Nashville/Wales The Life Swap Adventure

Many of us feel like we're stuck in a rut.

My heart sinks when I think about sitting in front of a screen

for another 20 years.

But what if you could experience a world

which couldn't be further from the one you know?

There's so much more to life than going to work.

Imagine being flown across the world...

-..and opening your eyes...

-Wow!

..to find yourself in someone else's life.

-Good grief!

-I'm certainly outside the M25 now!

-In this series, six Brits...

-Excuse me, do you speak English?

..will swap places with complete strangers...

-Welcome to your new home.

-..from across the globe.

I never dreamed to be in a place like this.

-While their opposite numbers...

-Are there any crocodiles in here?

-No.

..test drive life in Britain.

Oh, my gosh! Is that Big Ben?

-For seven days...

-It's coming!

..both will be immersed in a culture

which is totally different from their own.

I'm not in Kansas any more, Toto.

HE LAUGHS

Could walking in someone else's shoes...

It's been a wake-up call.

..pave the way to a better life back home?

I really want to have a life just like this.

Can someone who you've never met

see things about you that you can't see yourself?

-Hi!

-What would you do if you were me?

I really don't know what the impact of this is going to be.

Two young men have travelled thousands of miles

in order to swap lives.

Although their worlds couldn't be more different,

they're facing the same dilemma.

Both have the chance to take over the family business.

It's been Mum's baby, I guess, for the last 15, 16 years.

Both are unsure if they're ready for the challenge.

I can honestly weigh it out, saying, "Is this the life I want?"

Both have a big decision to make.

27-year-old Will works with his mum,

managing a successful holiday business on the island of Anglesey,

just off the coast of North Wales.

I'm the general manager there.

I've been there for about a year and a half now.

Having moved from London to learn the ropes,

he's being groomed to take over the business when his mum retires.

It is a massive commitment and I don't think

he fully, yet, has got the full whack of it.

The company rents holiday cottages and has expanded rapidly

since Will's mum, Bun, took over 15 years ago.

It now has over 350 properties on its books and employs 30 people.

Do I need 100% commitment from him? I do.

Ultimately, the buck stops with you

and there's no-one above you or behind you.

But before he takes on the top job, Will wants to find out more.

I would like to see William come back

with a clear mind of what HE wants,

100% sure that he's making the right decision.

Am I making a mistake coming into it a bit too early

and, actually, it's going to scare me

and I'd be a bit more level-headed, maybe, in my mid-thirties.

I just need to make that it's definitely what I want to be doing

ten years down the line. It's a big commitment.

Will is about to swap lives

with rancher and factory manager Blane from the USA.

26-year-old Blane is a cattle breeder and bull rider

from the small town of Petersburg in southern Tennessee.

After I won my first little bit of money,

I thought I really like this and after that, it never stopped,

and now I raise them,

buck them, sell them, buy them, ride them.

I love everything to do with a bull.

His passion for bulls has led Blane and his mum, Michelle,

to start a small bull-breeding programme on her family's ranch.

I love raising the bulls up from little calves,

just born weighing 50 lbs,

then they get to be four-year-olds at 1,500 lbs.

When I'm out and about on the ranch, I feel it's home.

This farm's been in the family for I don't know how many years now,

but ever since I was a baby.

It's where I grew up, where I was raised, where my roots come from.

But the ranch isn't the only family business Blane has commitments to.

During the week, he works for his grandad's concrete firm.

I'm basically like plant manager.

I go in the yard, I make sure trucks get loaded with the right stuff.

The firm has been in Blane's father's family

for more than 70 years.

Since he took over in the 1980s, his grandad, Bubba,

has grown it into a multimillion-dollar business.

Blane's dad isn't around, which makes him heir to the company.

My grandad's done a great deal with it and he's expanded it.

We expanded ourselves to different states and whatnot.

I think it's still something that's going to grow.

But Blane's worried that his two lives are far from compatible.

The concrete company's not tied in to the farm.

My grandad's not so much into the bucking bulls.

I think my chances are better with the concrete company,

more money-wise.

Or is it go with what I have a true love for

and seeing how far I can make a go?

So that's kind of the questions I ask myself on a regular basis.

He's hoping time away will help him choose

between his passion and his responsibility.

I really need to figure out what path I want to take.

I'm next in line for the company, but I'm just not certain

that's what I want to do for the rest of my life.

Neither knows exactly where they are or who they're swapping with.

The adventure begins when they open their eyes.

Wow! Looks like I've just been dumped

in the middle of nowhere. I don't feel like I'm very well dressed

for where I am at the moment, in my shirt and chinos for work.

Oh, wow! Wasn't expecting this.

Holy Moley!

For the next week, Will and Blane will be living each other's lives.

But first, they must find their way to their new home.

Blane, Petersburg, Tennessee. Well, I know Tennessee.

All they have to go on is each other's name and address.

Llangaffo, Angley... Anglsia?

While cowboy Blane's trying to get his bearings...

I assume this is the ocean cos if it's not, it's an awfully big lake.

..office worker Will is hitting the trail.

I think I'm going to start by going this way

because this looks like there's a bit more civilisation.

Come on, cows. Let's go and find Blane.

The state of Tennessee is five times the size of Wales

and home to 6.5 million people.

It's famous for country music, its whiskey and its cows.

Blane's family farm, where Will is heading, is one of 66,000,

and the cattle industry alone is worth more than 400 million a year.

Will's been dropped in Marshall County,

deep in the heart of cowboy country.

-How are you?

-Hi, there. How are you?

-Good.

I need to get to a place called Blane in Petersburg, Tennessee.

I don't know Blane. Petersburg's eight miles.

-Any kind of public transport? Any way to get there?

-No.

There's nothing other than walking or hitching a ride.

-Where's he going, Jackie?

-Petersburg.

-I'm going to Petersburg.

-I'm headed that way in a while.

-Are you?

-Yeah.

Might I be able to get a lift? I'm William. What's your name?

-My name's Doug.

