Aldabra, a second-year BTech student, had always been a high achiever. Throughout the semester, Sleepless nights buried in textbooks, endless online classes, and the silent pressure of staying ahead in a fiercely competitive academic world had become her normal.The word “break” did not exist in her vocabulary, not when exams loomed like mountains and comparison surrounded her like fog. Every day felt like a race, and in running so hard, she had forgotten who she was outside her results.
One evening, while clearing her laptop, she stumbled upon a picture of a beach she had saved months ago. It was part of a folder named “someday.” For a moment, she imagined herself there: no alarms, no deadlines, just the sound of waves and a slower heartbeat. She had vacation days. She had the means. But did she have permission from herself?
The guilt came first. "Can I really step away now?" However, deep down, another voice whispered: "Maybe this is exactly what I need."
That night, Aldabra looked at herself in the mirror, exhausted but aware, and made a brave choice. She booked a simple retreat just for herself and the ocean. It wasn’t about luxury, it was about liberation.
During her vacation, she journaled her thoughts, slept without setting an alarm, walked barefoot on sand, and stared at the sky without rushing. She ticked off how many sunrises she could finally witness after months of chaotic, rushed mornings. Slowly, something softened inside her. In those moments of stillness, she met herself again.
That vacation did not erase the exams or the competition, but it gave her back her clarity, calm, and courage. She did not just look refreshed. She felt reinvigorated, not because the vacation had changed her life, but because she had finally chosen herself.
Self-love isn't always about big gestures, it is in the quiet decisions to pause, breathe, and remember who you are and that you are allowed to take up a space in your own life. | 
