Dear 22 Year Old Barn Rat,

You spent years learning to ride without stirrups, doing the hard, unglamorous work that built your strength, your discipline, and your confidence, and you discovered that horses were and are your sanctuary. Then you graduated, got a job, and suddenly felt like a beginner again. Nobody warned you about that part.

This is the letter I wish someone had handed me when I left the horses and the show life to pursue a “real” career.