Riding the Rails

It's a new year and already I'm behind! I didn't make a Christmas blog post, or a new year one like I normally would. The end of the year got very hectic and everything caught up with me a little bit. I'm currently on a ten day holiday from work and, to be honest, this is the first time I've felt relaxed in months.

I was definitely burning out.

I didn't make a new year's resolution, but I have kind of promised myself that I'll try not to take on other people's stresses so much. Last year saw a couple of our family members dealing with a lot of personal pressures and, as the wife and mum, I definitely took that on. I am also trying to just be more relaxed in general and take time and space for myself.

At the start of my break I got my son to drive me 2 hours to my sister's house in Brisbane. JUST ME. Normally it's a family trip - and we did all see her at Christmas and New Year. But this was for her birthday and she and I both just needed a relaxing weekend on our own. No kids, no men, no toddlers! We had the best couple of days but, apart from visiting the cemetery and doing a little shopping, we stayed in her house the entire time. We chatted a lot and watched some television. We also looked after a family of cats that she pet-sits occasionally for a friend, so that was an extra treat.

By the time I left her house a few days later I was super relaxed, ready to come home and enjoy the rest of my time off. She drove me to the nearest train station and we waited. And waited. And waited. There were a couple of other people waiting too and none of us could understand why the train wasn't coming. Many of Brisbane's suburban train stations are unmanned, so there were no staff to ask. Then I pulled out my phone and checked the local transport website, which I was still learning how to use, only to discover that train line was temporarily closed. No suburban trains were coming that day and I really needed to get into the city to make the connection with the Sunshine Coast train that would bring me home.

There were a couple of signs at the station (what a shame they couldn't have been bigger or more "LOOK AT ME!" in nature, we might have seen them earlier). We noticed them on our way out - just typical. Even then, at the written suggestion of where to catch a substitute bus from, my sister (an actual local) said, "I don't even know where those streets are!" Luckily, thanks to the internet and Google Maps, we figured it out. She drove me to the bus stop, where I was not helped at all by a transport worker who couldn't really answer any of my questions (that was frustrating) then I took a chance and jumped onto the next express bus that arrived. Thankfully that bus took me to a station where I was able to catch a train into the city where I needed to be. I had missed the first Sunshine Coast train I was intending to catch, but I was so late I didn't have to wait too long to catch the next (and only other) one. It all worked out well.

What a morning it had turned out to be, but I was calm throughout the entire process. I lived in Brisbane when I was younger and caught buses and trains all the time, so despite finding the website confusing I was confident that I could figure it out. Plus, I knew I could always go back to my sister's place and try again the next day.

I did enjoy the buses and trains; I'd be happy to travel that way more often. Next time though, I'll make sure I check the website more thoroughly for track closures!