Quest for the True North

Off to the Horse Capital of the World

Filed under human interest, travel

It wasn’t even a wish, it was more like a passing thought. I wrote in my journal at the beginning of the year that I wanted to go back, and look, it is coming true!

I’m leaving later today for Hong Kong. From there I’ll be flying to Los Angeles, and then to Dallas, Texas, and then finally to Lexington, Kentucky. Lexington is the horse capital of the world, sometimes also called “Athens of the West.”

I was given an assignment that requires me to travel to the corporate headquarters, thanks to my fairy godmother who is always watching out for me. I’d probably be pulling all my hair out doing the work, but heck, it’s still a trip and it’s a rare opportunity. Actually, I am more excited about the trip rather than the work. LOL.

I am glad I am going because I didn’t get enough of the place when I was there last year. For one, I wasn’t able to get on a horse. The best I did was feed a mint to a horse before it ran in the racetracks. And I won a dime from the race, by the way.

The horses in Lexington are the most beautiful you will ever see. Man, the horses there have skin smoother than the skin on my face, and they sleep in carpeted and air-conditioned barns. These are the horses that rake in millions from horse and racing enthusiasts in North America. Explains why they are pampered.

But I am not complaining. I just love horses. I know now what the Triple Crown is and how important it is, and am familiar with the names of some of the greatest horses in history–Barbaro, Seabiscuit, Secretariat, Unbridled, Man O’ War. I probably learned more about horses than about my work. LOL. (Okay, that was an exaggeration.)

Some of my friends think Lexington is a vast expanse of rolling green fields because of the horses. Hell, no. Lexington is a city, with probably more malls than some cities in Metro Manila. I believe the city was designed in such a way that there are enough blue grass for the horses and enough land for human settlements.

Aside from the horses, I am looking forward to the interstate trips. I had the chance to see Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, West Virginia, and Washington D.C. last year. This time I am going to visit another set of states, if money permits.