One year ago, my life became ridiculous

I am a normal(ish) girl living in South London. When I was a kid, I papered my bedroom walls with posters pulled out from the middle of Horse and Pony magazine, and if a book had a horse on the cover or in the title, I read it.

When I was about 14, I read The Horse Whisperer by Nicholas Evans. I decided then and there that Montana sounded pretty cool, and that one day it would be nice to go on holiday and ride horses.

Twelve years later, I sat in my dreary London office, looking out at the January gloom, wondering what on earth I was doing with my life, and I made a mad decision that this was it, I'd had enough, I was going to just up and go. I booked a holiday to a dude ranch in Montana; so-called because of all the tourists who think they're real cowboys, but really they're just in the way.

I flew to America for the first time on 1st July 2012. I spent a week exploring, a few days in Minneapolis, a few days in Wyoming and Yellowstone Park.

Then on 7th July 2012, I waited in the bustling (not bustling) airport of Billings, MT, the biggest city in the state (not a big city), for my transfer to the ranch.

In walked Cowboy. I knew he was a cowboy, because he was wearing a hat and jeans and boots and spurs and he was all bow-legged and sunburned.

This man changed my life. Maybe he saved my life. But I now spend a lot of money on plane tickets, wear jeans and check shirts, and I know what fencing pliers look like. I have now known this man for a one whole year, and I am amazed that he is still interested in me, that he still talks about when we'll be settled down, and that he was not deterred when he met my mother.

Mostly for my benefit, so I don't forget this weird and wonderful journey through life that started on a whim, I've decided to try blogging in a more serious fashion than I've ever done before. I'll write about food, friends, life, probably nothing particularly witty or intelligent or observant, but there are much better bloggers than me out there who can deal with all of that sort of thing. We'll see how it goes. If anybody reads, welcome and have some tea and cake.

Love Bee x