Addressing two hungers: physical and emotional. The road demands both.

Long drives used to mean gas station junk food and radio silence. Hours alone with nothing but my thoughts—which, if you know my brain, can be a dangerous neighborhood to wander alone.

So I started packing nuts.

Almonds. Cashews. Trail mix. Actual food that doesn't spike my blood sugar and crash me into irritability two hours later. It sounds small, but fueling your body well is an act of self-respect. It's saying: I matter enough to prepare for this.

But here's the thing about road trips: the physical hunger is the easy one to solve.

The emotional hunger? That's the one that sneaks up on you at mile 400, when the sun is setting and you haven't heard a familiar voice all day.

So I started calling friends.

Not texting. Calling. Actual human voices in my ear. Fifteen minutes with someone who knows me. Someone who can remind me that I exist beyond this steering wheel and these mile markers.

Two hungers. Two solutions. Neither complicated, but both require intention.

Pack the nuts before you leave. Call the friend before you need them desperately.

The climb isn't just about surviving the hard moments. It's about setting yourself up so the hard moments don't hit quite as hard.

#MercyClimb