-Doug, nice to meet you.

-Don't mind the mess.

-Don't worry about the mess.

Before moving back to Anglesey, Will had been living in London.

Coming to work for the family firm meant leaving his old life behind.

When I had that chat with Mum about me joining the business,

she said, "If it's not for you or if you don't want to do it,

"I'm not putting the pressure on you, but would love you to join."

-Is this it? Is this Petersburg?

-This is Petersburg.

-Ah.

-This is Petersburg.

I remember the first winter, being up here, going,

"Oh, God, do I definitely want to be in North Wales?

"Long dark days, it's wet."

And, you know, I thought,

"Is this definitely what I want to do, be up here?"

It's a far cry from Will's more adventurous passions.

My dream would be to have a boat

that I could slowly sail around the world

and have in different marinas,

but I think it's, potentially, going to be quite hard to get there

with the business at the moment

and it taking up more and more of my time.

It's a great little town.

I'm going to drop you off up here at the square.

As Bun starts to step back from the company over the next few years,

more of the responsibility will fall to Will.

I think I'm more worried about looking back

and going, "Did I do the right thing?"

I guess the pressure's starting to mount a bit.

Not in English, so I don't understand.

In the UK, Blane has been dropped on Holy Island,

just off the rugged west coast of Anglesey.

Separated from the mainland by the narrow Menai Straight,

Anglesey is Wales's largest island.

A whole wad of sheep.

And it's a world away from Blane's home in Tennessee.

-Hi, buddy, give me a hand?

-Oh.

-Does that tell you anything?

-HE SPEAKS WELSH

-Building?

-Thank you.

I'm not certain what he just said,

but I think if go in the building, they can help me get to Anglesey.

For many of Anglesey's 67,000 residents,

Welsh is their first language.

-SHE SPEAKS WELSH

-Blane. Er...

-SHE SPEAKS WELSH

-Llangaffo.

The island is also home to the world's second longest town's name.

You could take the local train

and you need to get off at

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgog- erychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.

How do I know how to start?

Before this trip, Blane, like 75% of people from Tennessee,

didn't have a passport.

This will be my first experience of ever getting on a train.

Eh, mate, need a ride, need a ride.

This is his first opportunity to travel and see more of the world.

Looks good to me.

It's also a chance for him to think about his situation back home.

Everything I do is tied in to family.

Take the concrete business, for instance.

It's not something I just love, but I'm doing it for my grandad.

Blane has grown up without his father.

Grandfather Bubba has given him a job

and paid his way through college.

Now Blane feels the need to repay the debt.

I just think, you know, he's had the opportunity to sell it

for the last ten years and he just won't do it

and I think there's a reason behind it

and I think he truly loves it and wants to see it stay in the family.

I've been raised to believe in being there for family

that's been there for you.

-Llanfair PG is your next station stop. Thank you.

-That's us, mate.

Brilliant. Thank you very, very much for driving me here.

-I hope you find your way, man.

-Cheers, Doug.

-See you.

First settled in the early 1800s,

the town of Petersburg is home to just over 500 people.

There's just not much going on at all.

Completely dead. Every single shop, there's nobody in, which is mad.

Luckily for Will, in Petersburg, everybody knows everybody else.

-I was wondering if you could help me.

-I'll try.

I am trying to find an address. I think it's near here.

-It's called Blane.

-It's a town?

I don't have a clue if it's a person's name or a street.

-Blane Tankersley.

-Doesn't he ride the bulls?

-He rides bulls?

-Uh-huh.

-Bull rider.

-Big bulls.

One of them got his teeth all knocked out and his...

-We're talking about professional bull riding.

-What?!

He's a bull rider?

I'm pretty nervous now. I'm actually REALLY nervous.

That's it.

Bull rider Blane has finally made it to his new home,

where he's met by his mum for the week, Bun.

-Welcome.

-Thank you.

-Very nice to meet you.

-Come on in!

-Thank you.

-Come on in.

-Do you want a cup of tea?

-Please, ma'am.

For the next week, she'll be Blane's guide to Will's life in the UK.

Do you have sugar? Milk?

-In tea?

-Yeah. Or just...

-We do sugar.

Do you want me to leave that in there for longer?

I'm not used to drinking hot tea though.

-Your tea, you normally drink it cold?

-Ice cubes in it.

-Oh!

-How weird!

-Yeah, we never drink hot tea.

Oh, let me show you who everybody is.

-Who am I replacing here?

-Yeah.

So, that's William, that's Anna and that's Jack.

-And this was at Jack's 21st.

-So, William.

-Yeah.

-He looks kind of like the partier.

-Oh, he is. He is up...

Well, he is up for anything. That's why you're here and he's there.

I have a feeling this might be it. This is scary!

Can't believe I'm going to a bull riding place.

Will has finally made it to his new home for the week,

the Talley Ho Ranch.

There's a couple of guys going round on horses now.

I'd probably better go and say hello, see what they're about.

-Cody Brewer.

-William. William Matthews.

-Nice to meet you.

As well as being a Talley Ho ranch hand,

Cody is Blane's housemate and a fellow bull rider.

-In town, they're saying that you do bull riding.

-Yes, sir.

-Have you ever been to a rodeo?

-Never.

-Never?

-Never.

I guess you don't have those over there, do you?

No, nothing like it at all.

Blane manages the ranch alongside his mum.

-Nice to meet you.

-I'm William.

-My name's Michelle Talley.

-Michelle Talley.

-Yeah.

-William Matthews.

-I'm Talley Ho. You're at Talley Ho.

-This is it.

-You made it to Talley Ho, yay!

-We made it.

THEY LAUGH

So, I need to get some cowboy boots and a hat, don't I?

For the next week, Will will be living on Blane's family ranch.

-Are these yours?

-Blane killed those. He killed that one last year.

-Really?

-And this is going to be where you're staying.

-Amazing!

-Is that Blane?

-Yeah, that's Blane out there.

-2016, 2016. He's won twice this year.

