It took longer than planned (because of course my flights were delayed which meant I missed my connection which meant I had to get completely rebooked and rerouted) but I arrived in Greece and am a few days into my 2-week writing retreat on the lovely island of Crete.

After a first rough night – I arrived after midnight and couldn’t sleep, due mostly to the time change and jet lag, but also because some revelers decided to sing Bohemian Rhapsody at the top of their lungs around 2:30am. To be fair, that song demands to be scream-sung and it’s my delivery too, but at 2:30am, after more than 12 hours of travel, I just wanted blissful, quiet sleep.

But by the next night I was fully settled in at Dalabelos Estate, the gorgeous property that would be my home for the next two weeks.

I’ve always been a morning person, preferring to be in bed sometime around 10pm because regardless of how late I stay up, I almost always wake around 6am. And if I’m waking at 6am I prefer to get 8 hours of sleep, hence the 10pm bedtime. Just a few days into my Greece adventure I’ve settled into a routine and am maintaining my usual bedtime and waking hours. 6am is early, but it means I’ve caught the sunrise each morning from my balcony and there’s something rather magical about drinking coffee and journaling as dawn breaks.

I’ve also gotten into the habit of eating dinner on my balcony while the sun sets and that too is pretty great:

I’ve been writing (and reading) a lot in just the few days I’ve been here. I’m writing the last poems that will be incorporated into my next book (forthcoming from Write Bloody in March 2023), I’m writing poems that will become book #4 (oh yes, already working on it!), I’m writing poems based on prompts, based on my surroundings, based on the gorgeous sunrises and sunsets I’m watching each day.

I was hesitant to travel – the pandemic is still here and thriving (and will never completely go away, keep wearing your masks people!), flights are being cancelled every day, and I’ll be honest – this is an expensive trip. But I’m so grateful I decided to come because I’m writing, I’m relaxing, I’m using this time to recharge.

So here’s to Greece, to the poems that will come out of this trip, to enjoying every sunrise and sunset I catch while I’m here.