train

This week I have been to my Grandma's funeral. She was the last of my grandparents to make her way to heaven. She died suddenly three weeks ago today, and her funeral was on Tuesday just gone. The husband didn't have time off work, so we made the decision that I would go by myself on the train. When we made the decision I was OK with it, I knew it would be more tiring that being driving but knew it was the only way I'd get there. I booked the tickets, the return ones were sent to me, but the outward journey I had to collect at the station. I was going to Cambridge on the way and being picked up by the elder brother, and then staying at Dad's for a couple of days before heading back from Ipswich to Nottingham, where the husband picked me up. This was the cheapest way of doing it.

A friend kindly picked my up to take me to the station on Tuesday morning. I had packed the night before, was sure I had everything, and so felt OK about it all. Well I felt OK about it when I woke up in the morning, the night before was another matter with many tears and panics. When I arrived at the station I went to the machine to put my card in and get my ticket. However all did not go to plan. I forgot the booking code, and needed it to collect the tickets. I asked a member of the station staff what to do and they told me queue at the ticket windows and collect them there. There was a large queue here and I was starting to panic. I had to do some very slow in through the nose out through the mouth breaths. Fortunately some people left the queue, and there was a large group of young people who went to the window together, so it decreased my waiting time. I explained to the man at the window what had happened, he did look at me as if to say 'what do you want me to do about it', but eventually gave me my tickets. I made my way to the platform still trying to stop myself from panicking. I got the train OK, found my seat and thankfully the person who should've been in the seat next to me wasn't, so I had space.

On arriving in London (where I was to make my connection) I really needed a wee. I got into St Pancras and was leaving from Kings Cross. The two are across the road from each other. However there were a lot of works going on and it wasn't clearly signposted, so I had to think a bit to work out where I was going. I had decided to find where I was going and then find a lavatory. Due to the works the only available facility was quite a walk from where I was. But I needed to go, so set off to find it. I walked past the gentleman's facility, and assumed the ladies would be nearby. How wrong I was. It was as far from the gentleman's as possible. I got there, worked out I had the right money to go and joined the queue. I was about 4 from the front when a man came a long and told us all to go straight through as they had to empty the change machine. S0 I got to wee for free! I made my way back to the platform needed and got on the train. This was a simple and short journey and I was met at the station by brother the elder.

The funeral went well, it was a great tribute to grandma's life. Several people we know from Ipswich had come so we were able to chat to them after rather than having to make conversation with elderly relatives we had no idea who they were or sitting in the corner looking anti-social. The rest of the time in Ipswich was lovely due to the lovely people I got to spend time with. The journey back was OK, apart form having to run for train due to bad traffic getting to the station and an hour wait at Ely.

The best part of the whole thing was being met by the husband at the end of the journey. Never has a hug been so wanted and needed. The worst part of the whole thing is that my symptoms are now worse, interestingly delayed by a day - yesterday I was fine. But I know that careful management will bring me back to my 'norm'.