When the Trailer Stopped on the Mountain: What My ADHD Brain Taught Me

I have not shared a ton about where my husband and I are right now because I am enjoying the peace and the calm.

AND I have to share this story.

Trailer at what felt like the top of the world

Since we sold most of our belongings, we are towing the ones we decided to keep with us on the back of our vehicle. As two ADHD humans who want nothing to do with knowing how to tow something, we got pretty darn used to it pretty fast as we embarked on this trip.

We are staying at an airbnb for about a month right now as we are making our way to our final landing place in the North East. One thing we didn't notice is that it’s located at the top of a mountain. I may have read the words, but I did not fully register what that meant.

We are coming from the Rocky Mountains and we have driven some scary-looking passes, we did not expect anything from the mountain ranges on the East Coast.

When the little car that could...just couldn't

As we drove up the windy roads that paved our path forward, we noticed the grade getting steeper and steeper. The roads were framed with lush green vines and landscapes that were droolworthy, but with each and every turn, our use of the word “shit” became more frequent.

Side note: This was a great opportunity to help the girls understand the context within which we were using that word. As they informed us, we shouldn’t be saying that.

After miles of driving and about 4 minutes from our destination, we hit the highest grade yet and the car stopped. My husband panicked and looked at me saying, “It won’t move forward”.

Shaking hands & a brain built for pressure

I looked to the left and saw the scenery beyond. We were sitting on the side of a mountain with no guard rails, no place to go, a trailer full of our stuff, and a car that was done moving forward.

I remember looking down at my hands and they were visibly shaking. I looked at my husband and there was fear in his eyes, all while I was reassuring the girls in the back that there’s nothing mommy and daddy can’t do.

I wanted to run. I wanted to put a pin in this and deal with it later. That darn nervous system was trying to dictate my moves again.

Then I remembered my brain was made for situations like this and we were going to figure it out.

Facing discomfort so you don't lose more

Together my husband and I looked for warnings on the car. We instructed the girls to get out of the car and stand on the side of the road, and then emptied half the contents of the trailer to attempt to lighten the load.

That did it. Adam was able to get the car in gear and bring the rest of our things to our destination. The girls and I worked together to move all our stuff to a place that would be easier to pick up once we got the car back down. Then we hiked up the road ourselves with some of the belongings we could carry.

What organizing, life, and "oh s***t" moments can teach us

There are some details I left out but it got me thinking about how this unavoidable, scary situation taught me some huge lessons.

One of them is that my ADHD brain tends to avoid discomfort. I would much rather do something that my brain enjoys than face the annoying actions that are going to make me feel uncomfortable.

But what if my husband and I left the car there? With all our stuff. One can imagine the situation would likely be a lot more serious an hour later or even a few hours later, when people were unable to get to their houses and we were missing the essentials to sustain our lives.

Organizing is not pulling a trailer up to the top of a mountain, but sometimes it can feel like that.

It’s annoying, and it does not feel good right away. But it helps us to grow. It teaches us lessons about how we want to live our lives differently. It tells a story about what we’re holding on to and what we can let go. Avoiding the discomfort only means it gets worse the longer it sits there.

Discomfort is worth the growth you get to see on the other side, but even as a coach, I need a gentle reminder for myself daily. I’m just hoping the universe does not continue to deliver this lesson in “trailer stuck on the side of a mountain” mode.

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Megs is the creator of the Organizing an ADHD Brain Podcast, where she helps women with ADHD and other neurodivergent folks declutter their homes and routines without shame. Her work is rooted in lived experience, gentle honesty, and the belief that small steps count. She’s here for the real-life version of organizing—the one that makes room for joy, rest, and a little bit of chaos. Want to work with Megs? Learn more about the many ways to connect and find the right fit for where you are in your organizing journey.