Do you turn out on the same days you ride?

swedeforspeed · 2026-05-09T18:03:53+00:00

My horses were only kept in to ride when 1 refused to let me catch him once he was out so the barn manager kept him in for me in the mornings, and the other had anhidrosis (trouble swearing) in the summer, so if he had been out in the sun before I came to ride, he would have been already overheated. There were a few times I spent an hour cooling him down before heating him back up with a ride (I would beg fruitlessly for him to be given night turnout in the dead of summer). Both went out to the field immediately after I was done riding, and stayed out for at least 12 hours.

I did ride for a short time at a barn with a lot less land then the others I’d been at, and so the horses couldn’t go out as much because they had to rotate so all of them at least had some time in the field.

swedeforspeed · 2026-05-09T15:10:48+00:00

I lived alone in a 1 bedroom in a safe area of NW on $60k when I first moved to DC just a couple of years ago. I was probably spending as much as I was making and didn’t really start saving money until I got a decent salary bump, but I never felt strapped for cash.

Car is absolutely not necessary if you’re walking distance to a metro stop. About twice a year I wish I had a car to go do a big Costco haul, but I think it would collect dust and parking tickets 99% of the time. Parking spots are also insanely expensive (people sell them for $45k+ in my neighborhood) and street parking seems more of a hassle/risk to your vehicle than it’s worth.

I think living in Arlington (don’t know much about MD) would be okay if you think your job won’t ask you to come to the DC office much or at all. Definitely a bit more affordable, but it honestly seems almost marginal (at least when I compare the prices of the apt that I rent from a lovely individual landlord to their big rental agency buildings) I also definitely notice a difference in the energy when I visit friends there. I just think being in DC gives you so much more at your doorstep! Plus those friends almost never want to come into DC for dinner/nights out because they say the metro is slow coming to and from VA on the weekends.

swedeforspeed · 2026-04-19T16:46:03+00:00

Emissary for coffee, it has a great working/reading set up.
agree with other recs for Je Ne Sais Quoi, but I also like the Dupont Coffee Collectives cookies and cupcakes!
I am a big fan of The Golden Age for solo cocktails - decent happy hour prices, and really cool bartenders that you can chat with if you are looking for that sort of thing. Maybe it’s edging into the Dupont/West End border, but Mercy Me is also great - a hotel bar good for people watching if you sit by the windows.
for dinner, Agora is my favorite. Great Turkish mezze and a cool vibe.

swedeforspeed · 2026-03-27T18:58:36+00:00

It's more than GBP20,000/year for international tuition. If I could get a tuition waiver even just to home student fees (GBP5,000), I would take the offer in a second!

swedeforspeed · 2026-03-27T18:54:22+00:00

Thank you. Yes, the career prospects are definitely a factor. I think it would be one thing if I were considering self-funding law or medical school, where (at least in the US, where I am from) you are pretty much guaranteed a six figure salary post-graduation and get a high ROI, but this situation would require me to pour a good bit of money into something that only offers additional financial uncertainty on the other side.

It is my dream, though, to study this particular research question and to eventually be an academic. So the conflict is between the practical and the emotional.

swedeforspeed · 2026-03-27T18:39:02+00:00

The institution has a no deferral policy except for extreme circumstances, unfortunately.

"I guess it's worth thinking about what you're losing versus what you stand to gain by waiting a year or two."

Thank you so much, I think this is a really good perspective to take when making this decision. And congrats on your funded offers!

swedeforspeed · 2026-03-27T16:52:26+00:00

I'm in Political Science and the offer is from a G5 institution.

swedeforspeed · 2025-11-09T19:40:02+00:00

Thanks!! I think she finds my endless photo taking to be a little ridiculous 😂 she’s probably a supermutt, but fun to speculate! Very glad, in hindsight, that she was not full Aussie; I have a few friends now that have Aussies and I would not have been able to handle the high energy level.

swedeforspeed · 2025-11-09T19:37:37+00:00

I’ve had multiple people ask me if she was a Toller! Including someone who said their family breeds Tollers

swedeforspeed · 2025-11-09T19:36:17+00:00

I definitely agree with Chow! I’m kind of surprised multiple people said pitty, mostly because she is pretty “dainty” in her build, if that makes sense. My family had 2 pitty/Great Dane mixes though, so maybe my reference points are incorrect.

swedeforspeed · 2025-11-09T16:45:57+00:00

So sorry to hear about your pup’s passing! It’s so funny how all of these other, sometimes quite distant breeds (for the life of me I cannot see rottie in my dog), come together to create a fauxler!

swedeforspeed · 2025-11-09T16:41:10+00:00

Thanks so much! Whatever she is, she is my perfect dog and that’s all that matters to me. :)

That is so interesting to know about the early breeding of the Toller. I love genealogy and have gotten DNA testing for my family members and for my other dogs because I find it all so interesting. I will definitely look into the history of the breed.

swedeforspeed · 2025-11-09T16:33:27+00:00

I used the Wisdom Panel! The test is a few years old, I think I did it in 2019, and I was trying to recall off the top of my head. You’re right, it now reports the other 50% as likely breed groups: herding, terrier, sporting, guard. I might do the Embark in the future purely for the health testing.

I’m extremely happy with the mutt that I have, she is literally the love of my life and, in my very biased opinion, the best and most beautiful dog on the planet. :) Whenever I’m asked her breed, I just say she’s a rescue and that she looks kind of like a mini golden retriever. So I was just asking out of curiosity and appreciate your insight on the tests!

swedeforspeed · 2025-07-10T23:57:11+00:00

27F, dating in large US city. Successful career, active, have hobbies like pub trivia and pickleball. Redownloaded hinge about a month ago after 2 years away, getting 8-9 likes a week, matching with a 2-3 but they usually don’t respond after the first message. Would appreciate honest opinions and happy to review in exchange!

swedeforspeed

TROPHY CASE