-Three times, actually.

I guess he's got his other buckle on him.

Oh, really. Very impressed.

This is amazing, absolutely amazing.

Want to get the boots, want to get the cap, shotgun in my holster.

Yeah, I definitely, definitely dreamt of being a cowboy.

In Anglesey, Blane is finally able to settle into his new home.

I actually made it here and it's been a long ass day.

Met Will's mom. Her name's Bun. I prefer to call her Mom.

But she's a super-cool lady, so just excited to get onto the next day.

It's Will and Blane's first day in their new worlds.

It's awfully green, that's for sure.

Our grass is completely brown and dead.

Today, they'll be working in each other's family businesses.

-Good morning, Will. How did your first night go?

-Good.

Slept like an absolute log last night.

-Have you been inside the saloon yet?

-No, I haven't. I'm quite intrigued.

The Talley Ho Ranch has been in Michelle's family

for the last 30 years.

This is our gathering place.

-This is where everybody comes.

-Ah, amazing.

-Is that John Wayne over there?

-Yes, it is. That's the King!

I used to watch it with Dad, back at home, on a Sunday afternoon.

-It's a small world, really, if you think about it.

-Yeah.

For the last four years,

Blane and his mum have bred bucking bulls for the bull riding circuit.

Blane is happiest on the ranch, being able to come out here

and load his bulls up and buck them out here in his front yard.

What does Blane do on a daily basis?

He's up around 5.30 every morning

and he goes to work at the concrete company, Tankersley Concrete.

-He works for his grandad up there.

-Oh, OK.

-How long has he been doing that for?

-For four years now.

-Yeah.

-The concrete company is just a Monday through Friday thing.

-Yeah.

Come Friday, 5.30 or 6, when he's off, it's nothing but this.

-Yeah, the whole weekend?

-The whole weekend.

For now, breeding bulls doesn't provide enough income

to allow Blane to give up his day job.

The funding of the concrete company and running the concrete company

helps make this run too, but there's a lot on the line.

So, are we going to work today?

Going to work today and going to put you on a bike to work this morning.

-Oh, right.

-Take you, I don't know, quarter of an hour.

-So, this is William's bike he takes every day?

-Yes.

Me and the Panther, we'll get on our way.

I can't tell you the last time I've been on a bike.

Brakes are good. Off to work we go.

It's nice. But I think if I had to do it every day,

I'd prefer just to drive to work.

Blane's usual commute is a 25-minute drive

to the nearby town of Lewisburg.

I'll be interested to find out how it all works.

Blane's great-grandfather started the concrete firm in 1946.

Now it's one of the biggest in the state.

Hi, there. How are you? I'm William.

-I'm swapping lives with Blane for the week.

-Taking Blane's place.

I certainly am. Nice to meet you. I'm William.

-How are you?

-Bubba Tankersley.

Blane's grandad, Bubba, has been running the business

for the last 30 years.

-So, is this your desk?

-That's my filing cabinet.

WILL LAUGHS

Blane has been working full-time as factory manager

for the last four years.

As well as sorting customer orders, he also oversees the staff

and helps with the day-to-day running of the factory.

-Does Blane get stressed here?

-Probably.

-Really?

What's Blane and Bubba's relationship like?

-They have bad days and good days.

-Do they?

-Oh, yeah.

Do they fight much or argue about stuff

or is it kind of Bubba's decision at the end of the day?

It's Bubba's decision at the end of the day.

Looks like it's going to start raining.

That's what you need, isn't it, rain?

Unlike Will, Blane spends much of his time away from his desk,

out in the yard.

-It'll put some arms on you.

-Yeah, it will, won't it?

It's nice to be outside, be in the fresh air.

But definitely not what I'm used to.

It does seem quite hard work.

I'm sat behind a desk and I think it's more kind of mental, I guess,

rather than labour and getting your hands dirty,

so there's a big difference there.

But there are things about Bubba that remind Will of his mum.

The businesses are so different,

but I do see similarities in their work ethic,

in what they've got and been given,

and it takes a huge amount of hard work and determination,

and I can kind of really see how Mum and Bubba have taken on a business

that's probably a bit smaller and grown it to be what it is today.

Reflecting on what Blane does here and looking back at my own life,

I can't just leave on a Friday at five

and not worry about it till 9 o'clock on a Monday

and that means not being able to do everything

that maybe some friends would do and it's hard.

In Wales, cowboy Blane has mastered Will's trusty steed

and arrived at work.

Number 4, Menai Holiday Cottages. That's my location I need to be.

One of North Wales's biggest industries is tourism.

On Anglesey alone, it's worth more than £250 million a year.

-Oh, here you are, here you are.

-Hello.

-How was your ride to work?

-Oh, amazing.

So, this is my adopted son for a week and guess where he's from.

-Er, Texas?

-Right.

-Yeah?

-In the country.

Bun's company now markets and manages

over 350 privately owned holiday cottages,

four times as many as when she took over.

-Will's desk is over here.

-Will's way cleaner than I expected.

Oh, yeah, he's very tidy. Oh, look, he's left you a note!

-He's left a note.

-It says, "Good luck, life swap. William."

So, what exactly is Will's job?

So, he would typically arrive, like you do,

come and sit here, turn on his computer,

look at his e-mails and then he'd look at his diary.

His diary may be a meeting with, perhaps, Jen and Henry

over there in there, about the magazine.

Would you say he spends the majority of his time in the office or out?

Three-quarters of his time here and a quarter of his time out, I guess.

I would never be able to do a desk job.

My job isn't fun, but I really love to be outside and be active

instead of sitting at a desk all day.

A world away from what he's used to,

it isn't long before a restless Blane decides to familiarise himself

with his co-workers.

"Northwest Community College Bull-O-Rama 2016 Champion"!

So, you had to ride a bucking bull in that, did you?

Yeah, you had to ride and then you had to beat another comp...

How it works is when you go to bull riding competitions,

you compete for money,

and then sometimes they give buckles away to say I won this event.

