I’ve spent 23 of the last 29 days aways from home. Since I’m not normally a world traveler, this is a huge deal for me. And, it wasn’t even a book tour! A bit of it was for vacation. Wahoooo! Lots of it was sitting in hospital rooms watching people I love suffer. Boo, hiss.

But, if you are reading this, it means we escaped. Both patients are improving, and #Cancerloses again today!

So, here are three rituals I try to keep intact no matter where I am our what I’m doing. These are my little sanity tricks. I’m sure you have your own.

1. Find a beat. I derive great comfort from having routine. So, at the hotel by the hospital, I gave myself a little morning ritual around how I ate breakfast. I sat in the same corner, had the same raison toast, and chatted with the same desk clerk every day. She almost hugged me when I left.

2. Move your Feet. Those exercise endorphins are real, and it doesn’t take much to make them kick in. At one hospital, where I slept in a chair a few nights, I managed to walk laps in empty halls each day. I took the stairs on the way back from the cafeteria occasionally. In the second hospital, I walked the two blocks back and forth from my hotel each day. I felt like part of the neighborhood by the time we went home.

3. Post and Tweet. Technology saved my life. I called, texted, emailed, and messaged family and friends several times a day. Note to self: Don’t send a private message to your husband late at night on day 28 and accidentally send it to a group chat instead. 

I scrolled through social media to keep up with all the happenings in our community at home. And, in the most important connection of all, I opened my Bible each day and breathed in a few sacred words. They carried me, as did your prayers, dear friends.

Thanks for that.

Now it’s your turn. What are your travel tricks?