Want to come on a road trip with me? Okay let’s go!
I’ve packed up the car with everything that we’ll need. I’ve planned it all out. It’s going to be a pretty straightforward drive, I reckon. We take off down the street, all excited to get to our destination. No wait! I forgot my phone charger, so we turn around and head back home. I decide to triple-check the car load. Just in case.
Off we go, again!
Forty minutes in and I’m starving, so let’s stop for food, but not for too long, otherwise we’ll get behind schedule. Let’s just say Maccas was so busy, but half an hour later, we are ready to hit the road again.
Before long, we see that a huge queue of cars awaits us just a couple of kilometres ahead. I check the time, we are falling behind schedule. I figure that I can dodge all this traffic by going through the bypass. No such luck, unfortunately, the road was closed off halfway through due to resurfacing of the road. We have no other choice but to turn around and wait it out.
We are at a standstill for what already feels like forever.
I hop out to take some scenic photos of the snowy mountains with my new camera. From out here, I get a better view of the hundreds of cars that are waiting ahead of us and the many that follow behind.
We have been at a standstill for over an hour now. By this time, I have given up on my schedule, there’s no way that we will make it by 3pm. A part of me just wants to turn around and go back to the place I call home.
I can’t, I’m quite literally stuck where I am.
But right then, when I start to dwell on my thoughts, I see the traffic starting to move ever so slightly. Now is my chance to turn around and go home… As tempting as this may be, I didn’t come this far just to give up and go home.
We start to move, slowly at first, and our speed starts to increase. We continue on like this until we have passed the crash site.
It’s smooth sailing for a while.
You offer to drive but are quickly reminded that you can’t drive a manual
It’s just past 5pm. I’m fairly confident that we will get there before sunset. I feel a few bumps in the road. Or so I thought. Turns out we have got a flat tire. We wait on the side of the road for help. Typical, the one thing I forgot to pack was a spare tyre. Forty-five minutes later, and we are back on the road with a new tyre and a hefty roadside assistance bill.
The road sign states 29 kilometres until we reach our destination. Now that the end is near, we can enjoy the time we have left
Blasting the music and singing at the top of our lungs. Darkness begins to fall. The sunset paints the sky above us.
We made it.
You see, recovery is just like a road trip. It may not go as planned. There are bound to be a few bumps in the road and obstacles that get in your way. Sometimes, it might feel easier to give up and go back to your comfort zone or revert to those behaviours that once brought you a sense of relief. But nothing worth having is ever easy. Recovery isn’t linear. You may find yourself going backwards or getting stuck going around a roundabout, not knowing which exit to take, but as long as you keep moving, then you will find your way. Nobody can drive this journey for you, but if you’re lucky you’ll have someone who will sit in the passenger seat and support you while you embark on this journey.
Everybody’s journey will look different; they will have their own destinations and tackle dissimilar hurdles. There is no shortcut to recovery, but just know that you can overcome any obstacle that is thrown your way as long as you don’t give up. No matter where you are on your journey, I want you to know that I’m so proud of you. It’s not easy, but it will be so worth it, so don’t give up now.
-Courtney
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