I work nine months of the year for a three-month holiday in Greece and Italy

Every time a European summer approaches and I can make it happen, you will find me in two places only: Greece and Italy. From my first visit in 2001 and every time I’ve visited since, they whisper to me upon arrival, “Welcome home, sis.” From the get-go, the people, food and beaches of these lands summoned a special kind of peace in me that allowed me to reset, downshift and recalibrate before going home to the hustle-bustle work life.

Jenna Holmes says the only way she can relax is to physically remove herself from her business by switching time zones.Credit: PENNY STEPHENS

When I thought about a word for each country, it was “love” for Italy and “kindness” for Greece. We have a thing, the Greeks, Italians and I. At a festival in Florence when I was 26, I remember looking around and being shocked that I would happily have slept with 89 per cent of the festival goers due to their attractiveness, compared with Australian festivals where my attraction levels peak at 0.34 per cent on the first day and go rapidly downhill after that.

For nine months of the year, I work with a maniacal zeal in exchange for three months of Greek and Italian sun-time: my idea of a life worth living, since the only way I can relax is to physically remove myself from my business by switching time zones. Since everyone is asleep on the other side of the world, I’m forced to take a vacay. My hyperactive-perfectionist-control-freak-workaholic-overthinking-mind-masking-my-struggles self takes a back seat and I enjoy some of my favourite things in one fantastic experience: reading a book on a beach in the sun, enjoying a bag of cold fresh fruit, sparkling water and a locally rolled spliff from my Airbnb host.

Each time I return to the Mediterranean way of life, I am revitalised. Somehow, with the same number of hours, its people enjoy an existence that puts connection, community, food and living life at its heart. Of course, the slower way comes with its own problems: younger generations aren’t keen to stay among quiet regions which have experienced their own socio-economic crises and pandemic struggles. I can imagine being a 16-year-old stuck in the Sardinian hills with no internet would really suck.

A faster-paced eye might suggest these areas should modernise and create efficiencies, but most Greeks and Italians believe: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Generally, this way of life works for them and they are in no hurry to adjust. You come to us, you live like us.

Every trip I make to these miracles on earth builds my belief that it’s possible to find the sweet spot between work and play, an existence where the enjoyment of living equals the work effort, and neither dominates. This lifestyle starts with a belief in abundance – the life of plenty – and the knowledge that more good stuff is just around the corner: a fresh bowl of gelato and afternoons by the ocean.

Every trip I make to these miracles on earth builds my belief that it’s possible to find the sweet spot between work and play.

JENNA HOLMES

Travelling to these countries will gift you an understanding of how food is a nourishing and pleasurable experience. Not in a dramatic, over-the-top way, but rather with simple flavours and minimal ingredients, eaten seasonally. You haven’t tried the perfect tomato until you’ve eaten one fresh from a Tuscan vine. Bet my life savings on it.

You’ll also gain an appreciation for the older members of the community: our wisest compadres. Both Greece and Italy have an unwavering respect and care for the elderly. It’s not a family’s job to care for their elders, but rather the entire community’s.

It’s a place where community, food and connection are intrinsically linked. People eat together: sharing food and plates, swapping produce, cooking for each other, leaving bags of zucchini tied to your front door. Through food, they love.

It’s a life less digital, too, and you’ll discover how wonderful and easy life remains without its interference. Reading a book on the beach is so much nicer when you cannot stream Netflix on your phone or scroll TikTok.

You’ll also gain an appreciation of your beach body, regardless of its shape or size. The love, adoration and acceptance of everybody on the beach is powerful. Why does wearing one particular bikini in Australia make me feel so uncomfortable and insecure, yet the same bikini worn on the Isle of Capri asserts a Beyoncé circa-2007 vibe? Because, regardless of what advertisers class as “beach ready”, every human body type is on the sand in Italy and Greece. No one denies themselves the enjoyment of swimming in the ocean. Nothing to see here!

It’s a culture and cohort who deliver an abundance of warmth, hospitality, openness and kindness. Of course, there are jerks everywhere – in Greece and Italy, too – but 99 per cent of the population is deeply wonderful and will foster a meaningful connection with you, if you are open to it.

So, do it! Book your ticket and make your way toward one of the most fulfilling life adventures available. The Greeks and Italians are a proud and stoic lot, with varying histories, subcultures, political intentions, food interests and arts distinguishing each region.

While awash with their own unique features, I can confirm that no matter where you place your feet here, you are guaranteed to leave more inspired than you were before you arrived. You will learn the ultimate dolce vita. The sweet life, waiting just for you. Molto bene – very good.

Edited extract from With Love, Chaos & Rigatoni: P Mami’s Guide to the Good Life (Penguin Random House) by Jenna Holmes, out now.

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