Comments on: Arriving Home: Effects of Travel on Mind, Body & Spirit

By: Heather

Heather — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 22:03:48 +0000

Hi Karen, I will be very interested to hear how your upcoming trips go. Maybe you can share some of the things that work for you. I haven’t done any vacation travel recently, so your experience will be helpful. I used to travel to Europe for vacations & run all over the place from 7:00 am – late evening to pack as much as I could into the trip. Then I’d get home and need a vacation from my vacation…but back to work I’d be, dealing with the pile that had accumulated. No time to rest.

Hopefully, your vacation will be much more restful on the trip, during and when you get home! I like Emily’s reminder about how lack of sleep affects everything — even our digestion!

With love,
Heather

By: Heather

Heather — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 21:59:20 +0000

Hi Emily, It’s great that you are so aware of your needs for sleep — it took me a long time to get there. I imagine that it must be a challenge to get from CA to Europe — plus, when you have family & friends there, I’m sure they want to catch up right away!

Yes, my bed is awesome — after my weekend of classes, I had a really big sleep last night that was wonderful! I slept so long that I couldn’t believe it, but I know I needed it!

With love,
Heather

By: Heather

Heather — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 21:53:12 +0000

Hi Maya, thank you for your words — I appreciate it! Yes, it’s amazing how we think long trips “should” be so easy! Even taking care of myself this time, I was aware of being tired. It’s funny how the more in-tune we are with our bodies, the more we can treat ourselves like a gentle loving friend would treat us. Taking good care & understanding when we just need to rest.

It’s easy to forget to do this when the world/society doesn’t really address the needs of our bodies in travel — it is done so often now, that people just “get through it.” Let me know how your next trip goes — I will be here to celebrate with you for your self-care!

With love,
Heather

By: Maya

Maya — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 08:40:02 +0000

Hi Heather-

Many thanks for posting this excellent example of how to honour yourself and cope with life’s demands. It’s been really helpful for me to hear your experience; I recently travelled alone overseas for work, didn’t really manage to self-care effectively while away, and wondered why I spent three days unable to function, in deep depression and distressingly disordered eating behaviour when I returned. My whole body, mind and spirit were out of alignment. Your observations on your process are so inspiring and reassuring to me that I can take better care of myself too, and that I can do so without guilt or self-consciousness.

Thank you profoundly.

Maya

By: karen

karen — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 22:33:27 +0000

Heather I am in awe I know what a nightmare it is for me to travel My slep scheducle my eating schedule. my fears in numerous area. It is ususally a horrible experience. My husband is not calm and gets all agitates and angry s it makes it all that much worse for me.
I have 2 trips planned in the near future One is a vacation that we will travel together. These past few years I have neded a wheelchair to get me to the gate This does make the process go a litle smoother. My secnd trip will be alone. I think that by now I have learned enough through therapy and with the hyponosis tapes and with my new coping abilities and patience I am planning on a smooth ride.
Today is a new day and I will put those past experiences in the file and lock the drawer
Thank you for all that you have given me
KAren

By: Emily

Emily — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 19:43:20 +0000

Heather, I’m glad your trip went so well! What a great example of the ‘Law of Attraction’ at work! What you put out is what you get back. You were friendly to everyone around you, and, consequently, people were friendly and helpful to you!

I am always amazed to see how smoothly things go if I expect them to! Needless to say, if I expect difficulties, these will doubtlessly arise.

I have made it a habit before every trip to thank the universe for making the trip as smooth, safe and comfortable as possible. Even when I get in the car, or when I’m out running in areas that have warnings for mountain lions, I silently say to the universe ‘thank you for protecting me and all creatures around.’ I also like to visualize a bubble of golden light surrounding me. That way, I feel protected and safe.

I’m glad you’re able to listen to your needs and nourish yourself! It’s so important!
I admire you for even making it through all these years of crazy travel, sporadic meals and little sleep! Personally, I don’t think I could ever do it. When I don’t get enough sleep, I am a wreck. Absolutely no fun to be around. Not that I snap at people or get angry, but I just don’t like to interact or do anything when I haven’t slept enough. I feel dried out and yucky, my digestion is off… For that very reason, trips to Europe can be challenging. People don’t always understand that, when I get there, I need to get my sleep before really being able to enjoy their company, even if I haven’t seen them in years. Now that we live in CA, trips to Europe are almost twice as long as they were from the East Coast. Although I find that doesn’t make them twice as bad. The difficult part is missing a whole night of sleep, which you do regardless of whether you leave from the East or West Coast.

Enjoy being back home and back in your own bed! Doesn’t that always feel so luxurious and comforting after a trip?!

love,
Emily