Chastin Martel
June 14, I went on a one-night trip three hours outside Slave Lake. It had been two months since I left Slave Lake. The main reason for the trip was an appointment. You can’t miss those! My family and I decided we go somewhere else at the same time – Leduc!
Usually when I plan a trip and everything is finalized, I count down the days until the travel day comes. I suppose you can say that is the excitement taking over. No one ever talks about the exhaustion afterwards. Maybe I’m over reaching, people do. Driving for two hours doesn’t sound so bad. It’s the return late in the evening that really drains you.
I am not a big fan of driving at night. I get tired easily. My sister mentioned last weekend how exhausted we both get from driving from Edmonton. She’s not wrong. The open road is likely the reason for the tiredness. Lack of sleep is the other.
I can only imagine what the exhaustion is when returning from abroad. I look forward to travelling on a plane and for one reason only. To not drive for long periods of time.
I’m one of the main drivers in my family. The last time someone drove for me in my own car, was my father. We went fishing on Father’s Day in 2022.
I look forward to travelling internationally. Now that I’ve obtained my passport, I have to start planning now.
Los Angeles still remains on the top of the list. Other places that have been on my travel list include South Korea, Mexico, Iceland and The Philippines.
All this talk about travelling and I have not mentioned jet lag. This is one thing I have never experienced yet. From what I hear, it is brutal. I can not imagine staying up all day with no sleep to adjust to the time. It’s a challenge such as writing this commentary.
The farthest I ever drove was to Lake Newell, AB. It was back in 2021 when gas was reasonably priced. It took over seven hours to drive there. It was over 37 C outside. Luckily, my family and I had air conditioning in the vehicle. It was a peaceful drive. The only bad part was we were there for one night. I don’t even think we swam in the lake. We dipped our feet in the water and that was it.
I would like to go back but I’ll definitely have to stay longer next time. For next time, swimming too! The drive back felt a little quicker for some reason, maybe because we stopped a few times. Red Bull definitely helped. I only drank one, don’t get it twisted!
I wonder what it’s like these days crossing the Unites States border. I read online articles and forums that say it’s a difficult process for Indigenous people. Something about providing a letter of status. Sounds complicated to me. I don’t have any real plans to drive there but flying, most likely.
I suppose the real solution to not feeling exhausted after a trip is sleep. I remember going to sleep after returning from Lake Newell. I felt like a brand new person after getting 10 hours of sleep that one night.
Another is keeping yourself hydrated, drinking water is very important. I hadn’t realized the good effects of drinking water since I turned 16. I found myself less tired when I drank a lot of it.
I’m looking forward to those future travels and being in a new country. Most likely dealing with jet lag and tiredness but it’s all worth it! Let’s just hope I look back at this commentary and live up to what I said!