RETREAT ALONE
I've always wanted to get away from it all, so I searched for the word "retreat" on the internet. Interestingly, most sites offer group and guided programmes. I don't meditate or do yoga very often, but it's still nice to get away in nature sometimes, turn off the phone, radio, TV - the noise of the 21st century - and just relax with my own thoughts. Ever since I found the perfect place in Szarvas, I've been doing a retreat like this every year. Some people fast, some people go on meditation group retreats, and some people literally retreat from the world alone. I fall into the latter category.
A lot of people don't get it, they ask if I'm lonely. No, I'm just alone.
I don't have to adapt to anyone, I get up, sleep, eat, walk, lie down, meditate when I feel like it and I'm ready. It's rare in today's world.
That's when I realise how much my phone has grown on me. As soon as I sit down, I reach for it. So I put it down for these few days, precisely to look outside, to look at myself, and let my mind wander.
Here in Szarvas, on the shores of Palov's Guesthouse, it's the most fantastic and easiest thing to do. There's nothing more special than when a waterfront, in your own cottage with private pool is the man. I look at the Dead Ring, the water moving, the tiny fish forming rings on the surface, the dragonflies dancing on the water flies. Across the way, an egret is feathering on the far bank, and ducklings are swimming in a line of ducklings, following their mother as she quacks and explains the mysteries of aquatic life.
Before I got to know this little waterfront cottage in Sarva, it was difficult to find a suitable place. I would have gone to the forest, to a small house, far away from civilisation, but I have to be honest, as a woman, I didn't dare to do it alone. The size of the houses for rent is not always ideal either: a spacious accommodation for 2-3-4 people is not necessarily motivating when the goal is solitude. The tiny size and compact design of this cottage suggests that it is perfectly possible to spend time alone, on your own. The Palov's Guesthouse is surrounded by peace and quiet, and there is never a moment of fear, even after dark, when you are on the waterfront, on the cottage's own private deck watching the sunsett. I feel like I'm in a world of my own, even though I'm in the heart of the city. That's why I recommend this little „jewel box” to anyone looking for a safe and ideal place to retreat as a woman in Hungary.
If I feel like it, I'll go for a swim, or grab my SUP, kayak, and I hit the water. Or I sit on the on my bike and set off on exploratory tours. I don't wear headphones, I don't listen to music or podcasts, I simply observe the world around me and The wonderful cultural attractions of Szarvas.
When was the last time you watched a sunset? Have you stared into a self-lit fire, enjoyed a morning coffee over still water without a phone? One of my favorite ways is to lie on the pier and stare at the sky, watching the shapes of the clouds change before my eyes. It's a true experience of quiet retreat.
My goal with this retreat on the banks of the Dead Sea is to hear and listen to my own thoughts again, to be able to be alone, whether it is night, day, water or shore. To open my eyes to my surroundings, to notice things that pass me by in my everyday life. I would recommend it to anyone who is curious about this experience, the cottage is available for booking from March until the end of October, making it the perfect choice for a retreat in nature. Everyone who has tried it in my circle of friends has told me that incredible things have popped out of their heads after a few days.
