been in extraordinary locations. A true gift from the Universe!I turned 26 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, while staying at a gorgeous hotel
for free. My 27th birthday I was at the beach in sunny Nicaragua. For
my 28th, I recently finished my first journey from Canada to Brazil, I
was living at a friend’s beach house in the northern coast of Sao
Paulo, working on my book. And now for my 30th birthday, I saw the sunrise
rise in Punta del Este, Uruguay.
“Happy birthday brother,” Mario yelled to me at 12:01 inside the loud
Conrad nightclub. We celebrated like rock stars.
During the weekend festivities, Mario drove me around in his yellow Camaro showing me his second home. The Gaucho studies Medicine in Punta and
owns a beautiful home a couple of blocks from the beach. After
sleeping in horse barns for a month, we lived like kings for the
weekend.
Not being able to spend more than 24 hours away from horses, I found
an excuse to visit a gorgeous endurance-horse farm only 30 kms from
Punta. Carolina Garcia and her father Javier showed me their
beautiful animals and explained how they train their horses.
“We start them when they are around 3 to 4 years old and ride them
everyday to get them in shape for the races,” Javier told me while we
looked at his more than 100 horses.
Endurance racing is a big deal in Uruguay and Javier has even sold
horses to a Sheik in Dubai.
“Last year the Sheik invited us to race in his home and I had a chance
to compete alongside my daughters, it was an extraordinary feeling,”
said Javier.
I can’t even begin to thank Javier and his daughter Carolina, who has since become a
great friend of mine, for showing me a little bit of their world.
Javier even allowed me to ride his best Arabian! I galloped the
tall/crazy bay down his driveway alongside Carolina. What a feeling.
I was extremely scared to turn 30 but when I stop and think about
everything I have done with my life thus far, I get excited for what’s
to come. It´s been a wild ride and the future looks ever wilder!
Only god knows where I´ll turn 31…
