On an Impromptu Wellness Retreat in Athens, Redefining My Postpartum Identity

“Do you get to travel often in your job?” is a question that typically comes my way when I tell people where I work. Granted, I’m not jet-setting around the world every week, but yes, I do get to travel. I have two little children, so I like to keep my time away from them to a minimum—a night in Paris here, a quick trip to Venice there. These trips are typically to review hotels, so I have to be laser-focused on gaining as much information as I can—the nicest rooms to book, the drink to order, the type of traveler that goes there. I know how to spend my time efficiently, which photos I need to take, and which details are worth jotting down.

“I’d like you to set an intention for your visit.”

One of the sea-perched pools at Cape Sounio

Lauren Burvill

It’s a line that sends a jolt through me. After a tiring trudge through the crowded arrivals at Athens airport, I’m at Cape Sounio, a hotel within ancient archaeological grounds and overlooking the Temple of Poseidon. After a quick check-in, I’m whisked off in a golf cart to the hotel spa, where I meet Vicky Vlachonis, a wellness expert, osteopath, and author of The Body Doesn’t Lie.

I realize that stating the obvious—my intention is to review this hotel—would be too blunt. In my panic, I blurt “to reset.” It’s a word that I’ve felt bubbling up in me for a while now. I’m six months into a new role after maternity leave. I stopped breastfeeding three months ago. Life has been at such a rapid pace this year that both feel so far behind me. In my laser focus and never-ending list of life admin, I haven’t had time to address my weird toenail, let alone stop and reflect on the physical and emotional rollercoaster of being 18 months postpartum. Any time, however minuscule, when I should be meditating or journaling or checking in on myself (and that weird toenail), is spent collapsed in a heap with Bravo shows blaring in the background.