While we’re still self-distancing, some businesses are taking baby steps towards normalcy. It’s opening us up to cultural experiences we may have never had. Get creative in a conscious way, and restless people from quarantine will jump at the opportunity!
Richmonders who had never been to the symphony are hiring Ellen Cockerham Riccio to play violin in their backyards from a safe distance. She’s the Second Principal Violinist in the Richmond Symphony, and during this quarantine, has transformed into The Backyard Violinist. The Driveway Drag Show has been doing house calls for people who have never made it into the city for a proper performance. The main entertainer, Michelle Livigne has even found herself playing for a Christian family at a remote cabin sitting on 600 acres of land.
When I found out that Checkpoint One was open for private tours, our family was in. I’ve always found horses to be majestic. They have a quiet dignity that’s untouchable. Checkpoint One is a special refuge, offering non-riding equine therapy with trained specialists.
It’s one thing to stand at the fence and hope a horse ambles up to you. It’s quite another thing to be led inside for an intimate session. “Horses radiate their heartbeats, and humans adapt to the slower and more consistent heartbeat of the horse. It lowers our stress levels and blood pressure,” explains Kristin Fitzgerald. As co-founder of Checkpoint One and certified life coach, she and her team help people with PTS (post traumatic stress), and ERES (Emergency Responders Exhaust Syndrome). In fact, anyone feeling overtaxed and stressed can unwind at this rustic hideaway, where even yoga classes are offered to help heal the community.
Our favorite horse was George, (pictured top). He’s a nuzzling, cuddling beast that likes to lay his regal head upon your shoulder. There were two wild mustangs brought in from Nevada. They were “gentled in” as opposed to being broken in, so they learned not to fear humans, but without the use of force or pain. Shadow (pictured above), is a horse who recently had an eye removed. She’s adapting well, but it won’t stop your nurturing instinct from coming out in full force. There’s a sweet donkey that loves to get close and smell everything on you (including your face). We brushed them to help shed their winter coats. The animals felt itchy and you could tell they were grateful for the attention.
We were grateful too. We’ve been in quarantine since March. To be able to drive to this lush hilltop in Doswell and soak up the sun, and to be so intimate with animals that innately calm us – it was a memorable afternoon. Its close enough to the city so that it’s not a hassle, and far enough so that it feels like an escape. It’s special enough to make you feel like all that isolating was worth the wait.
Fayeruz Regan 
Beautiful!
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