My writing was stalled. I had started writing my new book two years earlier at a writer’s retreat in Australia. My progress was slow, and I was getting frustrated. I decided to run away for a solo retreat.
I chose Panama and through loose connections, I found a cottage on the Pacific Ocean near Las Tablas on Uverito Beach. Bill and Peggy Smith own the Sand Dollar B&B, and they found me a two-bedroom cottage to rent while the owner travelled. The price was reasonable for a one-month rental.
I knew that the cottage would be near the beach as there’s only one road. I was delighted that I could see the beach from most of the windows, and that there was a hammock and a porch. I was encouraged to pick and eat any ripened fruit from the papaya trees and pineapple plants in the yard.
I didn’t realize that I would be living on a dirt road, have no water pressure to speak of, and no hot water with some electrical black outs. But after a week, I felt like I wanted to stay there forever!
I walked on the beach and didn’t see more than one person on most mornings. Sometimes, it was the fisherman tending his nets after returning from his early morning outing. The tide always delivered something new to inspect and the tide pools left behind were entertaining with small crabs and shells. Hermit crabs lived in the grasses at the edge of the beach and the beach dogs were friendly.
I learned that there are more species of birds in Panama than there are in all of North America. The American Oystercatcher was my favorite. They were originally called Sea Pies but were renamed in 1731 when Mark Catesby claimed that he had seen one eating oysters. They don’t seem to eat healthy oysters, but all sorts of other shellfish, but the name stuck. They are black and white and have a long orange beak and pink legs.
During my solo retreat, I wrote during the hottest times (11:00 am – 4:00 pm) of each day as it was much too hot for me to go out. Then, I’d take another walk around 4:00 pm and come back to cook a simple dinner for myself or take myself out for a meal. There were a few sleepy restaurants nearby with capable cooks who could deal with my gluten-free needs.
Panama is close to the equator and the sun sets between 6:00 and 6:30 pm each day, all year round. It gets dark there between 6:30 and 7:00 each night. The evenings stretched out and I was grateful for the strong internet service and streaming videos.
Occasionally, there were blackouts, and I’d light a candle and fetch my journal to ponder in pen. Those evenings were more satisfying, yet I didn’t do it when I had electricity at night. Sometimes, less is more.
Bill and Peggy invited me to a few parties and one day-long trip to Isla Iguana which I indulged in. It was a welcome break in my solo adventure to meet others and talk about something other than my book.
The cab fare to the town of Las Tablas was US$7.00. I’d go in to town to stock up on groceries and chocolate. It’s surprising how much dark chocolate it took to power my writing!
I was pleased with my progress and am so thankful that I gave myself permission to take the month to focus on my writing. I had not thought of doing something like that before. There were no interruptions and gobs of time. On days that I needed extra motivation, I’d turn to binaural beats on YouTube. They helped me focus or keep going when I found myself procrastinating.
I’d highly recommend trying a solo retreat if you're feeling stuck or in need of finding your motivation. Going somewhere where only a few (or no) people know you can give you the space to focus on a project you want to complete.
Elizabeth Verwey founded Spoken Lives in 2015 and is passionate about sharing stories. In her new book, Brave New Endings, she shares 34 stories of people who cared for their exes when they needed support.