-It is quite odd, but here it is!

-LAUGHTER

-Yes, so, anyway, yes...

-Yeah, they're usually handmade.

-Stop flirting and come and do some work now.

-Yes, ma'am.

So, we're going to go out and see a new house.

So, this is a job William would do.

One of Will's jobs is to view prospective cottages

to add to the list of holiday lets.

On the way, Bun takes the chance to grill Blane

about his family business back home.

-So, how long has the business been running?

-70 years.

-So, he set it up himself?

-My grandad's dad.

-Is he quite old-fashioned?

-Ah.

-Yeah.

-As old as it gets.

That's the difference between Will and you and me and my grandad

is, you know, you can talk to him.

Me and my grandad, we don't...

My grandad doesn't really just talk to anybody.

But, at times, there's certain things

that I wish he would be more vocal about.

We are very, very lucky because we do work really well together

and we have similar ideas.

And we're here.

I can really tell by the way she talks about Will,

that they had a good relationship.

Hi, I'm Bun, William's mum.

You could tell that, if something wasn't going right,

or not the way she expected,

she would probably communicate it, by trying to work something out.

-It's quite central.

-Yeah, you're high up, aren't you?

-Higher than you think.

-Yeah, uninterrupted view.

-Yes.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you for coming.

And we'll be in touch.

I do know I want Menai Holiday Cottages to stay in the family.

-You want to give it to him or you don't know?

-That's my difficulty.

William does, really, all the nice things at the minute

but, actually, running a business

is not quite the same as working in one.

There's, for sure, some similarities with me and Will.

I got the same type of family deal.

His mum owns a company, my grandad owns a company.

We're both kind of uncertain if that's what we want to do.

I think we're in the same boat, visiting a new place,

and I think he's probably going to love it

and I'm already loving this place,

so maybe an eye-opener for both of us.

Having spent the day at the concrete company, Will's getting ready

to live the ranch life Blane is really passionate about.

Oh! You almost had it right there.

I'm really happy that I'm kind of out here, being outside,

away from the office,

not thinking about e-mails and getting my hands dirty.

It's very, very different.

-Oh!

-THEY LAUGH

BLANE'S VOICEOVER

Today, Will is going to be working

as a hired hand on the Talley Ho Ranch.

This has been hit by a bull before, hasn't it?

Yeah, see what they done to a gate.

-Would that have been a big bull or a little bull?

-Oh, that's a little.

-A big bull would run off with all these gates.

-Really?

He'd stick his head in them and drag them all across the field.

-Oh, my God.

-Just one.

As well as riding bulls,

Blane and his family breed them for the rodeo circuit.

Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!

These cows aren't like beef cows.

-These cows are, you know, they're all...

-Wild.

-Yeah.

Bucking bulls and things like that,

they're bred like racehorses, you know.

There are currently 30 bulls at Talley Ho,

ranging from new-born calves

to half-tonne adults in their bucking prime.

-You're coming in here with me?

-I'm coming in with you. All right.

Bred from carefully selected stock,

these bulls are the athletes of the bovine world.

-CODY WHISTLES AND CALLS THE BULLS

-Yeah!

Most bulls start their training at two years old,

some with a strap or weight on their back to simulate being ridden.

Bloody hell! That got my heart pumping.

CODY LAUGHS

A good bucker needs just the right amount of aggression

to give the cowboy a tough ride.

It's pretty dangerous stuff, isn't it?

If you get it wrong, and it turns back at you -

which it felt like it could have done, at one point -

probably would have got hurt pretty badly. Look at them.

They're still revved up. I'm not getting in with those big ones.

-Yeah, you are.

-CODY LAUGHS

A good bucking bull can sell for up to 1,500,

three times as much as beef or dairy cattle.

These ones are a lot bigger though,

so I'm just making sure I'm high enough, cos they can kick so high.

Get up! Boo!

BULLS MOO

-God, they're powerful, aren't they?

-Oh, yeah.

This couldn't be much further removed

from what I do on a day-to-day basis.

I feel like my cojones are growing a little bit more,

but they could quite easily get knocked back

to the size that they should be because it's bloody scary!

I'm starting to feel like a cowboy a little bit. It's amazing.

While handling the bulls is dangerous enough,

riding them is a whole different story.

-So, have you been hit much by the big bulls?

-Oh, yeah.

-Really?

-More times than I can count.

-What's your worst one that's ever happened?

Er, I don't know. I have about a 250,000 reconstructed metal face.

All this right in here, down through here, is metal.

My chin's metal, my jaws are metal.

I've had my right shoulder blade shattered,

I've broken my left leg in two places.

Why do you do it if you get hurt so much?

Is it the thrill? Is it the adrenaline?

There's nothing that makes a man feel more like a man

than to ride a bull and step up on its feet like it was nothing.

He's been injured pretty badly a few times.

Half of his face has been kind of horned off

and he's still going, so, um, probably not for me,

but I'm seriously enjoying it.

In Anglesey, Blane is on his way to meet Will's dad.

Although Bun's business is mostly office based,

dad John's life is closer to the one Blane knows back home.

-Hello.

-Hi, how are you?

-Are you Mr John?

That's right. You must be...

Blane Tankersley. He's taken my place in Tennessee.

-What's he doing there then?

-He may be riding bulls.

JOHN LAUGHS

Oh, right, I've got no bulls here, but I've got some small cows.

-About to go feed?

-Yeah, just these things in the field here.

-Shall we wander down there?

-Let's go do it.

John is a retired vet,

who lives just across the Menai Strait on the Welsh mainland.

-I raise bucking bulls back home.

-Bucking bulls?

Will's parents are also divorced

but he visits Dad's small farm once a week.

I've got a shed full of calves down the bottom there.

-We'll go and see those now.

-All right.

Whenever you're doing stuff like this,

-is this something Will takes part in?

-Yeah, occasionally.

Will's more into playing, really. He likes to go on the boats.

-There we go.

-This is my line of work here.

