#6 The Way It Works...

Sometimes it all comes together... the stars, the moon, the morning traffic, everything just works out.

It was that way with my trip to Arizona.

Somehow, a power beyond myself directed my actions, putting me where I was supposed to be. The failed group vacation, the failed holiday to South America, the failed trip to Barbados, all guided me towards the Arizona destination.

I have often been asked "just how did you pick that particular place to visit?" and this too was directed from above.

In those days guest ranch marketing was very limited. The best information that I could find and this with my travel agent helping me, was an American Airlines listing. A little booklet with a list of about twenty names and nothing more, would be the basis of my decision making.

There were no pictures and few details.

I looked at the names and didn't have a clue as which to choose so I began a process of elimination. Only two cities did I recognize... Phoenix and Tucson. Several of the ranches were from areas that I didn't know where in the state they were and the listing gave no clue.

I decided to stick to city names I knew.

Phoenix, the capital city of Arizona, was then and still is a large metropolitan area. I remember reading as a child, stories of young girls riding the range on ranches around Phoenix. I even had a school mate who moved with her family to Phoenix. Yet I hesitated.

I wanted less city and more country.

I looked at Tucson and several ranches were listed. Some had exotic Spanish sounding names, others lazy western names, and two others had names with horses in them. I imagined stallions rearing and wild horses running and made my final decision.

My simple decision was to change everything for me. Change where I would live, change the direction of my life and eventually change me from urban equestrian to country cowgirl.

It was all due to chance... directed from a power above. A series of random appearing events directing me to my destiny.

Who knew... not me, that the vacation plans I was making were about to change my life.