When you let your heart lead the way, magic happens.

It was autumn of the year 2000. I was in my early twenties, newly graduated from college and ready to follow my passion. My stomach was doing flips, not only for the possibilities about to unfold…

But also as a full on empath, I was hyper-aware of the strange vibes from the passengers.

They were giving me side-eye glances on the train from Huntington to NYC. After all, I was fully dressed in my riding attire with tight breeches, tall boots, and my helmet in a large bag, just as requested by the manager on the phone. I’d ridden that same train line to countless adventures in my youth, with my parents, to wander my beloved city.

I had been one of those horse-crazy girls, who was blessed to take countless riding lessons at the Thomas School of Horsemanship in Melville, New York. After getting a degree in International Studies at UNC-Chapel Hill, I thought I would shift gears and let myself off the hook for a few months,...