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Writer's retreat

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This is a chapter from my latest book called Breezes of Tobago.

I sit on the veranda drinking passion fruit juice. My laptop in front of me. I have reached chapter six of my latest book. Tobago is a great escape to get some writing done. The atmosphere gives you room for thought and being creative. I have about ten ideas for future chapters. I love that I can create memories with my writing. I love that I can express myself. Writing gives me the freedom to be creative. My friend Chatty tells me that my love for beauty and freedom fits the island perfectly. This feels like one of those books I will look back on and say, this is where I was becoming more myself.

My friend Chatty tells me that my experience as a writer reminds him of this Maya Angelou quote, "You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have." This quote highlights how my time in Tobago — breathing, thinking, exploring, writing, and simply being creative — is not draining my creativity but invigorating it. It underscores the sense of abundance I feel right now: ideas growing, the book unfolding, and freedom blooming on the page. Tobago itself is full of abundance. You can spend a lifetime exploring Tobago and still not experience all of Tobago.

A small bird (looks like a Bananaquit) lands on my table and is attracted to the crumbs of cake I have left on my plate. Birds are writers. Birds are writers of melodies from God. I wonder what he has to say about our beautiful Tobago? The bird tilts its head, as if to say, "Tobago is a story waiting to be told. Every breeze, every leaf, every wave has a sentence hidden in it. Writing is like flying—sometimes you glide, sometimes you flap, but always you trace your own path across the sky." It hops closer and continues, "Listen closely. The island whispers ideas to those who are still enough to hear. Let your keyboard follow the rhythm of the wind, and your words will carry the song of Tobago." The bird departs and a strong breeze blows through the wind chimes creating a melody that echoes the bird's message.
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