There have been so many stories lately about people coming out of hiding to stand up for themselves, for each other - whether it's successful DACA recipients speaking about the fears of deportation that they live with or women coming forward to speak about sexual harassment in the workplace, or Muslims and African Americans speaking about why minority lives matter. There's something about this horse coming out of these bushes that reminds me of those people, and all the other people those people represent: the ones who are still in the shadows, living their lives one meal, one day, one challenge, one accomplishment, one dream at a time.

I shot this while hiking in Connemara National Park near Galway, Ireland. As far as national parks go, this one is pretty small, with only three Goldilocks-like hikes to choose from: short, medium or long. I chose the medium-length hike. Even though it didn't provide the 360-degree view that I'm sure was stunning from the top of Diamond Hill, it was still a beautiful loop trail, whether going uphill toward the wildly colorful mountain or downhill, with views of the Atlantic. The park is famous for it's herd of Connemara ponies, which I remember reading about as a horse-crazy little girl. A friend recommended I visit the park on my recent road trip around Ireland, and I'm glad she did! There's nothing quite like seeing a horse out in the wild (even if it's not a wild horse). It's like finding something in its rightful place in a world where nearly everything is wrong.

I hiked the medium-length Lower Diamond Hill walk, which took about 2 hours and, while I didn't get what I'm sure is an amazing view from the top of Upper Diamond Hill Walk, the scenery was still gorgeous. I had nothing to complain about.