I Traveled Across the Country Alone
Planes, trains, buses and boats, for a few days of relaxation on Canada’s West coast
At 4 am, my alarm clock went off. The cats, who usually wake me before my sunrise alarm fully illuminates the room, squinted and looked around. For the first time since I adopted them in April, something was out of routine. I’d be leaving them for more than just an overnight trip home.
As they wandered into the kitchen to get something to eat, I made myself a cup of coffee and settled into a comfortable position on the floor. It was all finally sinking in. I was about to order an Uber to the airport and board a plane to fly across Canada. It wasn’t until the cats came to rub up against me that the tears started streaming down my face.
What if something happened to the cats while I was away? They both have chronic illnesses. What if something happened to me? I’d just given them what I thought would be their forever home. The fear weighed on me like a weighted blanket, but one that was about 20 pounds too heavy to push off comfortably. I began to take deep breaths and focus on what came next. I said goodbye to the cats as they tried to follow me out, collected myself, and went outside to wait for my Uber.