-Oh, OK.

-You've got him there.

So tight so he can't bite. So calm.

I'm just curious about your relationship with Will.

You know, he come over often or you guys go eat or work together a lot?

Um, yeah, he comes over weekly or...

It's usually to play or going on the boats or something

or skiing trips together.

My dad's actually in prison, so that's why it's cool to know

that he's got a dad that he can just go do stuff with.

-So, your dad is...?

-He's locked up.

-He's locked up?

Yeah, he been kind of locked up most of my life.

It was probably, like, 11 or 12

before I ever got told where he even was.

Do you see your dad at all then, if he's in...?

-I actually went and visited him for the first time...

-First time?

..about a month or so ago. They only show you them through a monitor.

-You can't see them in person.

-Seriously?

Yeah, you only talk through a phone

and look through a TV screen to see them.

I assume he must have done something fairly serious then.

No, I mean he's just constantly doing wrong, so it just adds up.

My grandad who owns the company, it's his dad,

and he should be the one taking over, really.

If I could give anything, I'd rather him just get out of prison,

do right, take over the company himself,

-which would allow me more time to, you know...

-Play with your bulls.

-Play a little bit and...

-So, you've really had to sort of...

It's kind of like I'm having to grow up before I want to.

Sometimes it saddens me, maybe.

If me and my dad could run it and he stayed straight,

that would be awesome.

It's real frustrating he's put ME in a situation

where I got to make a decision at a younger age

and it's really just not cool to me

and it frustrates the hell out of me.

Should give you a job doing this. You're getting proficient at it.

Honestly, this is the most fun I've had since I've been over here.

-Do you fancy riding polo ponies? Have you ever played polo?

-Uh-uh.

Sounds like a pretty British thing to do.

Better get strapped by a Tennessee cowboy today.

-One stick.

-One bamboo stick.

-One polo helmet.

-Nice.

-Right.

Yeehaw!

JOHN LAUGHS

This is my funnest day I've had so far. More my lifestyle.

We're coming for that one!

It feels kind of like I'm back home here.

We've really got our mojo going now.

There we go, mate. Ah!

His dad's willing to go out there

and play polo with him and tip calves with him

and that's all stuff that, kind of like a father-son moment,

I never really got back home.

There we go.

I've had it fortunate, growing up with my grandad and stuff,

but there's always the fact that your dad's not there.

It makes you wonder what it's like, so on days like today,

you get kind of a taste of what it's like.

Yeah! Hit me something, John!

Oh!

-OK, I missed that one.

-THEY LAUGH

The fact Will's got a dad there,

willing to do stuff with him, is a pretty cool deal.

After a day thinking about his own dilemma,

back home with Bun,

Blane wants to know more about what Will is weighing up.

I think this opportunity for William is going to give him

time away from here to think about it,

then think, "Well, actually, do I want to be here,

"nine to five, seven days a week?"

Because we're in the tourism business

and it's people's holidays and homes, you live it, really.

-Seven days a week, huh?

-Yeah, I mean, he does have free time

while I'm still there,

but when I want to step back and do less,

-then he's going to have those things to do.

-Right.

-And do you really want to do those when you're 27?

-Yeah.

In America, despite his mum's unwavering support,

Will's wondering the same thing.

Yeah, I think Mum's known that it's a big step for me to take

at quite a young age and, um...

And at times, you know, I've spoken to her and said,

"God, Mum, I don't think this is right for me.

"I'm probably too young."

And I think she realises that, at times,

I could probably quite easily run away and go and work on a boat

and she's been amazing about it.

She's kind of said, "Look, it's your life and it's your decision

"and you can go whichever direction you want to."

If I do decide that I want to drop it all, then she'll be there.

It's, ultimately, my decision and my life.

BLANE'S VOICEOVER

-Good morning.

-Good morning.

-Did you sleep well?

-Oh, like a rock.

Good. So did I.

Over in Tennessee, Will and the boys are going for breakfast

at the local diner.

This is great. I like this a lot.

-I eat here probably about two or three times a week.

-Yeah.

-Kind of like home-cooked food, you know.

-Wow, thank you so much.

-Y'all need anything else?

-Good to go.

-This looks amazing.

So, what's a day here compared to, like, a day back home?

Doesn't really start like this at all.

I go straight to work and get to my office, basically,

turn the screen on and kind of settle in for the day.

-We work with about 30 staff.

-30 people?

-That's a pretty big responsibility.

-Yeah.

-Day in and day out.

That's a grind on you. I'd just be stressed out 24/7.

-You wouldn't enjoy it?

-I wouldn't like it.

I have it set where I can live life

to the fullest while I'm young and vice versa.

OK, let's work ourselves to death and we get 60 years old,

-let's retire when we're too old to do

-BLANK,

-just lay around and die.

-That sounds like a lot of fun!

-Yeah.

-Those guys are still thinking

about where they're going to get drunk at the next night

and you're running a business with 30 people under you, so...

-I know.

-We're in our mid-twenties, you know,

the greatest time in your life.

Why not be travelling and running into other people

with the same state of mind?

Cody's carefree lifestyle is highlighting the compromises

Will may have to make.

I guess I'm kind of torn between taking on the business

in a bigger way or being able to do everything else.

I absolutely love what I do, but I think it's just important

that it doesn't completely take over my life.

Fuelled by a hearty breakfast,

today is going to be Will's first trip to a bull riding competition.

-Thank you.

-Cody will be competing in the main event.

I want to try a few different hats.

First job for Will is to dress the part.

-A man's hat says a lot about him.

-All right.

Unless you're dressed in proper Western attire - cowboy hat,

long-sleeved shirt, pants and boots, with your shirt tucked in -

you're not allowed behind the bucking chutes.

-They wouldn't let me in?

-No.

Bit weird. Don't like that one.

This looks like I'd wear this in Australia, maybe.

-Let's try one of these on.

-All right.

-Will people buy a new hat for the rodeo?

-Yeah.

-That one fits good?

