A state of emergency has been declred in Santorini, a volcanic island and popular tourist destination in Greece, as an 'earthquake swarm' that began earlier this month continues.
03.02.2025 - 21:05 / cntraveler.com
The first wild swimming retreat I did was in Cornwall. It was back in 2020 when swim stays were not quite the phenomenon they are now. Once we’d settled in, the first thing we did was go around and share why we were there. I was immediately moved by the openness of the other guests. Responses varied from burnout and heartbreak to redundancy, grief, or simply needing a rest. It seemed that everyone had arrived at a crossroads in their life or—more likely—a desire for there to be a crossroads. Although the catalyst for attending a week-long swimming trip was different for each of us, we were united in being ready for change and hopeful for connection. We were all looking for an opportunity to take a different path, and what better way to take that first step than leaping into the water? It’s a perfect metaphor, really—diving, plunging, cleansing.
When we’re waterside, we’re far from our usual uniforms of clothing, profession, and status. This is a big part of what allows such a beautiful in-person connection—there’s no hiding. We’re stripped back, both literally and metaphorically. I was in the depths of grief at its most painful stage and, up to that point, had mostly hidden my emotions beneath the surface. But there was something freeing about the quiet, contemplative nature of the retreat. It meant I had the time and space to open up, be more honest about what I was going through, and embrace the freedom to talk and cultivate genuine connections with those around me instead of shutting down and keeping my thoughts and feelings inside. Within moments, I immediately formed a connection with a fellow swimmer—an experience I can only truly describe as love at first sight. Across the rest of the retreat, we became fast friends.
A retreat group paddleboarding at Another Place, The Lake
After this first retreat, we started going on more and more swimming trips together. These adventures sparked my decision to swim in every tidal pool in Britain—which, in turn, became the focus for my first book, a story of swimming and sisterhood titled The Tidal Year.
Searching for this kind of genuine companionship can be tough in an increasingly online world where many of us feel lonelier than ever. There’s a growing cynicism surrounding online connections. Going back to basics and making friends through shared interests and activity-based events can be a great way to meet people—as shown by the increased interest in running clubs as a replacement for dating apps. Water is a wonderful way to meet people—swimming is good exercise, often done in the great outdoors, and there’s the allure of a warming cup of tea and slice of cake afterwards.
Swimming is one of the only sports where women outperform men. Studies have shown
A state of emergency has been declred in Santorini, a volcanic island and popular tourist destination in Greece, as an 'earthquake swarm' that began earlier this month continues.
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Multiple earthquakes are rattling Santorini, a volcanic island in Greece, prompting authorities to dispatch rescuers with tents, a sniffer dog and drones, and to shut schools on four islands.
Eight months after my 30th birthday, I realized that I did, in fact, want children. In my 20s, I was never really sure. I thought of it as a kind of eventuality, something I’d get to once my life no longer revolved around friends and travel and chasing the next story. Something for the next, much more grown-up phase of my life. Then I learned that the choice might not be mine to make. My egg reserve levels were teetering on the edge of “critically low” and all signs pointed towards early menopause, a condition I now know runs in my family.
Multiple earthquakes are rattling Santorini, a volcanic island in Greece, prompting authorities to dispatch rescuers with tents, a sniffer dog and drones, and to shut schools on four islands.
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