I am so excited to share that after I leave Rock Hills Ranch in just a few days I will begin an internship with the South Dakota Department of Agriculture!
The past week or so around the ranch has been a little slower now that cows are calving less frequently and the weather is staying pretty consistent. Apart from Garnet and I designing some promotional materials for the 100th Meridian Trail, Sam and I have spent a lot of time checking fence and checking cows in the evenings.
If there is something that I could choose to reflect on this past week, I would first share a quote shared with me by a friend:
“As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live." – Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
I will begin with this new opportunity in Pierre, SD. Originally I was scheduled to return to Florida on Saturday, May 30. I would then spend time catching up with friends and family I have been missing dearly and looking for a job the remainder of the summer. Last week, a fellow Floridian and UF alumna who works with Secretary Lentsch, Stacy Revels, shared with me a potential opening for a student intern in their office. I sent in my resume and waited to see if anything would arise from it. Shortly after, Deputy Secretary, Trudy Wastweet called me to arrange an interview. The rest is well, very recent history!
Now you can probably guess that the logistics at first were very overwhelming and intimidating. Where would I stay in Pierre? How would I get to work? How on earth would I swap my wardrobe from boots and jeans to pumps and pencil skirts? The worries started piling up but the support I received from everyone here at the ranch was very comforting and reassuring. Just as I have mentioned before about the good Lord always taking care of me, He didn’t fail to this time either. Within two days I had a place to stay and a vehicle to borrow. I am so grateful and blessed that His plan for me is so exciting!
Whether they realized it or not Garnet, Lyle and Sam played key roles in helping me through this stressful week. Mr. and Mrs. Perman were critical in finding a place for me to stay and Sam helped too in simply being the funny young man he is. I learned to rope, splice wire and was pushed out of my comfort zone to help in tagging some new calves during the evenings. Sometimes we need someone to push us to do something a little frightening on our own to teach us that we are capable of more than we think.
Now, a bellowing momma cow's muzzle up close and personal or, in some cases, literally against your cheek can be a little nerve-racking when you’re tagging and taking samples of ear flesh for BVD testing. However, just as with the new internship situation, when you have people you can trust to take care of you or, in the cattle scenario, guard you from potential harm you realize that trust in yourself begins with trust in others.
People and opportunities will come into your life to prepare you for all that lies ahead. Make sure you take a moment to realize that there is always a purpose and that nothing is a coincidence. These recent experiences have strengthened my trust in others and thus increased the confidence I hold in myself. Thanks goes to that friend, who with a few words and without even realizing it, has helped me to embrace all the adventures that lie ahead.