-Yeah, it's all right. What do you reckon?

-I think it's perfect.

-Yeah?

We just need to get you a little bit fuller pants.

GUNSHOTS

CODY LAUGHS

Philadelphia, Mississippi, here we come.

-So, are you excited for your first bull ride?

-I can't wait!

While Will gets more comfortable with the cowboy lifestyle...

Gee, there's some awfully small boats.

..Blane is going to be experiencing Will's passion,

with sailing buddies Sam and Trigger.

-How you doing?

-How you doing today, buddy?

-Morning. Good to see you.

-Good to see you.

-Feeling fresh?

-Ready to go.

-This is what Will does, huh?

-Yeah, he's a pretty keen sailor,

so it should give you a little taste of what he gets up to.

-Out on the water, living the dream.

-Let's get started.

Yeah, I think we've got to get some waterproofs on.

-Yeah, we've got to get something on for this.

-Jeans and cowboy hats...

This ain't going to cut it, I can tell you.

Will's love of sailing has taken him around the world,

from regular trips with this friends off the coast off Anglesey,

to crewing superyachts in the Caribbean.

If Will could spend his time doing anything,

I think he'd be out here quite a lot.

It's like his dream, just to sail?

If you offered him a sweet yacht with a plentiful supply of gin,

then he would be off over the horizon.

I'm not sure about this cowboy hat out on the water, man.

-You look like you're a bit out your element.

-I'm freezing my nuts off!

Ready about?

Recently, Will's been sailing less to concentrate on the business

and it's making Blane think about his own choices.

If I could have it the way I really want it, I'd travel the world,

-I'd ride bulls.

-Is that a thing you could do full-time?

-It just doesn't provide the income that I would like to have.

-OK.

You're not financially stable.

Is that something you think about quite a lot or...?

-Oh, all the time.

-Yeah.

-I don't want to be in unhappiness

the majority of the time,

-just to be happy just for a little bit, you know.

-Yeah.

Right now in life, I'm kind of back and forth,

really trying to figure out what my dream completely is.

Money over happiness type deal.

The decisions I make now determine

"Hey, you're going to be able to go and have fun,

"play, experience things or you're going to have a steady income" -

what I call just an ordinary life of an American.

COUNTRY AND WESTERN MUSIC

After a five-hour drive,

Will and the boys have arrived at the bull riding arena.

This is where the Wild West comes alive,

where modern-day cowboys compete for hundreds of dollars in prize money.

COMMENTATOR CALLS OUT

WHISTLE BLOWS

CHEERING

Bull riding is one of America's fastest-growing sports.

Within 20 years, it's gone from a rodeo side event

into a multimillion-dollar industry in its own right.

GUNSHOT CHEERING

The aim is to ride the bull for eight seconds.

CHEERING

Fall off before, and the ride counts for nothing.

The judges score both the successful rider and the bull.

The top professionals can win thousands for every ride.

But at the level Cody and Blane are competing,

the prize money is rather more modest.

They're so powerful.

And as they only get paid if they get a high score,

it's an unreliable way to earn a living.

With some bulls weighing nearly a tonne, it's no surprise

it's been called the most dangerous eight seconds in sport.

Now it's Cody's turn to ride.

Very, very nervous, actually.

Um, everybody back here seems quite apprehensive.

COMMENTATOR MAKES ANNOUNCEMENT

I think he's trying to get into the zone as much as he can.

WHISTLE BLOWS

HORN BLARES CHEERING

He nailed it! He nailed it completely! Absolutely nailed it!

That was amazing! That was absolutely amazing!

It was absolutely amazing watching Cody.

I couldn't believe how well he did.

You've got to have a lot of bottle to be able to jump on those bulls.

They are absolute beasts. They are massive. It's insane.

I couldn't believe it.

Now it's Will's turn to ride.

Luckily, his bull has an off switch.

Relax a little.

There you go, there you go, there you go!

CHEERING

-Good job!

-How did I get on?

-You done great, you done great.

I can see why Blane goes through all of this effort just for,

literally, those eight seconds on the bull.

-That was all right.

-Yeah, you done good.

Living that kind of...yeah, that kind of, almost,

the American dream, really.

-Now let's go to the real deal.

-No! Definitely not!

Both men have now spent several days living each other's lives.

If you want to come somewhere to think about something,

you've got all the time in the world to think about it here,

cos nobody going to talk to you hardly

and you won't understand them.

Everybody tells me that I'd be completely crazy

if I don't take over this company.

Obviously, it's my grandad's final decision,

but they're all right, I believe, about needing to stick with it.

But also, I think some of them don't look

at the happiness side of things

and a lot of people in America are caught up on money,

compared to happiness, and I try to balance them out.

Have you ever been on a horse before?

Yeah, I've been on a horse a handful of times

but I've never had a big interest in them at all, really.

The lifestyle on the ranch has been really, really enjoyable.

Let's do it.

I was really surprised when I met Cody.

I had in mind that they drive round in a truck

and go and round up the cows or go on their quad bike into the hills,

but it's not at all.

They go on horseback with their riding boots on

and the cowboy cap and they're roping, lassoing.

Yeah, really surprised to see that.

-Looking like a natural already.

-I'm a modern-day cowboy.

One thing that I've absolutely loved

is actually not being connected to my phone at all.

That first day, you're like, "Ooh, I should be checking my e-mails.

"They're probably mounting up now," and worrying about the UK,

and then just disengaging from it

has been really, really, really nice.

-I'm pretty impressed, Will.

-You came a long way in just a few days.

On Anglesey, Blane has been invited for dinner by Will's sister, Anna.

William likes a good curry,

-so I thought I'd cook something that he quite likes.

-Curry?

-Yeah, it's lamb and chickpea curry.

-Is that like beef stew?

-It's lamb.

-Oh, it's lamb?

-Yeah. So, have you never had a curry?

-Er, no.

-You've never had a curry?

-What is the white...?

-It looks like oversized corn.

-No, it's chickpeas.

