Summary:
During my time at the ranch, I have experienced a true nature connection. I’ve faced new challenges, witnessed the undisturbed wilderness and experienced my own self-reflection. This has led me on a transformational journey of personal growth.

When I first came to the ranch, it was difficult for me to get along here and to adapt to the new standard of living on the ranch, because I did not understand much as my English was not the best.

My life here is totally different to my life back home. Here I am kind of in the middle of nowhere. Back home it took me five minutes to get to the next town, I could contact my friends at any time and I was always up to date on social media. Here I need six hours to get Vancouver and two hours to the next village, so you have to look ahead and think carefully about what you need for the next weeks. There were many things that I didn’t know and wasn’t used to. 

I sleep in a very simple tent, share the washrooms with my community partners and have the few clothes that fitted in my backpack. I clean, feed the horses and the biggest challenge for me: cooking for a lot of people all by myself. For me this means a fight with a lot of  fear and sweat. But what should I say, you get used to many things in life, you just have to do it.

On my third day I had my first experiences with the horses, I went on a two hour-trip. In the beginning I thought it would be much easier, but I soon learned to respect the horses and the route we rode and I was very proud that I made it without falling off the horse. At the ranch you are in close contact with nature. You experience a nature connection. You are surrounded by mountains and pure wilderness. It captivates you with its breathtaking beauty, the mountains, the forests and vastness, simply indescribable. I am astonished what all this has done for me so far. When I’m out there, whether on horseback or on foot, it’s amazing what a creative boost I get when I spend my time here just enjoying this beauty. You experience unforgettable adventures and along every new path, a new challenge awaits you. The quiet is also a good advisor for me when I am in a process of self-reflection. A walk or a quiet place at the ranch is enough. But it’s not just nature, it’s the atmosphere around it. The many nice people you meet here give you a feeling of belonging, you work together to find solutions if a problem arises, you laugh so much and have fun together. I think this is the most important thing you can learn here: to face the challenge of new, exhausting and beautiful tasks and to find your own strength and your own ability, which you didn’t know about yourself. I can only recommend it to everyone, this experience shapes you for life and you become strong for any hurdles that life poses to you. 

Lea N., Germany