Outer Journey
The drive to Champaign was a very easy drive. This was my first road trip with my new car for 2 months. I rode with two fellow classmates and it was nice to have help navigating our way and chatting to pass the time and to get to know each other. It was cold outside which we learned later as we boarded the train. But inside the car, it was warm and relaxing. The train station was very easy to find, and parking was conveniently located near the terminal. The terminal was very clean, and our class filled most of the waiting area. Luckily the next two and half hours went by quickly until we boarded as a class in the very last car where it was dark and warm. This was a welcoming experience considering it was way past my bedtime and I was ready to snuggle down to rest. Now getting comfortable was another story. My train buddy was also struggling so she decided a few hours into the trip she was heading for the floor in front of our seats to stretch out and sleep. This allowed for me to stretch out on two seats and sleep better too. The train was very warm which I was not expecting. I brought my electric blanket which was comforting to lay my head on but not needed for warmth. I felt fine in the morning as I rose around 6:30am and found my way to the dining area for coffee and breakfast. Now walking on the train was a bit tricky due to the bouncing, rough tracks through Memphis. I found myself stumbling down the center aisle through each car to the observatory as I found my way to coffee. At breakfast, they seat you by fitting as many people as possible at your table. There are four spots which they fill with your party and any leftover spots get filled with other travelers. This is a great opportunity to meet people which we did. We met a woman who was a nurse in Chicago, and she had experience in travel nursing. Travel nursing is an area of interest for me and I learned a lot from her. She recommended a company which I put in my notes and she shared stories of her experience. Once she showed up for an OB job with nothing but the clothes on her back. No scrubs just her crocks. She borrowed someone’s scrub pants and she grabbed a mismatched top that is given to expected fathers to use. She grabbed a pen and worked, and she said it was the easiest job she had ever done. She made like $80 per hour. She also shared that it is not always like that. Sometimes she admitted you can get “screwed,” so she warned to be careful. We also met another couple from Europe who were traveling to New Orleans. When we asked what they did for a living, they shared he sold health foods for a company and she was a social worker of twenty plus years. This sparked our interest because Molly, who was with me, is a social work major. This lady shared her passion for helping children and their families. She supervises parent visits and teaches a parenting class on how to parent your children when they don’t live with you. I also had a chance to get to know some other classmates and collected some more notes on classes and professors to take for different classes. I love hearing other student’s experiences and insight.
Inner Journey
After class on Wednesday, I felt rushed to get done a few things I had forgotten to do and needed to accomplish to be prepared for the train ride. I realized that I am way to high strung and I need to work on that. This creates anxiety and unnecessary stress that everyone around me can feel coming from me. I do not want my family and friends to remember this about me. I will try to be better. Driving to Champaign is familiar to me so this didn’t stress me out. Once we were on the road, I was fine. I prepared myself mentally to be ready to wait because waiting can be hard. Therefore, the waiting in the terminal did not bother me. Now as we lined up to board the train the cold wind did bother me. It seemed to take “forever and a day” for everyone to exit the train so we could board. I realized I also need to be more patient. I felt refreshed and ready to take on the travel adventure for the day even though I did not sleep in a bed. Meeting other people outside of Peoria is always inspirational to me and I learn something from each people who cross my path. The nurse at breakfast reminded me that I am not limited to Peoria, IL to work. Although I have lived in this area all my life and raised my four children here does not mean I have to stay. My years of raising kids and finishing nursing school is declining within a few more years and then I will be free to be a travel nurse or move to another state. As a single woman for many years now I sometimes get in a mental rut thinking I don’t have options. In reality, I do have options. This brings me joy and hopes as I do get tired of living in small towns where everyone knows everyone. When I met the Europe couple and listened to the woman’s experiences in social work, I am reminded that we are all the same on the inside. We are all broken people looking for healing and sometimes we just don’t know how to get it. Therefore, we need help, not judgment but grace.
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