A passion for agriculture is a part of my family. Which then requires time, dedication and effort, on and off the ranch.  PAL was a mixture of all three. The dedication and effort were never a concern, I knew that I would have both of these. Time however, would be both my ally and my enemy.  Time spent on coursework, research and mostly away from my family.  

Before PAL, we sat down as a family and talked about the “what ifs”. If Mom was selected for the program, could we handle the time that I would have to dedicate to the Program. It would mean weeks away from the ranch but mostly weeks away from my family.  Weeks away from a hardworking husband and 3 busy boys.  This was the toughest decision that we had to make, and we did it as a family. 

The final answer came from #2 when he said “Mom you have to do it, it’s what will help you fight for our ranch in the future.  And there are crazy people who you have to argue with.” 

How could I argue, I wasn’t crazy! 😋

New York was fun and the boys taught their dad how to FaceTime. Washington DC was busier at home because of the boys being in school and activities, this trip, Brazil, has been the hardest yet.  

I left on a plane with 3 sad boys, upset that Mom was going to another continent, proud but scared. The total time from Billings MT to Sao Polo was 22 hours for me. Not an easy jump on a plane if they needed me ASAP! But it’s so beneficial and that is why I am sitting on a plane, sleep deprived and yet still ready to learn about agriculture. To expand that passion for the future of agriculture.

So today, ready or not, Brazil is waiting and I am here.