A reminder that there is beauty and magic in this world ...

Retreating from everyday life, finding peace in the seascape ...

"I need a break from all the noise.

I want to breathe clean air and swim in clean water.

I want to sit on the porch of an old cabin and listen to the stillness.

I want to be out where things are simple and every breath is a reminder that there is beauty and magic left in this world."

-Brooke Hampton

Image of Bosham Quay at low tide, April 2022 - taken by Callie Di Nello

A few days away from home - the first in almost three years - gave us a much-needed break from the busyness of London. Space to detach from all the must-do's attached to work, home, carer responsibilities, running a business, etc., etc.

We travelled a mere 50 miles away, yet we could have been on a different planet. Our surroundings afforded us a change of perspective, and an invitation to experience what its like to take the foot off the pedal and slow it down. Of what may fill our time when retirement beckons.

We tried a full digital detox and it kind of worked, until we were drawn to take images, such as the one shown in this image (Bosham Quay at sunset, with the tide out) and had to use our phones. Yet this quote by Brooke Hampton so perfectly summed up our feelings in that all-too-brief time away, pottering about in the bitterly cold wintry weather, spending time playing with puppygirl Siena, who seemingly shares my love of the beach - and water.

And I felt the strong pull of water, hypnotised by the sun dancing over the waves. Growing up in a seaside town, being beside water lulls me to a sense of "being at home" - especially in the out-of-season months, where you can hear the sea whispering without any human noise to distract ...

For me, the ever-changing seascape is always my place to go when I need to find a sense of peace, or seek a change of perspective. I was surprised by just how much I had missed being by the sea, and have made a vow to myself to return far more often. To heal, rebalance, and retreat from the busyness of life.

I wonder ... where do you find yourself drawn to, when you need a change of perspective?

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Categories: : retreat