“Great things are done when men and mountains meet.” ~William Blake

While I suspect this statement isn’t always true, it proved so for me this past summer. 
A little over a year ago, I’d never heard of Latigo Ranch or Kremmling, Colorado, and I certainly had no idea what a joy and a blessing awaited me there.  However, in the middle of May after a whirlwind of unexpected events, I found myself in Colorado, stepping into a summer of hard work, great memories, and a lot of laughter.

One of the many specialties at Latigo Ranch is their ability to make the guests feel like family—as if, perhaps, they’d been away for a bit and are now coming back home. This sentiment wasn’t just for the guests, however . . . I quickly found that my heart nestled in somewhere between the mountains, the aspen trees, and the friendship of the owners and staff. It’s a haven, Latigo Ranch, so much so that, while I’m away, the simple image of a snow -covered mountain brings longing into my soul. At the ranch, I discovered a place where I simply belonged.  Many of the guests share my sentiments: that Latigo is a haven hidden in the mountains, where they can come and draw together as families as well as feel a part of the exclusive Latigo ranch family. 
It would be impossible to live and work on a guest ranch without learning a great deal in the process, as well as being changed by the service industry. I already had a background in food service, but serving the same guests for a week was both a challenge and a delight, and I delighted in challenging myself to a renewed standard of excellence each week and with each guest.  

Each day brimmed with new adventure. Whether it was handling an unexpected explosion of decaf coffee grounds minutes before guest lunch was to start, realizing one lazy Sunday afternoon that the horses had broken out, learning how to line dance, playing hilarious games of telephone Pictionary and Ping-Pong with the staff, or emerging from the trees on a ride to gaze out upon the glorious view of Box Canyon, the adventure never ceased.
The guests, too, were an adventure: it was my privilege to serve people from all over the world and all walks of life—for a week both three-piece suits and work uniforms were traded for cowboy hats and chinks. There’s something about a guest ranch that binds people together, similar backgrounds, experiences, and careers or not. It’s a beautiful thing.

Summer 2014 at Latigo Ranch changed me in all the best ways. I went not expecting any of the blessings that were waiting: new friends, skills, and memories, and as a result, I’ll never be the same. Like the ever-changing mountains (which, believe me, are beautiful no matter what the weather is), I suspect that each summer at the ranch will be refreshingly different, glorious, and adventurous. 
Like William Blake said… “Great things are done when men and mountains meet.”

I believe it… especially if those mountains are the ones encircling Latigo Ranch.

Amanda