Hello and welcome back.

Sounds like a very exciting life. Glad Lance is well 

[nona]

Hello and welcome back!  What an amazing opportunity you must be having. 

All the best

Nona

[christuris]

Hi Mary, glad you resurfaced -- I wondered what had happened to you and if school had swallowed you up!

You must be having an extraordinary experience there.  A friend of my mother's lived there for a while with her son until he died, and then she went back to Italy, but for the time she was there, it was VERY difficult getting around as the roads are just terrible, or were where she was.   It's an experience that you will keep for life -- well done you for joining up!

Christina
Indian Hills, Colorado
www.AlphabetRanch.com

[Heather]

Just realised I hadnt officially welcomed you back on this board, Mary!! Great to see our old friends returning!!

[whisper's mum]

Hiya!  Great to have you back. 

[Torsornin]

welcome back! I always wondered how Lance was doing!!!! I thought school might have gotten the better of you for a while! Glad to know you were able to ride lance - more pics when you can please! Peace corps! wow!!!  I never wanted to leave my horses that long - but I feel like I missed out on being able to travel and stuff! Good for you! Visit when you can and tell us all about it!