‘Awesome!’ exclaimed Josh, steering the scooter away from the café. We’d talked about the beach over breakfast. Josh was excited because the only beaches he had ever been to in his life were on the shores of Lake Michigan. This would be his first time swimming in an actual sea. Yes, really. I was excited about the beach because I am Australian and therefore it is part of my biological makeup.

We descended to the coast along winding roads, a little caravan of travellers. What a glorious day it was in the Greek Islands. Out of habit, I looked at my watch to check the time. Or rather I looked at where my watch would normally have been, but I hadn’t put it on that morning – deliberately.

Even though this may not seem like a big deal, it was to me. At home, I lived by my watch. I am one of those people who is never late – well almost never. I plan my activities, my workouts, my chores, and my classes down to the minute. I’m a bit of a freak, actually – a totally organised freak.

But as I was holding my watch, ready to put it on like I did every morning of my life, I took a moment to think through the previous days on the boat. I realised I had barely even looked at my watch the whole time – and when I did it was usually out of habit more than anything else.

I’d eaten when I was hungry, and I’d slept when I was tired. For the first time since I could remember, I didn’t need to know what time it was. So, I left it off.

Only days before, I had been a giant ball of stress, but with the warm air rushing past me, the sun on my upturned face, I recognised that sometime since I got on the boat, the tension had eased, then seeped away entirely. I was on holiday, and it felt amazing.

We pulled up at the beach and parked in a small, but busy car park. It was not the most beautiful beach I’d ever seen. Australia does beaches pretty well and this beach, with its grey sand and murky water, would not rate highly back home. But as I’d just said to myself, I was on holiday. I was also somewhere new – a new place to experience, to soak in – and when I thought about it in those terms, the beach was fine.

There were several buildings close by, including a rudimentary bathroom, where Gerry, Hannah and I went to change into our swimsuits. Marie declined to join us, and I would soon find out she’d made the smartest decision.