Hi I’m Ryanne and I’m a 4th year Gender Equality & Social Justice student. Currently, I am wandering down the path of life looking to find myself through experiences. I’m strong believer in the idea that University is your time to learn (obviously); not just about your studies but about yourself. We should take advantage of the time now to experience as many once-in-a-lifetime opportunities while we have the chance. And this trip, to the Kadoordie Farm and Botanical Garden, is definitely one of them. I have always been an animal lover, but never have I been given an opportunity to work with them – this will be a new experience that I am ready to embrace. Just like any new adventure, I know their will be challenges and I am ready to take them on. I am excited to see how this trip will help me grow!
Thursday June 5th
Today, was quite possibly one of the most exciting/interesting days of my entire life. It started off by visiting the macaques, which incase you are unfamiliar with the name it is a type of monkey. And once again if you do not know me, monkeys are my favourite animal! It was an absolute surreal experience to be within reaching distance of a furry little critter that I have dreamed about holding since I was a child. One very important thing to take note of when dealing with primates is that eye contact and showing teeth are a no-no. Unlike humans who use these gestures to be friendly, primates take them as a threat. However, in the moment I was so overcome with joy and happiness that I couldn’t help but smile and stare. Me being with the macaques was like taking a child into a candy store and telling them not to get excited.
After helping to clean and lay out fruit for the macaques, my partner, Krista, and I moved to the Reptile Sanctuary where we got to interact with a couple of Monitor lizards and turtles. It was unreal being so close to them. I was a tad nervous being so close to such a large lizard, but that quickly went away, when I learned that they do not normally bother with humans.
Finally, we moved to the where the Flamingos lived. Let me just say that for being such a beautiful bird, they are pretty dirty. They were the animals that I had the least amount of contact with, however, I did manage to snag this sweet selfie. 
The day ended with a magnificent view from a mountain top, which indeed sparked the Amanda Marshall song, Sitting on top of the world, to play in my head. Being so high up and over looking the city is just credible. You literally feel like you’re on the top of the world.