October 2017

I am writing this blog on a train from Cork City to Dublin, Ireland. I was scheduled to be on the train yesterday, but Hurricane Ophelia came crashing and blowing into Ireland, the worst hurricane to hit Ireland since 1961. After 24 hours of high force winds and 350,000 homes without power, I have emerged with a new appreciation for tea, a hearth in every room, and the Irish sense of humour and their willingness to plod through, making the best of everything. Irish pragmatism wins the day...every day.

On September 17, my fiancée and I headed from Columbus, Ohio to Fort Lauderdale, Florida to take a cruise on the Allure of the Sea. We flew Southwest Airlines, as they are the most "chair-friendly" airline. Upon landing, we took a bus with a lift from the airport to the pier. Within 15 minutes of arriving at the pier, we were on board Allure. Due to Hurricane Irma, our route changed to the Western Caribbean, but I had never seen the ocean before so it was all the same to me!

When I was given the honor of writing a blog post for Live Quickie, I was initially going to discuss the special bond that people have with their dogs. My six-year-old Golden Retriever, Sadie, is a hugely important part of my life, so of course I want to say everything I can about my love for her. I had a draft almost ready to submit when the horrific shooting in Las Vegas happened. How Sadie got me through the post-traumatic stress associated with it is what I truly would like to write about.

Therapeutic horseback riding, a type of equine-assisted psychotherapy, is a form of social, physical, and emotional therapy. In Ancient Greece, horseback riding was a well-known treatment for people who wished to rid themselves of physical or mental ailments. However, it wasn't until 1900 that therapeutic horseback riding began to be used in Canada and the United States.

Krystal Greco, 22, was only 14 years old when a ruptured disc left her paralyzed from the waist down. She had just started high school and had to face this life-changing injury on top of all the typical challenges and drama that come with being a teenager in a new town.