run, gloria, run!: August 2017

Sunday, August 20, 2017

My extremely specific Prince Edward Island self-care wellness retreat guide

Sleep for, like, ten hours. Whatever you need to feel rested. Wake up to the sounds of birds that are really excited that you are now awake too.

Eat a healthy yummy breakfast of yogurt, fruit, Island honey, and locally baked bread from the farmers' market, while watching the alpacas also eating breakfast on the lawn outside.

start your day right with alpaca kisses

Go for a run. Discover a new running route every day, down a different red dirt path. Make it an easy jog, with lots of breaks to take pictures of the countryside, but cardio-intensive enough to take long deep breaths of the fresh country air.

Now that you're all sweaty and warmed up, cool off with a refreshing swim in the ocean or a local river or creek.

Go for a long drive to a cute little village. The island is full of them. Have a seafood chowder lunch on a cafe on the wharf. Check out a local art gallery. The Island is full of them. Buy some artwork or crafts for someone you care about.

Go for a walk on a beach. Any beach will do; the Island is full of them.

Take an afternoon siesta nap.

It's 5PM, why not have a beer.

Have dinner, whether at the farm or on a patio in lively Charlottetown. Eat fish and/or mussels/oysters/lobsters with a side of potatoes.

Victoria Row

Have ice cream for dessert. Cows' Creamery or whatever random roadside ice cream stand. The Island is full of them. A glass of Matos' strawberry chardonnay pairs well with most ice cream flavours.

Do some stargazing. Appreciate the beautiful night sky of the countryside. Meditate on: how vast the universe is; how small your stresses are (in relation to the size of the universe); how you are connected to this vast universe. How short your life is, and how therefore it is imperative to take the time you have to appreciate what you have, and who you have. Contemplate this perspective shift, and be grateful for it.