How do you like the idea of spending an entire workday alone to chill, pray, meditate, read, and generally just be on your own?

One of the many cool things about IJM as an organisation is that all staff, interns and fellows get a Day of Solitude. It’s pretty much compulsory.

Busy people fear it – but they’re probably the ones who need it the most. I was actually looking forward to it (does that make me unbusy?!), and I thought I’d give you a brief glimpse of how my day went down.

Tuesday, 28th July 2015

7.20am | Woke up to this.2015-07-28 Día de Soledad 02

8.30am | Headed to Typica, a new, fairly hipster café in San Miguel, where I treated myself to two breakfasts and then got treated to a cappuccino on the house. Read the Bible and journalled for a good couple of hours.2015-07-28 Día de Soledad 08

11.00am | Played some music and read a bit at a park not far from my apartment.2015-07-28 Día de Soledad 13

2.30pm | Late lunch on the terrace at Intensso, reading and weeping (Mum: I was thinking about how much I love you :’)).2015-07-28 Día de Soledad 17

4:45pm | Spent the evening looking for a park which I never found – though I did get a good work out and found a different park where I enjoyed some spectacular views of the city.2015-07-28 Día de Soledad 43

7.30pm | Home to this panorama.2015-07-28 Día de Soledad 54

And I conclude that:

  • Although I love people, 12 hours alone flew by. I could do this again.
  • I didn’t really have much to say to God. He didn’t have much to say to me. And that’s okay. No awkward silences there.
  • I love my mum. A lot.

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