Both Definitions Apply

RETREAT (v): to recede from a position or state attained
                  (n): a period of group withdrawal 

Following the longest, most stressful month of May ever, I did indeed "retreat" for a week. While the calendar reads June, evening temps are still in the '40s, so I was lucky to find an affordable, comfortable AirBnB in the western portion of the White Mountain National Forest. My homestead in Benton NH, shared with a lovely lady named Marguerite, is just a half-mile down the road from the Black Mountain Trail, and 15 miles to the still quaint town of North Woodstock. A great pick! 

Besides pampering myself every morning with a book & a cup of coffee, I hiked and biked, picnicked at the summit and by the river, and did some travel planning. In just one week, enough sleep, lots of fresh air, good food, plenty of exercise, and mother nature transformed me from an exhausted, dysfunctional being to a strong, healthy one. Yesterday, I drove across NH and Maine, and I'm now starting my summer in New Brunswick. Je suis heureuse.