Self Love in Morro Bay

As we enter into this month that is dedicated to love, I’d like to invite you to take time throughout the month to acknowledge not only the love you have for others in your life but to also create & acknowledge love for yourself!

                                       “How you love yourself is how you teach others to love you.”
                                                                              -Rupi Kaur

I recently came across an entry in my journal from a couple of years ago that was a significant reminder for me about how important this journey of connecting with ourselves - loving ourselves - truly is.  

              August 10th, 2017  

            "Two years ago I remember walking on the same beach and thinking as I
              walked alone that the next time I walked on the beach, it would be with
              someone special...someone I loved and could share adventures with. A
              few months ago I thought that was a possibility … that it was the
              direction the relationship was going, but it wasn't - and guess what?
              It's better that way - because if I was still in that relationship I would
              have still been [here] alone - and lonely. BUT I traveled alone and instead
              did not feel lonely because I was with someone special, that I Love and
              can go on adventures with, Me! … and me is perfect." 

When I wrote this, I had just spent two weeks alone in Morro Bay, California. I had first encountered this magical coastal town two years earlier when my dear college friend had invited me to her home. I immediately fell in love - the charm of the bay lined stores at the embarcadero, the wide stretch of beaches under the summer sun, and the foggy nights that carried an element of eeriness or romanticism depending on my mood. I couldn't wait to return - and yes, with the hope of someone special to share this magical place with.

When I finally made my return to Morro Bay in August of 2017, I arrived with more heartache than love. I had begun my summer with a painful breakup, and for two months had been trying to find my way through the haze of confusion and sense of loss. The unanswered questions, doubt, anger (and drama that led to a kind of crazy I don't care to re-visit) - had led me to a place of confusion within myself. So when my friend invited me back to her home, I gladly jumped in the car and welcomed the 13 hours of stillness on the interstate.

I spent the next two weeks continuing to step into stillness - yoga, walking with my toes in the sand, sitting on the dock - mesmerized by the boats peeking through the evening fog, wandering through nearby towns; sitting - feeling - writing. This trip was where I first realized the power the road and writing hold for me - the healing, growth and magic that can come from the stillness of these acts.

The first time I traveled to Morro Bay I fell in love with the town - that second time I fell in love with myself. And the next time around, there is still room to share that special place with the right special someone, because self love is not exclusive to sharing love with another. Self love is not selfish, it is not an excuse or a reason to avoid conflict. Self love is the brave act of seeing yourself completely - of looking at your strengths & weaknesses, of celebrating your successes & forgiving your mistakes. Self love is an act of honor - an act of truth. 

"Perhaps, we should love ourselves so
fiercely, that when others see us they know
exactly how it should be done."
-Rudy Francisco

Wherever you are in your life right now, and whoever you are loving, don’t forget to pause & take the time to fall in love with yourself. The more we love ourselves, the more love we have to share with others around us, and to recognize the kind of love we want to receive.