06/23/2026
German by birth,🇩🇪 Colorado by choice.🇺🇸 ... my journey to Colorado and why Georgia Ranch Trail Rides began.
After so many people asked about my story and how I ended up in Colorado, I finally decided to write it down.
On August 4, 2017, at the age of 53, I immigrated to Colorado with my animals. 🐴🐶🐶🐶🐱🐱🐱
I came to the United States on a spousal visa.
In Germany, I met an American whom I married after about three years together. This was not a "Goodbye Germany" marriage. He stood by my side for years after my cancer diagnosis and supported me through a very difficult time. In the end, however, the physical and emotional consequences of my illness became too much for our marriage, and it failed.
As a result, I found myself alone in Colorado with my animals and virtually no English skills.
I had hoped to use the proceeds from the sale of my house in Germany to build a new life here and start a food truck business. That was the plan. Unfortunately, I never received any money from that sale. The reasons why are a different story.
For the first year, I lived off my savings because I had sold everything else I owned in Germany before I moved here.
As my savings started to disappear, I realized that finding a "normal" job with my very limited English skills would not be easy. On top of that, I live in a rural area where the nearest larger towns are over an hour away.
So I thought to myself: I can ride horses, and for that I don't need much English.
I applied to two ranches. A dude ranch and a cattle & dude ranch. I had owned horses for nearly 40 years and had been riding Western for more than 35 years. Both ranches invited me to work a trial period, and both offered me a job.
I chose the cattle and dude ranch and worked there as a wrangler and working cowgirl.
Spending hours on horseback with guests improved my English quickly.
Over time, I saw more and more how badly the horses were being treated, and they were not treated with the respect and care they deserve.
In the meantime, many of my guests kept encouraging me to start my own business. So after 16 months, I quit and started building my own business.
I searched for suitable horses, bought them, trained them, and prepared them for trail rides—but those are stories of their own.
Building my business took about six months. I started the process in March 2020, at a time when nobody knew what COVID would turn into or how the situation would develop. At the beginning, most people assumed it would be a short-term situation, similar to previous flu outbreaks.
Since September 2020, I have been successfully running my own trail riding business.
My reasons for moving to Colorado included the weather (about 325 days of sunshine a year), the kindness, openness, warmth and support of Americans, the incredible scenery, and the opportunity to give my horse a better life.
After my cancer diagnosis, someone once told me that if I didn't change my life, I would be playing Russian roulette. Those were his exact words.
Before moving to the United States, I worked as a legal assistant in Germany for 18 years.
I never really felt homesick. Quite the opposite. From the very first time I visited Colorado, I felt as if I had been born in the wrong country. I still feel that way today.
The only bittersweet part of my story is that my daughter was not allowed to move with me due to immigration regulations and had to stay in Germany. She now runs her own horse-based educational program for children and is living her true calling.
Today, I am well integrated into my community. I have friends to go skiing with, friends to go dancing with, and I am regularly invited to all kinds of events and celebrations.
The support I have received from the very beginning and still receive today has been overwhelming. 🥰
