People used to think it was so odd for me to travel on my own to a remote place for my time of rejuvenation. They would often enquire of my travelling compatriots to which I would respond, "I am not going with anyone." Odd. This is my me-time why would I need company?

But yes, taking off was a cherished experience for me and something I valued and recognised ( perhaps a bit late in my singlehood times) as a much-needed time for myself. Back then, Busua was always my favourite destination. I just couldn't get over the serenity of the town's low-lying clean beach. Gorgeous sunsets and the brilliance of the morning sun never failed to impress me every single time. It still is one of my favourite places.

A week ago, I had to escape again. 2017 has been a hurricane of a year! I have lost so many friends and family through untimely deaths, most of which just left me emotionally drained. There aren't enough why's to explain their departure.

I was being invited to so many events and many new projects and work responsibilities came my way as well. There was always something to do which was exciting but was also mentally draining. Working for oneself can make you easily forget that you have to take leave like you did when you had an 8-5 job. Very easy.

We moved to a new house recently and that also brought on it's own challenges of remodelling and fixing up the poor job done by a building contractor. Why can't people just do a job right once and for all? Building and road contractors in this country eh!

After things in the house had settled down a bit in the house, I decided to do my annual escape.

My body needed it so badly that every time I woke up in the morning, tiredness would silently remind that I wasn't a superwoman although sometimes I could swear I felt a cape swirling behind me. No amount of prayer was going to be enough to give me physical strength. Even Jesus retreated from the disciples every now and then. Burnout is a real thing.
I needed a sharper focus on where things stood and a self-assessment on my objectives in life. Woman aint growing younger you know. Dreams must be accomplished and any obstacles standing in the way of that must be dealt with. During my away time in Busua, I would take along my little notebook and write with all honesty where things stood in my life. What wasn't I happy about? What relationships did I or didn't I want to be in? What made me happy? These and other questions I asked and answered with brutal honesty in my little book. I had gotten to that point where I realised I couldn't say yes to every invitation sent to me. It's great to be invited on panels etc but there has to be a limit. I had to be picky as well on what I chose to attend on my table of priorities.
City life and it's stress of traffic, scandalous corruption news, social media noise had to take a back seat for the next few days. The noise on Facebook and Twitter sometimes, just sometimes can be quite suffocating. It's my time to switch them off and tune in to the silence of nature.

I found myself at the Ko-Sa Beach resort in the Central Region where I spent a day's rest and relaxation.

I moved to Takoradi where my dinners and mornings were at Planters Lodge one of my more luxurious places for tranquility.

Roasted Chicken at Planters Lodge

I actually made a new feline friend, she's called Whiskers so if ever you see her there please send her my regards.

Whiskers

Why You Should Absolutely Take Some Self-Love Time

You have to learn how to be on your own as an individual. You don't always need friends and people around you to feel good about yourself. When you look to others for validation all the time you might actually be disappointed and then depressed thinking nobody loves you. Learn how to love yourself by being on your own at your own selected time. Discover for yourself what makes you happy. What do you enjoy doing? What your hobbies are and why you love doing them.
Your self-love and me-time helps you discover new places and new experiences. Whether it's discover a new destination within your country or trying out taste-bud explosions at a new restaurant, your time away becomes your discovery moment of pleasure.
Escaping the city life or even life itself is also a time to meditate on God's Word or whichever faith you belong to. You reconnect with God in the silence of nature, set some objectives to build on your relationship with God whether it's praying more frequently or evangelising more often. Your self-love time is also a time to assess your spiritual life and identify places where you have fallen short. Identify, realign and get back up. Meditation is a great way of improving your mental health as a human being.
Your self-love time is also your time of appreciating other cultures around you and gives you a real time experience to learn more about other cultures other than what you read about online. It's a personal discovery no one can take away from you.

At the end of it all, I was now desiring a longer rest period. I think next time I will make my stay a whole week :D I am now back to reality and I am more focused and ready to take on the realities of life now.

Do you ever take time off for yourself? How do you treat yourself for some me-time? Where do you go to? Got a special place of your own? Do share in the comments below.