I’ve been traveling a lot this week for the Thanksgiving holiday, one part of which was ten hours in an Amtrack train to visit my in-laws. I wasn’t prepared for the ten hours of trying to balance in a constantly rocking train. Even sitting down, my upper body insisted it needed to be more stable than my lower body, making micro-adjustments until my lower back was screaming at me, insisting it couldn’t take anymore. Getting into a car for the final half hour stretch of the trip was a relief, and I immediately fell into bed at my in-laws’ house, apologizing for the lack of socialization.
I thought about horses who are moved in a rocking, jostling trailer across country and realized, in a pretty physical way, why it’s recommended to stop every few hours to let them have some rest. Travel is exhausting! Mentally and physically. For part of the trip we were seated in the very front of the car where all we could see was a carpeted wall immediately in front of us, and I was so motion sick that my spouse and I asked if we could be moved to different seats. Thankfully, a stop or two away, we were able to move. It’s amazing what a difference a window makes. It was small things like a window, food from the dining car, a walk up and down the train car and a stretch, that made the ten hour journey bearable, even with back pain.
My holidays are going well, but I know I’ll need to get back on that train again to go home. Perhaps I’ll need to think more like a horse, taking one moment at a time to get through it. Appreciating the small things, a podcast to distract me, a cup of hot tea, when things get uncomfortable. I’ll be better prepared for the next journey.
Maeve Birch is the author of the eBook Standing in a Field With Horses, available through the buttons on the main page of her website. Note: there has been a price drop for the holiday season! If you enjoyed reading her book, please leave a review on Amazon! As a new author these reviews really mean a lot. Thank you!
Maeve Birch Home 