When I Finally Said Yes to Myself

There was a time when “self-care” felt like a luxury I didn’t deserve.

As a full-time Medical Laboratory Technologist, a mother, and a woman quietly building a soul-led business from the kitchen table, there was always something more urgent—more demanding—than me.

With my husband often away for long periods—sometimes months at a time—I carry a lot on my own. Some days, it feels like I’m doing it all solo. But one day, standing at my breaking point, I did something radical. I booked a trip to Portugal.

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The Shift Begins

It didn’t come easy. Guilt whispered all the reasons I shouldn’t go: the kids need me, there’s work to do, there’s money to save.

But somewhere deeper, a voice rose that said:

You’ve given everyone else so much. It’s time to pour back into you.

So I packed a suitcase full of doubt and hope—and left.

And let me tell you:

I became a different woman under the Lisbon sun.

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Portugal Was My Third Annual Trip

In Portugal, I woke up slow. I tasted my food. I wandered without rushing, letting the Atlantic breeze and pastel tiles remind me that beauty isn’t earned through exhaustion—it’s received through presence. I journaled. I exhaled. I heard my own voice again.

This trip is actually my third annual self-care journey.

• It all started with Paris—my first ever trip just for me.

• Then came Italy—where I slowed down enough to feel again.

And this year, Portugal has been a chapter of softness and strength.

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The Power of Tribe

I never travel alone.

Each of these self-care journeys has been shared with a long-time, trusted friend. She’s not a mom herself, but she supports me deeply. She gives me space to rest, reflect, and laugh until my shoulders drop.

Last year, in Italy, my sister-in-law joined us. A devoted mom to a beautiful autistic daughter, she never thought she could leave—never thought she deserved to.

But look at her—she did it.

And she’s here with us again now, as we head to our next city, Lagos.

Seeing her choose herself reminds me why I do this.

I love spreading this self-care energy.

I love helping women put time into doing what they love—even when fear and guilt try to talk them out of it.

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This Is My Ritual Now

For the first time in years, I remembered what it felt like to be deeply cared for—by me.

That version of me—the one who walks slowly, breathes deeply, and treats herself with gentleness—is the woman I want to bring home.

Now, back in my life as a mother, a full-time MLT, and the founder of Oh Bee Positive, I carry her with me.

I light my own candles before pouring them for others.

I whisper affirmations over my meal prep.

I say no when my body begs for rest.

This journey hasn’t been easy, but it’s been worth it.

And I’m learning that self-care isn’t something you escape to—

It’s something you return to daily.

Portugal was my reset.

Now, my life is my ritual.