I’m travelling back up north today to see the boyfriend! I’m on four trains for 7 hours in total.. (Grumble!) It’s ‘deafinitely’ a long journey but it’s always worth it to see the person you love! If you’d like to read our ‘love story’, please scroll down to find it! 

My mum completely forgot that she had to do the school run for my brother, when I had to be at the main train station at the same time! Therefore I had to travel from the local one into the main station, adding a fourth train onto the overall journey!

When I arrived at the main station, I forgot how noisy train stations are! The rumbling of the engines, people chattering, the unexplainable muttered announcements! It’s every deaf person’s worst nightmare! If you add on the amount of visual noise too (visual distractions like hoards of people, conductors waving flags around, maintenance teams whizzing around in their buggies)… Agh!

Once I boarded the main train- 6 hour one, I found my seat and happily settled down. But, don’t you get that feeling if you’re on the right train or not?! Thankfully I am! When the conductor comes along I always worry that if I show my ticket, there might be something wrong with it or when showing my disabled railcard… the conductor could say; “you don’t look disabled” – lucky it hasn’t happened yet and hope it never will!

So I’m half way there, and writing this post!

Right now I must be travelling through the Peak District, my favourite part of the journey! The hills are beautiful, stone walls leading on forever, watching the animals in the fields which are so small that it looks like a model village set! It all reminds me of my family holiday in a village similar to this! It’s a shame I have bird poo all over my window… Sorry for the terrible picture, it’s the only one I could take when the train wasn’t moving!

Anyway, dream-mode over! As I’m on the train from the first to last stop, I don’t have to worry about missing my stop! I always lose count of the number of people who sit next to me! I’m in the aisle seat with my headphones in and next thing, I have someone over my shoulder trying to get me to move! Not my fault you were stood behind me, I’m deaf! Sitting next to a stranger for a long period of time is really weird when there’s no conversation!

There’s always a noisy person on the train and sometimes don’t you wish they would be quiet for a second or two?! I could switch my hearing aids off but I like to know what’s going on around me!

I love listening to music when travelling, it makes time fly by quicker! I hate it when people stare at me when I plug my headphones into my hearing aids! Just wish I could turn around and say “what’s your problem!” But I’ve now gotten used to it and the best thing to do is; ignore them! Due to the amount of background noise on trains, I find it sometimes impossible to hear my music, even on the loudest volume! Please don’t complain that I shouldn’t be listening to my music at the loudest volume, it won’t make me any more deafer than I already am!

Announcements on trains are terrible, I can’t even hear them but people have told me not to worry as most people don’t understand them anyway! What if the train breaks down? What if my stop was next? How would I know that? I just wish all trains would have the scrolling electronic banner which states what station is coming next! It would make my life a lot easier! Even if my mum books assistance for me, I don’t receive it on the train so I’m independent for once!

Anyhoo! I’m shortly arriving at my destination to see him! But we’ve still two more short trains to travel on to get back to his! I will upload this once I have wifi. If I don’t post for a while, you’ll know why! I’d love to hear your travel stories!

Love E x