Week 1 — Germany

I’ve spent the past week in Germany, east of Hamburg, at a horse ranch along the Elbe River. I’ll be living here for the next three months. If this first week is anything to go by, these upcoming eleven weeks could dramatically alter the course of my life. That may sound dramatic, but I genuinely believe it’s possible.

The reason is simple: the opportunities available here.

Why I Chose This Place

There were a few key reasons I chose this ranch — the horses, the scale of the place, the chance to compete in football again, and the location.

It’s a family-run business that includes a hotel, a restaurant, and stables with more than thirty horses. They offer riding lessons and host guests for week-long stays. Everything is well run, and the ranch sits in a beautiful corner of the countryside surrounded by woodland.

The Elbe River is only a six-minute cycle away, and the train station is nearby if I want to visit the surrounding towns.

Work and Routine

The work itself is similar to the previous ranch I stayed at, although there are more horses and a greater variety of tasks when it comes to feeding them.

My working hours are structured like this:

7:00–9:00 morning work

Breakfast break

10:00–11:00 second work block

4:00–6:00 evening work

I enjoy the early starts and the rhythm of the day. The structure gives me plenty of time to focus on other areas of life.

Outside of work, I’ve been planning my days around reading, chess, Bible study, learning German, and football training.

One thing I’ve noticed is how much more free time I seem to have now that I’ve stopped using social media during the day. I leave my phone at the hotel, which is two minutes from where I’m living, and only pick it up in the evening when I go to eat. Removing that distraction has made a noticeable difference.

Football

The local club I’ve joined is an amateur team that just about has enough players to compete.

So far I’ve trained twice and watched one of their matches last weekend. From what I’ve seen, I can comfortably say that once I’m eligible to play, I’ll likely be one of the stronger players available.

Unfortunately, because I’m transferring from my previous club, there’s a two-week wait before I’m allowed to play competitively. I’ll become eligible on the 24th of March.

I actually see this delay as a positive. It gives me time to regain my touch, improve my positional awareness, and build up my fitness so I’m in the best possible shape when I do play.

With around nine games potentially available before the season ends, I see this as a real opportunity to get noticed by lower-league professional clubs.

Learning German

I studied German in school, but I wasn’t the most diligent student at the time, so I never developed a strong grasp of the language.

Now that I’m here for three months, I’ve decided to start learning it properly again. My goal is to become reasonably comfortable speaking with the locals.

I’ve been using Duolingo, and my brother — who spent a year studying in Germany and now speaks the language well — has sent me several YouTube channels he uses to improve his own German.

Reading and Study

I’ve also returned to reading Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky while continuing Atomic Habits.

Alongside those, I’m reading the Bible daily. At the moment, I’m working through the Gospels and the Book of Psalms.

Looking Ahead

After just one week here, I feel optimistic about what these next few months might hold.

The environment is good, the structure suits me, and the opportunities — particularly with football — are real.

We’ll see where it leads.

Talk to you next week.