I’m on a horse!
I really needed this weekend. For some reason, by Friday, I was just beat; I even said so to my boss towards the end of the day. My brain had turned off and all I wanted to do was crawl into bed and not move. Luckily, I have friends who didn’t allow me to be quite so lazy…
Friday night (after a tiny nap – sue me!), Matt and I ventured out to meet some friends for dinner at none other than our resident hot spot, La Finca. As always, the company was fantastic, the food was wonderful, and the setting was perfect for my mood. After all the rain last week – which I still happen to love – there is nothing like sitting in the cozy warmth of a perfectly decorated thai restaurant by the open front door as rain hits the pavement. Just thinking about it makes me feel all cuddly. 
We didn’t make it a late one on Friday, though, because I had my first horse-riding lesson to go to the next day. Now, I’ve ridden horses before. For example, back when I visited Matt in Ireland for the first time before moving there, we went horse-riding in the hills near Killarney. However, my experience is limited, so when a friend mentioned that she was going to start taking lessons, I asked her to count me in. Located in the San Roque Club by our house, the stables are run as an Equine Therapy (therapeutic riding programmes for disabled people) center and the proceeds they receive through lessons and such go completely toward maintaining the center. How great is that? We signed up to take only this one lesson first, and if we liked it, we planned to sign up for five more.
Off we go!
Well, we ended up loving it! Though the first lesson was pretty basic in nature (walking, trotting, standing in the stirrups, etc.), it was exactly what I needed. Our instructor was great, not easing up on us for one second. She constantly yelled out instructions to each of us. By the time we finished the lesson, we were completely different riders than when we started (well, I was at least!). She was also pretty entertaining – at the end, she made us swing around in our saddles and took us back into the stables riding backwards on the horse. I’m hoping that as our skills progress, we’ll get to venture out of the ring and onto some paths.
After the lesson, Matt and I stocked up on groceries and spent the remainder of the day watching the first season of Homeland (we’re a couple of crazy cats, I know). With the weather being cloudy and cool, a “movie day” seemed perfect. We just happened to substitute movies with Homeland and I am certainly glad we did. Not only did I need the rest (by the end of the work week, I’d even convinced myself I might be getting sick), but what a great show to get into!
A perfect afternoon for nine holes!
On Sunday the weather started to take a turn for the better. The temperatures were fairly mild and the sun was starting to work its way out into the open. I mentioned that it would be nice to do another outdoor activity since the horse-riding lesson had been so much fun. Matt and I decided to hit some golf balls at the driving range, but as we drove over to the Alcaidesa Links Golf Resort in our neighborhood, we decided to play nine holes instead. It ended up being the perfect afternoon to play – the temperature was just right, the course wasn’t too busy, and man were the views spectacular! We’ve lived here an entire year, so I can’t believe this is the first time we’ve played this course. It wraps through the hills and extends next to the ocean, providing beautiful shots towards Gibraltar and Africa. I ended playing pretty well considering it’s been awhile since I picked up a golf club. In nine holes I had two pars and a birdie, which I’m going to log into the books as a successful day!
To finish off our lovely weekend, we watched NFL football, ate bbq chicken wings with a side salad topped with ranch dressing, and enjoyed one final evening of relaxation before heading into another busy work week. I hope we keep up with these outdoor activities, because as much fun as laying on the couch or in bed sounds (my initial plan), I actually felt more rejuvenated by the end of this weekend by getting out there. I’ll keep you posted on how future riding lessons go, if I’ve got any other television series to recommend, and I hope you had a great weekend as well!
Probably the best shot we took all afternoon.
