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The Best That Can Happen: The Grand Trek
"To fulfill the dreams of one's youth; that is the best that can happen." So said Willa Cather in 1927. "Uh huh. Ever actually, like, try it?" is Kathleen Schmitt's response. Her dream to ride a horse across America was born on Horst and Harriet Haenert's horse farm in northwestern Illinois. Harriet suggested one of their horses might not winter well at all. Kathleen, freshly graduated from high school, suggested sending him to Harriet's sister in Arizona.That was outside the Haenerts' budget, so Kathleen jokingly proposed riding him there. “I can’t. I have to be back teaching school this fall, and he’ll have to take it kind of slowly,” she said. “But you could,” she continued and went to get an atlas. These are the stories of preparing for The Grand selecting (one one case, catching) the horses, getting and training her Pawed Protector, Country Boy, a prophetic dream, setting off on The Grand Trek, the events and people encountered along the way, how her family and friends viewed the journey, and what happened afterward.
"I felt as if I was there with her, pondering the idea of this journey of a lifetime, having its roots in her youth. She knows how to paint a picture in your mind, hooking you into her world, making you want to know more. The author creates a perfect balance of entertainment, character building and chronicling events, crafting it into a story infused with emotion and depth. A lovely read.” - Melissa G., Hartford, CT
"I felt as if I was there with her, pondering the idea of this journey of a lifetime, having its roots in her youth. She knows how to paint a picture in your mind, hooking you into her world, making you want to know more. The author creates a perfect balance of entertainment, character building and chronicling events, crafting it into a story infused with emotion and depth. A lovely read.” - Melissa G., Hartford, CT
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Published December 25, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 2, 2019
“I know that life dreams are not necessarily the same as adventures…” (254). In her creative nonfiction memoir, The Best That Can Happen: The Grand Trek, Kathleen Schmitt describes both her life’s biggest adventure and her life’s dream with candor, humor and wisdom.
After graduating from Georgetown, the author plans to ride from Virginia to California on horseback, with a protection dog by their side. She calls the trip an A.A., an Apparent Adventure, “contrived or pointless, or at least not to the point” (8). Rather than affecting some specific change or outcome, her journey reveals its purpose as it unfolds.
The narrative maintains a steady trot, despite the trip’s setbacks and detours, in its varied styles. There are mini-stories, “rants,” history lessons, insights into her relationships and feelings, all told in colloquial speech. She paints some scenes, however, in lyrical prose. For example, in Appalachia: “Dirty streaks flowed downhill from each cavity [mining shaft hole] like sooty pus running from open abscesses” (87). The pocked mountain is as dark and graphic as Mordor from the Lord of the Rings! Through keen observations at a close distance, she sets herself in a broader context.
Her travel companions are as important to the plot as her own development. The animals provide comic relief. Country Boy, her Boxer dog, acts more hurt than he is, Jack, a horse, needs practice being tethered, and Murphy, another horse, makes an escape. Besides being comedic, these animals become family. From dashing cowboys to blind farmers, strangers the author meets along the way also add colorful layers to the travelogue.
On a more serious note, a pivotal chapter comes towards the end, when the trip takes an unexpected turn. Reflective life lessons are offered. Far from glib, these conclusions come from how she approaches her adventures, not what her adventures are.
Funny, educational, and insightful, The Best That Can Happen dares anyone with a momentous goal to go ahead and try it.
After graduating from Georgetown, the author plans to ride from Virginia to California on horseback, with a protection dog by their side. She calls the trip an A.A., an Apparent Adventure, “contrived or pointless, or at least not to the point” (8). Rather than affecting some specific change or outcome, her journey reveals its purpose as it unfolds.
The narrative maintains a steady trot, despite the trip’s setbacks and detours, in its varied styles. There are mini-stories, “rants,” history lessons, insights into her relationships and feelings, all told in colloquial speech. She paints some scenes, however, in lyrical prose. For example, in Appalachia: “Dirty streaks flowed downhill from each cavity [mining shaft hole] like sooty pus running from open abscesses” (87). The pocked mountain is as dark and graphic as Mordor from the Lord of the Rings! Through keen observations at a close distance, she sets herself in a broader context.
Her travel companions are as important to the plot as her own development. The animals provide comic relief. Country Boy, her Boxer dog, acts more hurt than he is, Jack, a horse, needs practice being tethered, and Murphy, another horse, makes an escape. Besides being comedic, these animals become family. From dashing cowboys to blind farmers, strangers the author meets along the way also add colorful layers to the travelogue.
On a more serious note, a pivotal chapter comes towards the end, when the trip takes an unexpected turn. Reflective life lessons are offered. Far from glib, these conclusions come from how she approaches her adventures, not what her adventures are.
Funny, educational, and insightful, The Best That Can Happen dares anyone with a momentous goal to go ahead and try it.
August 8, 2020
I have a friend that spends much of her day on horseback. In fact, almost every picture I receive of her includes her horse. I thought of her when I picked this read off my TBR pile.
It's a great adventure book. It's about a girl (Schmitt) who loves horses. At a young age, she attends horse-focused summer camps. While in high school she'd worked with a Davenport Arabian horse and jokingly suggested that she could ride a horse from Illinois to Arizona, and from that was born the idea for the grand trek.
Schmitt grew up to take riding training in Britain and Germany. This helped her earn her way through Georgetown University School of Foreign Service by retraining racehorses for hunting and the show ring.
