Chatterbox: Down to Earth

Help!! I am writing a story and have hit a dead end...

Here is the jist: A girl named Lydia runs away from home because her mom is mean and her dad left when she was a baby. This is right after 9/11. Anyway, she ran away from home, she's riding to NYC to find her dad. Cool thing: she has this star/horse thing watching over her.

Problem is, I can't think of anything exciting to happen to her while she's on the run.