It's a chance to meet some of Will's friends

and his younger brother, Jack.

It's also an opportunity to talk about the decisions he's facing.

I would love to be able to just be on my farm full-time

and grow my bucking bull business like no other,

where it could stand on its own and make me enough income

that I can, you know, go play.

But farming's hard.

Although he loves ranching, Blane is realising

that Bubba's concrete business offers financial security

which is hard to ignore.

-Family company, is it?

-Yeah, my grandad's.

Really, the only reason I'm there at the moment is cos...

..the possibility of me taking it over and, plus, you know,

a lot of opportunities I got to live in life is because of him.

But he's worried about whether taking the helm would leave

any room in his life for his passion.

I go to rodeo every weekend and ride bulls

and if I'm not, I may like to travel.

So, there's quite a sacrifice, isn't there, if you decide to...?

Yeah, if I decided that, you know, this is what I want to do,

all that comes to a halt. My grandad's so old-school.

I'm kind of on the fence line of is he wanting to tell me,

"You need to stay here and learn the business

"or I want you to pursue your dream while you can."

He's never vocal enough about it, so how the hell do I know?

Have you ever asked him straight?

-It's one of those things I'm scared to talk to him like that.

-Yeah.

Cos I don't know how he's going to take it. I'm sure the same for Will.

Yeah. You're in charge and suddenly

your whole life becomes it, doesn't it?

Do you think he's up to the challenge now

or do you think that he likes to have too much outside time?

-At the moment, he definitely likes to have too much fun.

-Right.

Back in Tennessee, Cody's taken Will out to his favourite watering hole

for one last night before he leaves.

-Did you ever drink moonshine?

-Not yet.

He's got to drink some Tennessee whiskey before he leaves.

I almost feel like a local celebrity.

I think that's probably a lot to do with Blane.

Everybody seems to absolutely love him, which is amazing.

I've learnt so much about him just from tonight,

meeting kind of friends, seeing a few pictures.

It's been really, really good. Did not expect it at all.

I thought it was going to be a quiet drink and a bit boring

and it's been anything but.

So, Will, what do you think of, like, American girls?

-Are they any different from UK girls?

-American girls to UK girls?

-Bigger eyes, yeah?

-Bigger eyes!

THEY LAUGH

-Thank you for everything.

-Can I have a hug?

-It was great.

-Bye-bye.

-Thank you.

-Nice to meet you.

-Nice to meet you.

-Hopefully, I'll be back.

-Bye.

I think if me and Will want to be serious

about taking over the company, then we got a lot of growing up to do

in the next couple of years.

There's a lot of stuff that's going to be cut out for both of us.

It's Will and Blane's final day living each other's lives.

-There you go.

-Thank you.

Crap, you drink it this warm?

Whoo!

Before he leaves Tennessee to return to his own life,

Will wants to talk to Bubba one last time.

Has Blane got quite a good mechanical head?

He's learned a whole lot because he's worked on and off here

-for a lot of years.

-Yeah.

-So, he's like me. He has to do it all.

OK, involved in absolutely everything.

Will wants to know if the bull riding will have to end

when Blane takes over the company.

Does he find it hard to kind of juggle being here

and if he's got, like, bull competitions on?

Most of that's on weekends

-and...

-Yeah.

-..and, er, leaving here on Friday afternoon.

-I don't want him to be here on Saturdays and Sundays.

-Yeah.

He's young and he needs to enjoy bull riding, I guess.

So, what are your hopes for the future of the business

and with Blane and how he takes it forwards?

Yeah, Blane's future here is...is, you know,

-running the place and owning it someday.

-Yeah.

He's a hard worker and always has been.

But you're confident he'll do it well.

-Yes, I am confident he can do it.

-Yeah.

At my age, you've got to look down the road

and you never know when his time's going to come,

but it's getting closer cos I want to slow down some

and I'm confident he can take care of it any time.

Yeah, brilliant.

When you have a family member that would like to run the company,

then, er, it just means a whole lot more and it means more to me.

They've had the business for 72 years.

I think he'd definitely feel a bit upset

if he did see Blane go on and maybe just do bulls

as a full-time profession, because he's put his life and his soul

into this business, and it would be hard, I think,

to swallow that, that it's not carrying on to another generation

and he'd have to sell it or bring somebody else in to run it for him.

I think it would be really hard.

Bubba has answered questions for Will,

not only about Blane's future, but also his own.

This week's been really interesting.

I kind of came here thinking I could have it all

and add more on top of that.

Throughout the week, I've definitely changed my mind to going,

"Actually, if I really need to make this work,

"I need to be 100% committed to the holiday cottages

"because it's a big business now."

We've got lots of staff, we've got lots of properties

and lots of customers and owners that we need to look after

and make sure the business doesn't fall down in any way,

and I need to make sure it carries on being successful for myself,

for Mum and for everybody else involved with the company.

For Blane's final day in Wales,

Bun has brought him to the Snowdonia National Park.

So, has it been as you imagined it would be?

This is one of those places

if you're not coming for this beauty, then...

I mean, I don't know what else you really do here.

And having time away from his busy life at home

has helped Blane make some decisions about his future.

Have you got different thoughts in your mind

of what you'll do when you go home?

-I'll stick with the concrete company.

-You will?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

The idea of wanting to go bull riding for a living

and all is good, but also the idea of having money is really good too.

That's interesting, you see. That's a comparable of you and William.

But how best to talk to his grandad about his plans

is still causing him concern.

Probably more than anything I'm going to take out of this

is being able to use you and Will as an example

-to talk to my grandad about it and be, like, "Hey," you know.

-Mm.

My grandad's never even called me - period - once.

But do you think that is because of the generation gap

and also, maybe this is something he's anxious about? He doesn't...

Yeah, something he's really wanting to talk about

-but doesn't know how to break the ice about.

-Exactly.

-And I think that's a man thing.

-And it's the same with me.

I don't know how to break the ice with him.

I don't know how to approach him about it.

