As you read in my last post on Sunday I triumphantly rode off to the goat farm full of excitement and possibility.
Sunday was really fun! I got to meet the goats (and the cows and the dog), tour the farm, take a hair raising ride on the back of an ATV, and have a delicious dinner with my hosts with ham from a pig they raised themselves.
Monday morning was a different story. Without going into too many details, I began to see more and more signs that the host and I were not a good fit. I think we had different expectations of each other and from my perspective, I didn’t feel comfortable there. He told stories about how awful all the previous guests were, and said a lot of things that made me feel like I was not safe there, like if something bad happened I should just “handle it,” which I can do, but I would expect my host to have my safety in mind and give me some general guidelines. Apparently not. There were other issues too that I won’t spell out here.
At the end of the first day I resolved to try again but waking up that second morning I was dreading going out there. A couple of hours into the day I realized that it was not my imagination and my intuition was telling me to get out before something happened. My host had said several times it’s not for everyone and told me I could leave at any time. So I shook his hand and said “I’m going to take you up on your offer” and came back to Sacramento. Here are some of my takeaways from this short adventure.
Sunday was really fun! I got to meet the goats (and the cows and the dog), tour the farm, take a hair raising ride on the back of an ATV, and have a delicious dinner with my hosts with ham from a pig they raised themselves.
Monday morning was a different story. Without going into too many details, I began to see more and more signs that the host and I were not a good fit. I think we had different expectations of each other and from my perspective, I didn’t feel comfortable there. He told stories about how awful all the previous guests were, and said a lot of things that made me feel like I was not safe there, like if something bad happened I should just “handle it,” which I can do, but I would expect my host to have my safety in mind and give me some general guidelines. Apparently not. There were other issues too that I won’t spell out here.
At the end of the first day I resolved to try again but waking up that second morning I was dreading going out there. A couple of hours into the day I realized that it was not my imagination and my intuition was telling me to get out before something happened. My host had said several times it’s not for everyone and told me I could leave at any time. So I shook his hand and said “I’m going to take you up on your offer” and came back to Sacramento. Here are some of my takeaways from this short adventure.
It was an adventure and I don’t feel like a failure because I went out of my comfort zone and tried something new. And I had the wisdom to leave when I wasn’t being treated well when in the past I would have stayed past the point of stupidity and maybe gotten myself hurt.
There were some good moments. I found out that goats can be extremely affectionate so I will definitely consider raising some in the future. I did get to assist with a minor surgical procedure which was really cool.
This experience has really made me do a lot of thinking and given me a new perspective on many aspects of my life. When something isn’t going the way I want it to, it makes me reflect a lot and reevaluate my decisions, how I got there, and how I can do better next time. I have sent out a couple more email inquiries into WWOOF programs, but this time I am being much more upfront about my expectations and limitations and I will vet them more carefully. Also, I am looking into other options that are more in line with my preferences. I will keep you posted!
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