TRAVEL DIARIES
With Joanna Halpin
A return to Greece has become something of a summer ritual for Joanna Halpin. With a carefully packed suitcase and a preference for the familiar, she quickly settles into the rhythm of island life - swims before breakfast, an espresso by the sea, and the simple comfort of stocking the kitchen before anything else. Below, Jo shares a glimpse into her days spent abroad in Hydra, the place she’ll call home for the next few months.
What's the first thing you do when arriving somewhere new?
I love to do a grocery shop when I arrive somewhere new, there is something I find so grounding about the process and then knowing I have food, tea and the essentials where I’m staying. I like to do this when I am travelling and also when I'm returning home after a trip. And being a coffee addict I always like to find the best local coffee spot.
How do you prefer to begin and end a day while traveling?
With a drink, a coffee in the morning, a herbal tea at night — and depending where I am, I love a first thing in morning and a late afternoon, early evening swim.
How does your approach to dressing shift when you're away?
I like to try and pack as little and light as possible, I always gravitate towards the same few pieces (which is actually the same in my everyday dressing too).
What are your in-flight essentials?
Biggest bottle of water I can find, hydration salts, Lesse ritual serum, eye mask.
What's in your suitcase for this trip?
The usual suspects - clothes, shoes, toiletries, camera, supplements, and then a few personal essentials I always travel with - I recently wrote a substack on these five special essentials that will always be in my away bag, linked here.
Do you have any travel rituals that have stayed with you over the years?
I am a creature of habit and often like to return to the same familiar places, so maybe I have a yearly ritual of returning to Greece for long summers.
