It is a beautiful and peaceful morning in Agadir, Morocco. I had woken up early and came for a stroll on the beach before breakfast.
Our hotel is situated right at the beach, so as I step out, I am immediately greeted by the vast and magnificent Atlantic Ocean. Beneath my feet, the golden sand feels slightly cold. It’s too early, the sun is just about to rise and it hasn’t had the chance to spread its warmth yet.
I take a deep breath, as I try to inhale the calm and quiet majesty that fills the air around me.
Seagulls are casually gliding through the sky, their gentle calls blending softly with the sound of the waves. Below them, faint traces of their tiny footprints dot the shore—scattered signatures on a canvas the sea had swept clean the night before.
It’s simply breathtaking.
I start walking along the shore, the soft sand giving way beneath my feet. And I’m not alone. Others walk beside me—some lost in their own thoughts, some chatting quietly with a friend. In the distance, silhouettes move slowly toward me, their steps leaving faint prints on the freshly smoothed sand. There’s a quiet sense of connection, as if we’re all part of the same gentle rhythm—the steady lull of the waves, the crisp breeze, the shared stillness of this coastal moment.
It feels almost as if I’m experiencing the beach for the very first time—completely captivated by its quiet majesty and natural grace.
But that’s not the case.
I’ve been to the beach many times before. I’ve been to the beach in Bulgaria, Fuerteventura, Dubai, Egypt. And they were all beautiful.
But something is different now. And it’s not the beach – It’s me. Mindfulness has changed me.
Every time I went to the beach before—or on any holiday, for that matter—I was so focused on ticking off every sightseeing spot, trying to squeeze the most out of each moment, that I never actually stopped to appreciate what was right in front of me. My mind was always racing. I was so busy stressing over the job I had left behind in London and the mountain of tasks waiting for me when I returned. Even while surrounded by beauty, my thoughts were miles away. It’s only now that I realise how little I truly allowed myself to be present—to slow down, breathe, and simply be.
And I can’t help but wonder—why did I do that? I’ve been to so many beautiful places… or have I? I’m not even sure anymore. I didn’t truly see most of them. I was physically present, but mentally elsewhere. And I know I’m not alone in this.
So many of us make the same mistake: we spend months planning the perfect holiday, counting down the days with excitement. But when we finally arrive, we spend the entire trip worrying—replaying things that already happened, stressing about things that haven’t, and might never, happen. Our bodies are in one place, but our minds are miles away—stuck in the past or racing ahead to the future. And in doing so, we miss the very moments we longed for.
Nevertheless, we always make sure to take pictures—lots of them—as if to prove to our friends, our family, and even to our future selves that we’ve been somewhere beautiful. But for me, today, the best reminder—the truest proof—will be the sweet memory of this experience, forever etched into my heart.
So next time you go on holiday, I invite you to be truly present. Let go of everything that’s been weighing on your mind back home, and don’t get caught up in what lies ahead—you don’t have control over either. What you do have is this moment, right here, right now. Take in the beauty around you. Breathe deeply, even just a few times, and allow yourself to be fully immersed. Because photos fade, some are lost in old hard drives or forgotten folders—but the memories we create when we’re fully present? Those stay with us forever.