My Greek Adventure – Santorini Writing Retreat
I’ve just returned home from an amazing writing and travel experience. When other plans fell through, I signed up for the Deep Dive Novel Writing Retreat in Santorini, Greece, with Kelly Dwyer and Jonas Saul. Kelly is my writing mentor, and Jonas is a bestselling thriller writer. And I’m writing a novel, so why not?
Planning a solo trip to Greece
Flying to Greece from my little country town in Michigan felt indulgent, and flying solo felt intimidating. I booked my trip with Imagine Greece Retreats, which organized a week of writing and touring events. We had several live Zoom sessions and information sheets to help us prepare. Even so, I felt overwhelmed when planning my travel to Greece, especially when booking my flight and hotel in Athens, our retreat’s optional first stop. Greece uses military time, and dates are written day/month/year, so 03/10/26 meant October 3, 2026, not March 10, 2026. Small details, but ones to keep track of to avoid flight and hotel mistakes. I had a long to-do list, including getting euros, shopping for my trip, figuring out social customs, and traveling within Greece. I thought about that adage, getting things done one step at a time, and then everything seemed doable.
Athens before the retreat
In Athens, Jonas took us on a walking tour, which was super helpful. He also taught us a few Greek words. For example, “thank you” in Greek is “efharistó.” It sounds like “F-harry-stow.” And “bread” in Greek is “psomí,” which sounds like “show me.” The next day our group toured the Acropolis and visited the Acropolis Museum. I learned so much! Did you know that Athens is named after the goddess Athena because she beat Poseidon in a contest?
Every night our group met at Monastiraki Square and headed to dinner together. Greek food is amazing. For dinner, think of everything you might have eaten in a Greek restaurant, and more, especially fresh seafood. Greeks are very hospitable and often offered extra freebies at our table, including desserts, bread, and wine! Oh my! Our hotel in Santorini had amazing breakfast and dinner buffets. Every morning, we had Greek yogurt, feta cheese, fried eggs in olive oil, broiled vegetables, raw tomatoes and cucumbers, plus all kinds of pastries. Dinners included a variety of desserts, including baklava, puddings, and cake.
A group that became family
And at every meal, we had great conversations. I didn’t know it at first, but I was bonding with group members I would later think of as family. People from parts of the world that I had never experienced participated in our retreat. I learned about life in Puerto Rico, in Switzerland, and in Cuba. I met a Muslim woman living in New Jersey and learned about her experiences. I also met people who live not too far from my small town in Southern Michigan. Hopefully, I’ll see them again.
On our first night in Santorini, we sat on the patio by the pool and pulled cards from a bag representing Greek gods and goddesses. The card we drew became our muse for the week. I pulled Tyche, the Greek goddess of fortune and chance. She’s also known as a wild card that can spin a person into prosperity or disaster. She was an apt card for me, since I pivoted my travel plans after another opportunity I imagined would be better didn’t work out.
Inside the writing retreat
We spent most mornings in class with Jonas or Kelly, then spent afternoons on group tours or exploring the area on our own. After dinner, many of us sat on the patio talking. I’ve attended many writing conferences, and I can honestly say that the Deep Dive Novel Retreat gave me exactly what I needed as a writer. Jonas gave excellent lectures on revision and how writers can improve their novels at the sentence level. Kelly complemented his talks with in-class assignments and guides to help us build our stories. I especially liked thinking about what choices my characters make to create tension on the page.
I chatted with Rania Stone, novelist and co-owner of Imagine Greece Retreats with Jonas. Rania is the detail person behind many of our amazing events and dinners, and our total slice of heaven at the Santo Miramare Resort. Rania is a web and social media expert and gave me amazing tips, like including the hyperlinks you see in this essay.
Santorini: sea, sunsets, and volcanic land
I learned so much about Greek history, mythology, and current politics. On Santorini, I sat on a black sand beach and swam in the Aegean Sea. And did I mention the sunset at Oia? I can honestly say it’s the most beautiful sunset I’ve ever seen.
The landscape in Greece is different from my green, woodsy home. No grass in the yards and few trees to look at. Volcanic ash makes up most of the ground. In Santorini, we learned that watering plants is illegal. Grapes and tomatoes grow close to the ground and absorb humidity from the air. Tomatoes don’t get much bigger than a euro coin, which is why they taste so amazing. Of course, there are mountains everywhere you look. Nothing that I saw in Greece was flat. Homes are made of rock and volcanic stone because wood is scarce. They are often painted white with a paint that contains calcium crystals.
History is everywhere. In Santorini, we visited Akrotiri, a city destroyed by a volcanic eruption. Unlike Pompeii, the citizens escaped the impending eruption. Our tour guide was super knowledgeable, and I learned a lot. Archaeologists have excavated the site only since 1967, and they still have many layers of the town to discover.
Next year: Crete
Next year, the retreat will be held in Crete. Many people in my group already want to go. That says a lot about how well Imagine Greece Retreats set up our trip. And it also says something about the special mix of writers, some of whom brought family members along, who met to improve their skills and see a new part of the world. What’s my big takeaway? It’s good to get out of your comfort zone once in a while. As Kelly Dwyer said, “We could all be at home, sitting on our couch with our dog, reading a book.” But learning and growing often starts with a risk. Tyche was the right card for me. Taking an unplanned trip proved more rewarding than I could have imagined and turned out immensely better than my original plan. My time in Greece has changed the way I see myself, my writing, and the world.
The 2027 writing retreat in Crete will soon open.
