The Feel Good Way

When you’re offered a free ride, you don’t check the engine — you just hop on and see where it takes you. And honestly? I’m all in. I stay open to new experiences and try to focus on the fun parts. Always, even on a cruise.

Today is hiking day. Finally! I’m craving some real movement. A way to shake off that lazy stiffness in my body. The excursion promises a “challenging hike,” so I feel hopeful.

But after just 30 minutes of walking along what they call an “uneven path” (read: unpaved but completely flat), we arrive at a small, quiet beach. We’re told we have an hour to swim.

And I just want to scream.

I want to hike! I want to move! I need to move! Thankfully, my husband feels the same way. He suggests we keep on walking — follow the trail around the island on our own. We let the guide know. She’s hesitant, understandably — responsibilities, insurance, all that — but we promise to be back in time and give her our number just in case. And off we go.

Best decision of the day.

The trail quickly narrows. We’re walking single file now, navigating uneven terrain with large and small rocks under our feet. The ground is red, like terracotta. Next to us, the water is turquoise and still — a perfectly protected bay, flat as a pond. The sky is cloudless and deeply blue. It always seems to be blue here, in Greece. In the dry season, it apparently never rains when it shouldn’t. Unlike many other places we know.

The only sounds are the crunch of our feet on stone and the rhythm of our breath. It’s not too hot, but the sun blazes, and soon we’re sweating. We climb. We descend. 

We arrive at a small ancient Christian basilica where we sit for a few moments, soaking in the view, the silence, the color, no words are necessary.

And then we hike back — arriving just in time to rejoin the group, who are now raving about their refreshing swim.

Before heading back to the ship, we wander through Agios Nikolaos, the quiet harbor town where we’re anchored. And we find Greek Yoghurt Ice Cream. It tastes like heaven. Maybe it’s the moment, or the place, or the salt in the air — but it hits differently. Like it always does on a perfect day.

And then comes the guilt.

Back on the ship, I feel the sugar kicking in. I know myself well enough to know I need to work out. I don’t do one, but two full sessions — back-to-back. Because… well, that ’s just me, right?

When I finally walk back to our room, my legs don’t exactly hurt — they just feel like they’ve gone missing. Numb, floaty, unresponsive. That’s when I realize: I’ve pushed too hard. After days of laziness, I’ve gone into full overcompensation mode.

Classic behavior when you have a defined Heart Center in Human Design: you just keep going, even when your body nicely asks you to stop.

So I need to do something to recalibrate. Sort of.

I head for the jacuzzi on the back deck — the one no one ever uses. The quiet one, that now has the view over the town. I pop in my earphones, slide into the hot water, and sink into bliss. The jets massage my tired legs. The golden hour light spills over the buildings. The water steams. The music plays. It’s perfect.

God went Crazy when he painted you
Ain’t seeing nothing like this before, mmm

I close my eyes and hit repeat on the song. And when I open them again… we’re moving.

The town drifts further and further away. White trails stretch behind the ship. We’re heading toward our next destination. And just as I’m smiling at the magic of it all…

My AirPod falls into the jacuzzi.

Because of course it does.

Photo taken with my cellphone
song God went crazy by Teddy Swims