A picture worth a thousand words. A pause by the beach.

What I see: I see a woman relaxing on a beach chair, reading a book, with a tote bag beside her.

What I feel: The atmosphere feels calm and peaceful, like it’s a slow, carefree moment, void of any form of disturbance or worries.

Story: A pause by the sea.

We’ve just finished our exams and I seek to relieve myself of all the stress I went through in school; all the running up and down to submit an assignment, sign documents, attend classes on time and return home tired and worn-out to still study, and more other stressful things. I've not had much time for myself, not to talk of a good relaxing moment.
Now that I'm done with exams, I want to make the most of this break we're given as resumption tiptoes nearer.

Thinking of this, I decided to visit the beach. I took along one of my favourite plays, A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare, the one with Lysander and Bottom, where love potions mix up hearts and cause both laughter and confusion. Along with the book, I packed a smoothie I blended from fresh fruit and a simple meal of fish and bread, all in tote bag.

The moment I arrived, the soft rush of the waves welcomed me. I spread my towel on the sand, leaned back in a chair, and the warm breeze touched me gently. Opening my book, I slowly lost myself between the lines, but not completely. Every so often I looked up, watching the children build castles and listening to the rhythmic crash of the water. I sipped my smoothie, enjoyed my fish with bread and felt a kind of peace I hadn’t felt in months.

After reading for a while, I dropped my book and walked toward the water. The waves rushed to my feet, cool and playful, and I couldn’t resist stepping deeper. Soon I was laughing, splashing the water around like a carefree child. For a moment, it felt as if the sea itself was washing away every trace of stress I had carried from school.

It was in that moment I realized how much I’d missed myself. The quietness, the laughter of strangers in the distance, the sun warming my skin, everything blended into one reminder: life is not just about running from one task to another, but about pausing to breathe and to enjoy.

By the time the sun began to dip, painting the horizon in gold and orange, I felt lighter. My body rested, my mind refreshed, my spirit calm. As I packed my things to leave, I told myself that no matter how busy life gets, I’ll always create time for moments like this.

Thank you for stopping by
@ritaetim