My name is Lizzy

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My name is Lizzy, I’m 22 years old and from Germany. Before I came here, I worked as an event manager in an IT company. I decided to leave Germany, to see something from the world. I wanted to go out of my normal life, I was ready for an adventure. Canada is a amazing country. I like the beautiful nature and expanse. I found the Ranch online, which to me, seemed perfect. I’m not a person who likes to travel alone, so a job and daily task in a team was the perfect solution for me, and furthermore it is in the nature! I came here to the beautiful Ranch in November, just before the winter arrived. I saw the Ranch while the nature was still green.

Every beginning is not that easy. I came in a really good team, it was amazing. People from all over the world worked together and have a lot of fun. Now it was on me to find my place in this group. This was easier than I thought. They all were really nice, friendly and I felt directly like a team member. They showed me everything around the Ranch. I was the most impressed by the 36 horses. I need to say that I like horses, but they are really big. Therefor, it was challenge for me to go into the coral between all these huge horses., but I made it! And every day it was better and easier. I was impressed by myself. Around New Year, I could trim the hoof from a horse, that was my biggest success I would say. And also the riding. I rode a horse when I was young, but never in western style. But the horses are really calm and careful, it was easy to trust them. I fell in love with my lovely horse, Billy. He is amazing and one of the biggest ones here. After 2 month I could give my first riding orientation to our guests. That gave me a lot of courage.

My main task here was in the office. First as an assistant and later, I was the Vacation Manager. The challenge for me was the English. I needed to take the phone and write emails. It took a while but, as a result, I have grown in my self confidence and made it. Here at the Ranch you face a lot of challenges and get a lot of opportunities, you just need to catch them. For example, I learnt how to run the chainsaw; I never did it before. I also chopped wood and I’m really good at starting a fire now. I learnt, with the fire, that it is not that bad to have failures first. They help you to understand the stages of getting better and better. Next to the office work we also had time for driving the snowmobile and the skidder.

I also saw a lot of wild animals that are completely new to me. When you just look around the Ranch you find tracks from wolves and coyotes and you can see and hear them sometimes. When you drive around with the car closer to the lake, there are bald eagles and deer. And my highlight was the bobcat! It is so impressive to see this animals so close and at the same time so far.

It was really amazing what I’ve learnt here at the Ranch from other people and with other people. When you live in the wilderness together and take responsibility for the nature, guests and horses, then it is more than important to work in a team. And sometimes you need to go out of your comfort zone to see the better things behind it.

Thank you for this great opportunity! I will miss everything and come for sure back!