There is something about summer that invites us to change our rhythm.

For many of us who work hard and carry significant responsibility, slowing down does not always come naturally. I am used to long working days, full inboxes, difficult decisions and the constant mental movement that comes with running businesses. The winters where I live are also long, and by the time summer arrives, I often feel the need not simply for a holiday, but for a genuine reset.

For me, that reset is Rhodes.

Rhodes is one of the largest Greek islands, located in the southeastern Aegean Sea. It is known for its long coastline, warm climate and many layers of history. The island was once home to the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, while its medieval Old Town remains one of the best-preserved fortified cities in Europe. Walking through its stone streets, surrounded by Byzantine, Ottoman, Italian and medieval influences, feels like moving through different chapters of history at once.

But the Rhodes I return to is not only the Rhodes of guidebooks.

It is the Rhodes of familiar smells, tastes, sounds, landscapes, people, places and memories.

It is coffee enjoyed slowly while countless shades of blue unfold in front of me and the scent of pine trees fills the air. It is fresh vegetables and locally caught grilled fish shared with my family in an unassuming taverna in a nearby village. It is walking barefoot across warm stone tiles, tasting sea salt after swimming in crystal-clear water and taking a midday siesta to the sound of cicadas before waking refreshed for the afternoon. It is gathering with friends and family and being fully present in conversations without checking the time or feeling the need to rush elsewhere. It is hearing children play in the village square while local people sit nearby, talking and laughing. It is spending late evenings beneath a sky full of stars and, when you are fortunate, watching a full moon rise in changing shades of gold and orange.

It is the rhythm of local life: swimming, eating, resting, meeting people, sitting outside and allowing the day to unfold.

These details may appear ordinary, but for me they bring the past closer. Rhodes is home because I grew up here from the age of eight. Now, creating memories with my children in the same landscape that shaped so many of my own feels like passing something meaningful on to the next generation—a truly valuable inheritance.

The place where I stay is also deeply personal to me. Built by hand by my father over approximately thirty years, it is now home to ten guest rooms welcoming visitors to the island. It represents decades of imagination, determination, problem-solving and hard work.

My father has always been the entrepreneur and creative force in our family. He is the person I credit most for my own drive to build businesses, think independently and find innovative ways through challenges.

Watching him create something gradually, often with his own hands (literally!), taught me that meaningful work rarely appears fully formed. It is built slowly, through persistence, resourcefulness and the willingness to keep improving an idea over time.

I often reflect on this during my own journey of establishing and running My Triage Network. The businesses may be very different, but the underlying qualities are familiar: seeing possibilities, building something from the ground up, and continuing to refine it over time not because it is lacking, but because we find the process both intellectually and creatively challenging.

Of course, I did not stop working completely while I was away. People still needed my help to connect with the right mental health professionals, and I remained available to support them.

But I slowed down considerably and found my balance. I was able to restore myself without disconnecting entirely.

For me, Rhodes offers almost everything one could want and the freedom to shape the experience according to what one needs.

It offers beautiful beaches, exceptional food, warm and welcoming people and a remarkable history. But it also offers something less visible: the opportunity to reconnect with a slower rhythm and with parts of ourselves that everyday life can push into the background.

I would love to share Rhodes and my experience of the island with you.

My sister, who manages Elefteria Apts & Suites in Kolymbia, has kindly agreed to offer something special to readers of this blog. When emailing her at info@apartmentselefteria.com, mention the code MTNholidays2026, and she will personally look after you.

Rhodes may not mean to you what it means to me. But perhaps it can offer you something we all need from time to time: the opportunity to step away from everything familiar, enter a different world and return feeling more rested, present and restored.