How my wilderness practicum shaped the rest of my life

The first time I heard about Wilderness Trails and their practicum program was in 2013 when I was just about to finish my high school degree. I was looking for a way to experience the lifestyle I had always dreamt of but decided in the end to continue to study right after earning my degree. Two years later, in my 4th semester of my bachelors, I once again looked into the possibility to join the community at the ranch and this time, I decided to give it a try. So, I arrived at the Ranch on a hot day in August 2015 – without any luggage because it was left at a random European airport by the airline – to do my university practicum in office administration. 

When I first jumped out of the car I did not know that the three upcoming months would change my life forever. This sounds probably way too stereotypical, but I would still say that it is true. In addition to learning a lot about managing a business and people, I also gained knowledge about myself and the things I am, and I am not, capable of. The majority of those working at the ranch are attracted by the wilderness and the possibility to be outside in the mountains of British Columbia, do not get me wrong, I enjoy that too, but I also like life at the ranch itself. Usually, my days were split up between office work in the morning, horse training in the afternoon and finishing up office stuff in the evening. I chose to to spend my free time to invest in myself by participating in various learning opportunities. Especially the horse training was my way to take a break from emails, phone calls and other inquiries. I also went on two wildlife tracking and conservation pack trips during those three months, learning a lot of things from both the mentor guides and also the guests accompanying us.

These first three months did not only equip me with a lot of knowledge about myself and about business-related things, but also with new friendships which were going to have a long-lasting impact on my later life. These friendships and my love for the Western lifestyle, pulled me back to Canada in 2017, this time bringing my boyfriend with me. Even though he totally is not a horse person or someone who grew up in the countryside, he actually enjoyed being outside and away from his usual desk work as a computer scientist. He quickly figured out how to make friends with his horse (lots of treats!) and they made it to and back from camp although it’s roughly an 8 hour journey. In addition, he learned all about shoeing, packing, equine wilderness vet care and Western style horseback riding while completing both the “normal” and advanced Guide School. While I was helping out with office work and the day to day business at the ranch, he totally dived into the wilderness lifestyle, getting up at 5 every morning to bring in the horses, fixing saddles, going on several wildlife tracking trips, helping out with the daily chores and so on. 

Since we’d known each other, we’d always talked about moving to another country (in addition to already having immigrated from Germany to Denmark) and after we came home from our trip last summer, he proposed that we should move to Canada instead of going further up north to Norway or Sweden. With me loving horses, cattle and the wild, it was out of the question to say no! Therefore, we are right now planning our immigration to Canada in the nearer future, with the long-term plan to buy some land to raise horses and cattle. So, all this story originated from my idea to go abroad after high school and it has evolved into something bigger than I could ever imagine. Along the way, I have met some amazing people who I gladly consider as my mentors and friends. Those people are from different countries, with various cultural backgrounds and both younger and older than me. Living in the wilderness creates a bond between people that city life never could, and I am thankful to share this bond with a community of such awesome people. 

Lea M., Germany