I milked a goat named Doris

Years ago, when I was 12 years old, my family and I had the incredible opportunity to visit an exchange student we had hosted in Switzerland. Many things about the country intrigued me, but one of the memories that stood out to me was the amazing garden and community that the family had. They had raspberry bushes, apple trees, lettuce, and all kinds of vegetables growing in their backyard.

One morning we woke up and walked down this cobblestone path alongside the Lake of Zurich and down into a little valley where we purchased fresh yogurt and milk for breakfast. I wasn’t raised anywhere near a farm, so the idea of getting dairy products straight from an animal that we could still see walking around was pretty incredible to me. I guess it put “two and two together” in my mind.

One of Doris' friends

Since then, I’ve wanted to milk an animal. I am CERTAIN that many of you think I’m nuts at this point, but what can I say? I am who I am.

I recently got my chance! On a trip home to visit my parents, we visited a nearby farm where you can get fresh goats’ milk. We arrived, and much to my delight, the nice lady asked if I wanted to milk the goat, not just buy her milk.

Below are photos of the experience. As you can see, I was quite tentative at first, but I got the hang of it pretty quick. Doris was a lady about the whole thing, even though we had just met.