With an abrupt end to Spring Term, I was bridled with reluctance to truly set myself free from responsibilities and not be continuously swarmed with an avalanche of work. My first line of thought was nothing short of selfishness, wanting to leave it all behind and escape somewhere – regrettably a repercussion of my diminishing perseverance, or patience, if you like – but I relented with the fact that it would all be over soon.
Every night, I went to sleep with a lingering thought of all the work that kept on piling up as the days went by and I would wake up thinking back to what I had yet to accomplish. And this went on and on.
But today, I woke up with a gush of excitement rushing through me and it was most unforeseen yet decidedly familiar; I felt liberated.
Indeed, there is something blissful about waking up early and realising that you don’t have anything to do aside from brewing a cup of coffee for yourself, perhaps as a mean to search for inspiration on what you have to do or what you can do for the rest of the day.
I remember constantly making mental and physical notes of what I needed to do and meticulously planning ahead at the expanse of my health and my well-being.
After much ruminating of what is to come next this morning, I have surmised that if I were to get adequately compensated for the tirade of sleepless, caffeine-induced nights that I had to endure, staying in bed all day would be the perfect prelude to my road towards recuperation. While I have been spending time with close ones, I can’t help but forget about spending quality time with myself. That I am just as important as the people that I love and care for.
Solitary activities are always refreshing, and they certainly don’t have to be tedious. Think of them as a mean to be at peace and reconnect with your inner self.
Here are my top five things to do in solitude:
Discover new music. Lurking around on 8tracks in search of soulful indie folk songs rarely ends in disappointment.
Re-read a good old book. I find that it can either serve as a reminder of the lessons that I garnered in the first place or provide me with an entirely different perspective.
Look for outdoor party ideas. If it was not that obvious, I absolutely love the idea of an outdoor gathering with my loved ones. I have yet to host a lunch/dinner gathering for the sake of gathering, so hunting for ideas has always been enjoyable and creatively stimulating.
Prepare a hearty meal. I wouldn’t say that I’m a good cook, nor would I say otherwise, but dishing out a plate of both aesthetically pleasing and thankfully edible food that I have made myself is quite an accomplishment in itself.
Take photos of the most mundane yet not irrelevant objects. This is not only true to one of my (perhaps) most prominent styles of photography, but also to what I believe in when it comes to appreciation of finding – or creating – beauty and depth in mundanity.
As time in our hands are slipping away, the soft, breaking light of dawn seems to beckon us to slow down and appreciate what is left of our remaining days starting with ourselves. In essence, it is important to carve some time out for ourselves because we deserve so much love and care.
So, what is your favourite solitary pastime? And when was the last time you did so?
With this, I bid you adieu.
The Rustic Trove 