Have you ever been so tired of living the same day over and over again that you just could not take it any longer?  I suspect we all have, at one time or another. Usually we just take a deep breath, close our eyes for a moment, and pray the feeling will pass.  This is what I do now, all the time.  But there was a day, almost twenty years ago, where I did not just grit my teeth when this feeling hit me.  And thinking back now, i am so grateful I followed my impulse, for if I had not, I would not have my son. I wanted to ride a horse. I just knew, that if I could ride again, all would be right in my world. I was living in Boone NC. I had followed my high school sweetheart there. Remember? The guy I had run away from home for?  He was then attending Appalachian State University, and I had found a job working with traumatically brain-damaged men and women. And in the beginning everything seemed to be working out, then it wasn’t.  I realized that I had grown tired of my 4 year relationship.  Complacent. Boring. Old news. Whatever the case, I broke up with my sweetie, not in anger, I just felt that there was more somewhere. More to see, more to do, more people to meet.  With my break-up over, I went a little bit wild.  I partied. Hard.   But as with most things, this too got old. I think it was a Tuesday, but on this day something felt different.  I woke to an excited feeling.  A feeling that I now know only someone young and naive would explore. I wanted or maybe even needed to ride a horse again. 

So I did what any young, naïve, almost broke, very manic girl would do~ I packed my life into my 2 door Ford Explorer, overdrafted my checking account as much as the ATM would allow, about $400., and bid Boone NC  a last farewell. Then I was off.  Naturally, I went west.  I needed to ride a horse, and horses were out west-right?  I told myself that I would keep driving until I found a place. So 1328. miles, or about 26 hours later~ I arrived. I was in Canyon Texas at Palo Duro Canyon. At a place called Silver Springs and Six Gun City.  I had finally found a place to ride a horse, and what a place it was!  The sexy cowboy who turned out to be the owners son~ he was a bonus.