This past weekend was a perfect example of how being in college and living in LA gives random and fun opportunities.
My roommate and I have been looking forward to going to the Renaissance Fair all year. The fair is held every April about 30 minutes out of downtown LA. We finally went this year, and it was such a blast. We rented costumes at the fair and wandered over to the JOUST!! Which was AWESOME! I’m tempted to try lancing rings on my horse, Fast.
Then we grabbed some bread, cheese, and mead and headed over to archery!! Ali Battat, my roommate of 4 years was excellent (leftover from her WASP-y summer camps). I didn’t do as well.
Then we had a nice British tea with the Queen (couldn’t quite get myself to affect a terrible accent) and came home with a new teapot!! We saw a sword fight after that. Then, finally, exhausted from dragging those heavy dresses around, we reluctantly gave them back and went home.
I then spent a very enjoyable saturday evening hanging out with my 2 “Littles” from SWE. I was assigned one through the SWE Mentorship program, the other I just picked up along the way. We’re friends, and I occasionally give them priceless life advice.
Then I went to sleep excited for my activity for the next day …. Horse Vaulting!!
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- Joust!
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- Tea with the Queen!
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- Archery!
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- This move is called “The Flag”
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- Standing on a horse, harder than it seems
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- Canter with no hands!!
Think of Horse Vaulting as a mix between Equitation and Gymnastics. I got an email about a month ago from my coach on the USC Equestrian team. She told me about a clinic held once a year at a stable near her where a where a world champion in vaulting teaches people some trick riding. I signed up right away
Then I paid $35 dollars and spend 4 hours that Sunday practicing fancy mounts, dismounts, flips, and moves on a barrel, then moving to a horse on the lunge line. The first horse we got on was the biggest animal I’ve ridden in my life. I was almost literally doing the splits to sit on his back. 18’2″ hands for those who know horses. The second was a little draft pony that we did tricks on at the canter.
What was even more amazing was watching this champion vaulter and his trainees doing terrifying tricks. Also, we heard all their stories about traveling the world for this sport.
Finally after all that fun, I got to come home and make some cost estimates for a space-solar power architecture. Also, slightly less fun describe the separate but related bodies with natural sequential motion under various repeated forces. Then SWE meeting at 8 to talk about the events we have (Murder Mystery Dinner, Game Night, Community Service with Girl Scouts, Company Info Session, Interviews for next year’s officers), and finally sleep.
Sounds good right, starting to get sad about leaving college 🙁
