Dream life – 15.02.2022

While I am writing this blog entry, I am lying in a hot spring in the middle of the forest. The water is gently flowing, the birds are singing, and I am looking up at green treetops against a blue sky. I cannot help but say: I love my life.

The decision to do the sabbatical was definitely one of the best decisions I have ever made. Despite, or maybe even because of, Covid, I am experiencing things I otherwise would never have experienced, because my original plan for the year could not happen. Life seems to be like a wild river that you are allowed to follow in an exciting and relaxed way, with all its curves and rapids. In the end, you reach the ocean and are amazed by the width, depth, and length of the river that has been created.

By now, I am no longer staying with Carlos, but with a good friend of his, Cristian. I am helping Cristian with his horses and the guided trail rides he offers to his guests.

At Carlos’ place, I had the opportunity to go on a 30 km horseback ride through the untouched, wild nature of northern Patagonia with him and his neighbour. This had always been a dream of mine: riding through the wilderness with horses, uphill and downhill, surrounded by nature. It is incredible how strong, enduring, and fearless the horses are here in Chile. Whether it is dense bamboo or bush forest, deep mud holes, rivers, rocks, or slippery ground – the horses move through everything without hesitation and are so sure-footed that you actually feel safer on horseback than walking. When I think about our horses in Germany, they are quite far away from this. Somehow, we have made them a little too soft. The horses here are rather small, short, and broad, but unbelievably strong and incredibly well-behaved at the same time. And experiencing the landscape from horseback is completely different from seeing it from a bike or on your own feet. You experience nature in a much more intimate way and from a completely different perspective.

With Cristian, I currently get to enjoy this every single day. Sometimes without guests, when we are usually searching for his cows or the bull. During my breaks between rides, I usually eat something, jump briefly into the cold river, or, when the ride goes to the hot springs, I get to relax there as well – just like I am doing right now. And when I am not surrounded by horses, we go hiking, mark trails, have barbecues together with the team, or enjoy one of the hot springs in the middle of nature after work.

The days with Cristian are very long and work-intensive. Many people ask me why I am working during my vacation and even doing it voluntarily. But I genuinely enjoy it. What I get to do and experience here brings me so much joy, and I feel a little bit transported back to my childhood, being surrounded by animals all day long.

What I find quite interesting is that in Chile, riding and horses are dominated by men. Working with horses is mainly done by men. Cristian was also very surprised when I told him that in Germany almost only girls ride horses and that my love for horses came from my mother, not my father. So once again, I have ended up in a male-dominated field. Luckily, I am familiar with that and it does not cause me any difficulties.

The experiences I have through Workaway are completely different from visiting these places as a normal tourist. You become much more immersed in the area, build new friendships, and start to feel at home. And every job gives me new insights into different lifestyles, ways of living, and opportunities to earn money.