I can still remember that wet wintery Ohio day. An idea took root when the thought of adventure found fertile soil in my soul.

It was early December, probably around finals time. I was finishing my first quarter at Hocking College, and I had immensely enjoyed the autumn dendrology course.

I walked East to West through the first floor of the Natural Resources building. That place had its own distinct smell, something of a laboratory crossed with a horse barn. We had a geology lab, a fish lab, a mammals lab, and wood products lab all on that first floor. Carhartt jackets, hiking boots, and camo hats were in Vogue for about 90% of the student population there. Occasionally the nursing school would use our geology laboratory as a space for one of their classes. The boys of rec and wildlife would sit around studying just outside of that laboratory – with the hopes of meeting one of the many beautiful female nursing students.

As I walked that hall, I perused the internship and job board that Jackie (I think that was her name) kept up. She had the most excellent penmanship and dozens of postings were there for available work experience at any time. She ran the resource room, and you could borrow stuff for your forestry or fish projects. Boy oh boy, you did not want to end up on her tardy-list at the end of the quarter. She knew every student and would not let you rest until you returned all your supplies.

Anyway, in the midst of all the advertisements that didn’t really appeal to me, I saw the short listing for Haliburton Forest.

Come spend 4 months in Ontario Canada as an intern with our horseloggers. Learn how to drive a team of horses and practice sustainable forestry. Room and board provided.

I could feel my heart pounding through my chest. Here was an opportunity for a true adventure. I really didn’t think they would choose me. I figured there would be other people with much more skill and experience that they would pick before they picked me.

Right there I said a prayer. I whispered to my Father in Heaven about this dream of adventure, and He heard me.

That idea seed grew in my mind over the next year, and the following winter I went to Haliburton. I stayed four months and it was truly beyond even my wildest dreams.