Wellness

I Almost Didn't Go.

By Priya Nair

June 18, 2026

Priya Nair is an Ottawa-based editorial photographer and freelance creative. This is her first contribution to Élan. Photo Credit : Priya Nair - Kashagawigamog Lake

The auto-reply sat in my drafts for three days before I turned it on. Taking Thursday and Friday. Back Monday. Non-urgent messages will wait. Twenty-two words. It took me three days to commit to twenty-two words because somewhere between the deadlines and the client calls and the particular tyranny of a notification that arrives at 11pm on a Tuesday, I had forgotten that I was allowed to leave. A…