Last night I took the red-eye back from San Francisco where I was visiting family.

In order to maximize the amount of time I had with them, I chose to fly home at night. Funny how the flight seems so long during the day but goes by in a blink when you’re trying to get a few precious hours of sleep.

Arriving at 7:30 a.m. Eastern time (4:30 a.m. Pacific time), I had a very hard time even appearing to be awake. Luckily it was a beautiful fall day — one which absolutely required a ride through the fields so I could admire the beginnings of the fall foliage. I missed a hunt today that I normally really enjoy. I’ll admit I even toyed with the idea of trying to get from the airport to the barn in time to trailer to the hunt but that’s a bit fanatical even for me. After all, taking Freedom on his first hunt of the season when I’ve had four hours of sleep and he hasn’t been ridden in several days is quite insane.

Freedom’s leg looked really good. The wound is healing nicely and he has completely forgotten about it. The swelling is almost completely gone. In fact, he was raring to go. Just as well I was alone so I could keep him (mostly) focused. If I’d added the excitement of a hunt, I doubt our ride would have been either pleasant or relaxing.

Certainly the sunshine and the fresh air helped me recalibrate my inner clock and kept me awake at least until it’s dark enough that going to bed isn’t too embarrassing! Now that I’ve found the “cure” for jet lag, I know what to do in the future.