"You want me to take this company over

"or is this something you're going to do

-"till you just can't do it no more and just sell out?"

-Yeah.

Cos if that's the case, then this is not for me,

if there's no future in it. I know there's going to come to a point

where I'll get fed up not knowing.

If he doesn't know that you've got those inner thoughts and feelings,

-then he's not going to be able to deal with them.

-Yeah.

So, maybe, whether you speak it or whether you write it,

and then he can have time to digest it.

I just want to let him know that...I'm willing to do this,

-but I need him to communicate with me...

-Yeah.

..how you've kind of communicated with Will.

Just talking to somebody on the other side of the water

made me want to just, you know, go up to him and talk to him about it,

just like Bun communicates with Will.

But I'd rather at least know what his thoughts are.

Will and Blane's week is up and it's time for them to say goodbye

to their host families and head for home.

I can't thank you enough.

I hope everything is how you want it when you get home.

I really hope, for Blane, when he gets back home,

that he's able to speak to his grandfather

and that's something that's very important to him.

He's got his life ahead of him and it would be great

if he can continue what they're doing there

and they can all do it happily and he can grow it.

Thank you very much for having me for the week.

You're going to be missed, Will. You were fun.

Will has a lot on his plate, I guess.

Big decisions to make for a 27-year-old.

-Safe journey, safe travel..

-Bye-bye.

-Bye.

You've just got to roll with the punches.

You got to take it as it comes and life is what you make of it.

Before returning to their families,

the two men will get a chance to meet.

Really looking forward to meeting Blane

and kind of looking at the similarities

that we've got in our lives and really comparing those,

and I'd like to be able to speak to him about Bubba.

-Finally!

-Hey!

-The one and only Will.

-How's it going?

-Nice to meet you, Blane.

-Nice to meet you, buddy.

-So, what do you think about Tennessee?

-I absolutely loved it.

-Got stuck in straightaway and it was brilliant.

-You went to the company?

-Yeah, went to the cement factory, met Bubba.

-A little different.

Wasn't as exciting as going down to watch the bulls. That was amazing!

-How was the UK?

-Beautiful country. Your mom's awesome.

She took me in just like her own son.

-I bet Mum made you a tea on your first afternoon.

-Oh, yeah.

-I can't handle the tea over there.

-How was it going to work?

It was different. Obviously, we've both got

the same kind of lifestyle - really like going and having fun

but I think the partying had to die down a little bit.

Before I started, I kind of wanted to have it all

and throughout the week, I've matured in a way.

I kind of thought that I actually need to really commit

to just doing the kind of holiday cottages properly

and, hopefully, that will allow me to carry on enjoying the things

that I want to do as well and not fall into the trap

where I'm working seven days a week.

Probably one of the biggest things I learned from working with your mom

-is how well you all communicate and how well she communicates.

-Yeah.

Compared... I mean, you met my grandad.

But it seems he's got a successful business there though.

-Yeah, it's a good business.

-Yeah.

-And that's why I think I could...

Honestly, I think I could improve it so much.

-Take it to the next level.

-Yeah.

I've never personally talked to my grandad about ever saying,

"Hey, you know... I want to take over this company."

That's quite interesting. When I was chatting to him,

he said he definitely wants it to go on to you eventually.

-That's what he told you?

-Yeah.

-See, he's never...

-Really? Never?

Never have I heard that come out of his mouth.

You definitely need to speak to him.

-Never has he said anything about supporting my bulls.

-No?

He understands what you're doing and that life and he's happy

with you kind of taking a day off or leaving early on a Friday.

So, you talked to him about all that?

Yeah, yeah, I was quite open with him.

But it's probably easier being me and not knowing him.

Yeah, I wish I'd left you a whole list of questions

that I wanted to ask and you could ask him.

I mean, honestly, that's awesome news to my ears.

Do you think you're going to speak to him when you get back?

Honestly, yeah, I do. I can use y'all as an example.

"I've lived his life and I've seen how it works and it's much better."

Because it's family, you can be completely open and honest.

Cos at the end of the day, you're still family.

You're still going to be family. At the end of the day, he wants you

to take it on, so it's in his best interest

to kind of be open and be able to talk about stuff openly.

It's been a pleasure to meet you.

It's been an absolutely amazing experience. I kind of left the UK,

thinking I might not get much out of it and it's been anything but.

-It's been a blast.

-Yeah.

Your family's great and I can't wait to get back over there sometime

-and hang out.

-I know, same here.

-Better get you to the airport, dude.

-Yeah, definitely.

It was strange, actually, to find something out about a person

that they genuinely didn't know.

Sometimes it probably does take somebody that's completely neutral

and doesn't know the person to maybe ask those more awkward questions

and it was genuinely... It was amazing to see that realisation.

It's kind of like a big relief, knowing...

..everything that Will found out for me.

If I'd have known sooner, I'd have left him

a whole list of questions to ask my grandad,

stuff I've been nervous or intimidated or scared to ask him.

-It's been a pleasure. Till next time.

-See you soon.

-Take it easy.

To an extent, we're in a similar dilemma.

We're both young and taking on companies and we need to make sure

we're doing it in the right way and not lose sight

of being able to carry on doing the stuff we enjoy to do as well,

and definitely a really good lesson learnt.

Honestly, this whole experience might have been the best thing

that could have happened. Will might have been the icebreaker

that would get me what I want.

Are you glad to be home?

Ah, I'm glad to see you safe and sound.

William!

William! William! William!

Oh, William!

Next time, an overworked British taxi driver,

dreaming of the good life...

I do 70 to 80 hours a week.

I do dream of this more self-sufficient lifestyle.

..swaps lives with a novice Norwegian farmer out of his depth.

I never really wanted to become a farmer.

I just wanted to have a big playground.

Could being thrust into a new world...

Really, really nervous.

..help them rethink their lives back home?

-This is my first deer.

-I can't tell if you're going to throw up

-or if you're going to enjoy it.

-Me neither!