Single Life Stuff // Top Tips for an Epic Retreat Day

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I love getting out and getting away from it, especially when it involves a mini road trip, wide open spaces and a beautiful view. These are the places where I find myself able to disconnect with the world and reconnect with God and with myself.

Day Thirteen of the 30 Days of Loving Single Challenge recommends a retreat day. One of the great things about being single is the ability to not just be able to pick up and go whenever you want but to also be able to focus in on God. That’s what the retreat day is all about but some times it’s hard to connect in. So, here are some things that help me to put it all down so I can take it all in.

LOCATION

Let’s talk Location….

I think the biggest contributing factor to a great retreat is the location. Where you are will influence the whole experience. For me it all comes down to Nature or a Cafe.

NATURE

  1. Stanwell Tops: perfect for a little drive south with great beaches, great cafes, great lookouts. It’s perfect to get away without feeling completely removed from the society.

  2. Wattamolla: For a gorgeous beachside escape and keeping it south of the bridge this beauty tucked away in the National Park is worth the trek

  3. The Blue Mountains: now I’m completely biased because my family lives in the mountains but there are some amazing walks and lookouts that will help you forget the world. I love Leura Cascades, cafes like 2773, Kickaboom or DBL Ristretto and walks like the Prince Henry Cliff Walk or the Grand Canyon walk. There’s just something about the grandness of the mountains coupled with the pin-drop silence that ushers in a deeply spiritual connection.

CAFES

If sitting and sipping is more your style then I recommend these places around the North Shore (because that’s where I live 🤷🏼‍♀️)

  1. Monstera: said it before and I’ll say it again, this cafe is gorgeous, quaint and perfect for some hours of journal time by the bay.

  2. The Library Cafe: If you go early enough on the weekend you can steal a few quiet hours by yourself out the back in the garden.

  3. 28’s Kaffe: Perfectly curated outdoors and tranquil fountains will make you want to stay for hours.

TOOLS

These are the few things I find I can’t do without when it comes to focussing in on God. No doubt, you use some of these too!

  1. Journal: Highly recommend getting yourself some sort of book, lined or unlined, A4 or A5 whatever works and using it to capture whatever God is saying to you in whatever format you want.

  2. Earphones: Because sometimes you need to block the world out or tune into your fave worship song.

  3. Pen/ Pencils: because, well, point 1. I’m actually really picky about what I use to write with.

  4. Kindle: because sometimes it’s nice to just relax and read.

Really the point to a retreat day is to get away with God in a way that means something to you. I’ve gone on a full weekend retreat to my Grandparent’s farm (pictured) and for the first day or so all I did was sleep, wake up, re-stoke the fire, read and fall asleep again. It was a perfect retreat. I didn’t have any huge revelations from God or big defining moments. I wasn’t even reading a Christian book, I just listened to my body and spent the time connecting in.

So make the most of the a retreat day. If you can make it a retreat weekend then even better. No matter the length of time, just make sure you’re doing something that restores your soul and connects you back into the One who sustains you.

Enjoy. xx