Years later, she did the Grand Trek and people kept asking her to rehash what happened. So, one day, she pulled out the journals she kept while on the trek and began compiling and adding to it and created this memoir.
The trekkers departed from the Lincoln Memorial to hit the road to California. They went the backroads of rural areas paralleling the National Turnpike / Route 40. They passed many farms in small towns. Present in the trek was Jack, a National Champion Trail horse, Murphy a half- Davenport that had spent time in the pasture with cows and two Hackney ponies, and Country Boy, a Boxer dog.
I love dogs so her describing her first meeting with Country Boy and not knowing how to get him into the car was fun. Throughout the read, you can see she had a passion for horse training and for animals in general. It is an engaging read as along the way she meets a variety of people including a blind horse trainer, a coal miner, and a county butcher( retired).
I received a copy of this story from the author. I'm told that the title comes from the quote from Willa Cather: "The best that can happen is to fulfill the dreams of one's youth," which is completely appropriate!
It's a great adventure book. It's about a girl (Schmitt) who loves horses. At a young age, she attends horse-focused summer camps. While in high school she'd worked with a Davenport Arabian horse and jokingly suggested that she could ride a horse from Illinois to Arizona, and from that was born the idea for the grand trek.
Schmitt grew up to take riding training in Britain and Germany. This helped her earn her way through Georgetown University School of Foreign Service by retraining racehorses for hunting and the show ring.
Years later, she did the Grand Trek and people kept asking her to rehash what happened. So, one day, she pulled out the journals she kept while on the trek and began compiling and adding to it and created this memoir.
The trekkers departed from the Lincoln Memorial to hit the road to California. They went the backroads of rural areas paralleling the National Turnpike / Route 40. They passed many farms in small towns. Present in the trek was Jack, a National Champion Trail horse, Murphy a half- Davenport that had spent time in the pasture with cows and two Hackney ponies, and Country Boy, a Boxer dog.
I love dogs so her describing her first meeting with Country Boy and not knowing how to get him into the car was fun. Throughout the read, you can see she had a passion for horse training and for animals in general. It is an engaging read as along the way she meets a variety of people including a blind horse trainer, a coal miner, and a county butcher( retired).
I received a copy of this story from the author. I'm told that the title comes from the quote from Willa Cather: "The best that can happen is to fulfill the dreams of one's youth," which is completely appropriate!
November 21, 2019
Once, Kathleen jokingly suggested that she could ride a horse from Illinois to Arizona. Fast forward a few years later, and she is preparing a cross-country trail on horseback along with her beloved dog Country Boy.
Schmitt is a very engaging writer. She describes the landscape and people she meets on her journey really well – it is easy to picture them. Her own personality comes through very strongly and that was one of the main features I enjoyed about the book. Not only are you going on this journey across the United States and learning about the country, but it feels like you’re going along with a friend. Schmitt writes as though she has known her readers for years, and that stops the book becoming dry or boring. She is also incredibly candid and open about her experience which helps the narrative. As a reader you become engaged very quickly.
Yet the biggest draw for me was her relationship with her animals, in particular her horses and dog. It is clear how much she loves them, and the passages where she discusses them made me smile, to the point I became more interested in their relationship than any human one in the book. Her passion for horse training also positively shines through – another reason why Schmitt is such an engaging writer. It is hard to be bored listening to someone discuss a topic they adore. My highlight in the book is when she first gets Country Boy, and how their relationship developed. It was a sweet, funny chapter and the perfect example of Schmitt’s love and passion shining through.
Overall, The Best That Can Happen: The Grand Trek was an enjoyable read, both funny and interesting in turns. Schmitt herself is a very likable, engaging narrator which helps to draw the reader in and make them continue reading. If you’ve ever fancied taking a trip around the US, this might be the book for you.
Schmitt is a very engaging writer. She describes the landscape and people she meets on her journey really well – it is easy to picture them. Her own personality comes through very strongly and that was one of the main features I enjoyed about the book. Not only are you going on this journey across the United States and learning about the country, but it feels like you’re going along with a friend. Schmitt writes as though she has known her readers for years, and that stops the book becoming dry or boring. She is also incredibly candid and open about her experience which helps the narrative. As a reader you become engaged very quickly.
Yet the biggest draw for me was her relationship with her animals, in particular her horses and dog. It is clear how much she loves them, and the passages where she discusses them made me smile, to the point I became more interested in their relationship than any human one in the book. Her passion for horse training also positively shines through – another reason why Schmitt is such an engaging writer. It is hard to be bored listening to someone discuss a topic they adore. My highlight in the book is when she first gets Country Boy, and how their relationship developed. It was a sweet, funny chapter and the perfect example of Schmitt’s love and passion shining through.
Overall, The Best That Can Happen: The Grand Trek was an enjoyable read, both funny and interesting in turns. Schmitt herself is a very likable, engaging narrator which helps to draw the reader in and make them continue reading. If you’ve ever fancied taking a trip around the US, this might be the book for you.
November 21, 2019
This was a fun book to read! I found myself living her life. It was real and captivating.
The shift to business near the end had me so frustrated. But I had a happy sigh when Kathleen turned back to horses. The lessons she learnt from the trek were both surprising and so valuable.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves horses or adventure!
The shift to business near the end had me so frustrated. But I had a happy sigh when Kathleen turned back to horses. The lessons she learnt from the trek were both surprising and so valuable.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves horses or adventure!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews