After a crazy busy month of writing, working, editing and lack of sleep, I left my world behind last week to take my son on his first train ride. The Sunlander – 18 hour trip from Mackay to Brisbane may have been a little ambitious in theory, but the journey turned out to be a surprising success.  

As I sat (or lay) watching our scenic Australian landscape go by, I realized that a journey I had anticipated suffering through was actually an unexpected blessing in disguise. Before boarding the train I was stressed, overwhelmed with work, limited in my resistance to everything (flu, parenting, positive thought etc), but when forced into leaving it all behind, I found peace, refreshment, and a renewal of strength.

 So my advice? – if you live life in the fast lane, next time you travel take the slow track, and give yourself time out to smell the roses. Book a train ride instead of a plane ticket, and sit back, relax, and let our beautiful country inspire and refresh you.