Hello 2025! With just one week left in the first month of the New Year, it feels like six months have passed. For over 10 years, I have guided women on a journey of personal growth through horse retreats both in the Colorado Rockies and more recently in the Santa Ynez Valley at Alisal Ranch, outside of Solvang, California. This past Santa Ana wind and fire season has been the longest and most destructive since we moved here—weeks filled with uncertainty, monitoring the Watch Duty app, evacuations, toxic winds, and the heartbreak of watching thousands of homes burn. Now, with our first rain since October, there is hope that fire season is finally coming to an end.

Before I look forward too far, what I have done for almost 20 years, is to look back at the last year in a New Year self-reflection process. I made a list of the progress and setbacks for David, my adult daughters, and myself in an exercise of journaling for self-improvement. Years later, when I read the past years’ lists, it’s a bit like a condensed family history, which can be helpful and trigger memories of the challenges, breaks, and victories.
What I really find helpful about this process now, is that each year not only do I look back and record what happened – both overcoming setbacks and moving forward – but it also helps me set goals for the next year as I continue to help others find personal growth through horse retreats. I have found that it is in the setbacks where I learn the most about our family and how we as individuals are becoming resilient. I wish growth was linear, but most of the time, to grow, we need to face setbacks.

Part of my progress this year, as David’s health has worsened, I have become better at finding, communicating and assessing physicians who can help us and those who can’t. After a few minutes with a prospective new physician, I have a good idea if this person can help us with prior authorizations for new meds, access to new procedures and find us resources to help cope with a neurodegenerative disease like Parkinsons.
As part of my progress last year, I started a Parkinson’s support group for women whose husband’s have moderate PD. We Zoom every two weeks. We have become a small community who prioritize self-care and transformation for women, as well as share our feelings and our resources. Using Next Door we found each other and new supportive friendships have grown from this. Sometimes, we each face challenges that promise to be harder in the future. I don’t wish that for anyone, but there is a lesson here for everyone to save and plan for rainy days that may be ahead.

I have learned that finding a community and sharing for what’s ahead helps. The setbacks have centered on David’s illness progressing. He is weaker, needs more rest and more help with daily activities of living, and is starting to show some of the cognitive effects of this brain-based illness. David finds that creativity in digital art and music gives him the courage to go forward and the ability to make new connections and friends. We all need to discover ways to move forward through change good and bad.

As I think about my goals for this year, I realize I need more time to maintain my health, find ways to enjoy life to balance with the coming days, and stay creative with projects like Women of the Rancho, where I can support others with horse-assisted goal setting and equine-guided self-reflection. While my situation is related to a family illness we didn’t see coming, there may be other challenges ahead for many of us – and I know so many others can also experience personal growth through horse retreats.
Women of the Rancho women’s retreat for self-growth offers an experience that is a scheduled break for women who love horseback riding in a luxury ranch setting with like-minded women. As part of your 2025 planning, take a closer look at what Women of the Rancho retreat offers – be that mindful goal setting, personal growth, empowerment or just a much-needed reflect and reset. I hope to see you in October for another one of our transformational retreats.

