room with a view

Still on the subject of space, have just returned from a trip across the Nullarbor Plain on the Indian Pacific train. Two nights on the top bunk, my daughter on the bottom bunk, wondering if I would fall out. I had to keep telling myself I had slept for years on the edge like this in my trucking days, so fear not. All was fine and we slept better than in our own beds at home.

When we first got into the carriage, my daughter had suffered a slight attack of claustrophobia. It was after dark, with no view outside, and we sat on the bench seat facing the blank doors of the bathroom and wardrobe. The next morning, the 'room' was transformed by the vista of sandhills at dawn and all anxiety fled as we stared out the window. A room with a view beats a windowless cell, any day. I know some writers insist on facing a blank wall, but a connection with the weather and nature keeps me sane.

I will have my room with a view of the gardens of a National Trust property tomorrow when I move into my new writing studio. Can't wait.