The Train

When I was 11, my family moved to scenic Reno, Nevada. It was only for a year, and we knew it was only going to be for a year, so my heart never really settled there. It was just a place to be for a year. No real friendships were formed, no interest in really making it home. Other than the cool vacations we took from there, I hated every minute of it. I missed my "real" friends and my "real" home. So towards the end of our sojourn in the lovely Reno/Sparks area, I jumped at a chance to go home early with my mom to look for a place for us to move into. And better yet, we were going to take a train. Ridin' the rails.

I assumed that taking a train would be just as fast as driving - if not even a little faster! And I think normally it might be. But. There was a storm. A storm that screwed up the train system so that we had to crawl along at about 25mph THE ENTIRE RIDE HOME. And not only did we have to go so slow, but every so often we had to completely stop! Apparently along the train tracks there are signals that the conductors HAVE to obey. And all of the signals were red.

It was a miserable, uncomfortable and looooong journey home. Not at all what I pictured train travel to be. No dining car, no bed, nothing. And it took us nearly 3 times as long to get home as it would have if we had just driven.

Definitely not what we had planned. Or hoped.

In a conversation with my mom yesterday, she reminded me of this trip we took together, and how much it parallels our life.

And it's true.

Whether we are on a journey to lose weight, start a business, improve our spirituality, change habits - when starting out we must realize that it may or may not happen as fast as we want. Just like when boarding that train, we thought we'd be home in x number of hours. But due to circumstances outside of our control, we did not arrive when we thought we would.

But we did arrive.

And no matter how long my journey(s) take me, I will arrive at my destination as long as I stay on the train.