As anyone who has ever tried to complete a writing project during term can attest to, creativity while at Cambridge is not an easy feat. The eternity of the summer holidays provides a perfect opportunity to examine if the time and space away from academic pursuits encourages imagination, or just inhibits it further. What better way to test this theory than on a boat sailing through the Mediterranean Sea, enjoying Greek destinations that the Mamma Mia cast would proudly call home?

Initial flight cancelled (thank you Microsoft), we trekked home from Gatwick, but, with a rebooked flight and early wake-up call for round two, I was still feeling optimistic about my creative output for the week ahead. Sitting in the airport, I set out some plans: read more, write more poetry, and start some work on my dissertation for next term. How hard could it be when luxuriating in opulent blue waters, with no obstacles but my own mind?

“I had hoped to simply muse and ponder as though I were Ernest Hemingway – I was proven wrong”

Unfortunately, my own mind did prove to be a barrier. Very quickly, it became clear that thinking about writing is not actually a sufficient means of getting words on the page. For the first few days I struggled to do much at all other than get to grips with the actual sailing. As a total beginner, my original plans turned out to be slightly idealistic. I severely underestimated the amount of time and effort sailing would actually take; a five-hour voyage meant all hands on deck, without time for a notebook or a pen. I had hoped to simply muse and ponder as though I were Ernest Hemingway – I was proven wrong.

However, we got into the swing of things and my ability to think beyond port and starboard expanded. Basking in the 30 degree heat, trying my best to soak up the UV 10, I opened my first (and, spoiler alert, only) book of the holiday. Aptly named, it was Summer by Ali Smith. The discussion of climate change resonated while roasting in the extremity of heat. There was only so much my frail British skin could handle, so I resigned myself to the shade, delving further into Smith’s words. The parallels between the fictitious family and my own became evident, particularly while being stranded at sea with them. As the final novel in her four-part Seasonal Quartet, I felt a harmony about the fact I had read the other three novels, Autumn, Winter and Spring during the seasons they were set in. The idleness of her characters in the balmy heat somehow legitimised my own actions as the week continued.

“The idleness of her characters in the balmy heat somehow legitimised my own actions as the week continued”

Feeling validated, the following few days were spent working on my tan and listening to BRAT, which is surely just as productive as researching Ted Hughes for my dissertation. Right? Day after day went by without writing a single word, but I began to relax into the idea. After such a hectic first year, I finally granted myself permission to fully unwind; the beauty of the Greek sea and landscape provided the perfect backdrop to rest and recharge.

The conclusions this trip offered me were entirely different to what I had envisioned. Just as our flight had been cancelled, so were my ambitious plans. Somehow though, I don’t feel guilty – not at all. As famously chronic over-achievers, I think that Cambridge students struggle to stop and take a moment. There’s a constant pressure, even when prying supervisors and tiresome lectures are entirely absent, to be doing something. Whether that’s committing to writing a full poetry collection in two months, or just promising yourself to finish that book, we need to be more forgiving of ourselves when we don’t complete the tasks we set out to. My creative juices were not flowing last week, and that’s okay. In fact, allowing myself to relax will enable me to write far better things in the future. Sometimes, as crazy as it sounds, what is important is not just to repeatedly churn out words, but to pause and recharge – and for that, I can definitely recommend the Mediterranean sea.