Blue Zone Paradise in Ikaria
We did it! A place of our own on Ikaria for everyone who truly wants to experience life in a Blue Zone.
Ikaria has always been a special place for us. I (Mr. Blue Zone) arrived the first time twenty years old, searching for myself and my future with nothing more than a few uncovered Eurochecks. After six weeks in a bamboo hut on the beach of Evdilos—an unforgettable coming-of-age experience—I returned to the Netherlands a different person.
Mrs. Blue Zone was on Ikaria with her mother and brother around the same time. After a three-day trip on the “Magic Bus” and an overnight boat trip on the “Icarus,” they disembarked too early, on their way to Patmos, further afield. At first, Ikaria seemed boring. Nothing really happened. But when the next boat arrived four days later, they didn’t want to go anymore. Mrs. Blue Zone, too, had fallen in love with this magical place where time seems to stand still.
When we met each other again ten years ago (we knew each other from high school), our shared fascination with Ikaria was a recurring topic of conversation. It was natural to return together, in recent years with our vintage 1980s campervan. Our shared love for Ikaria also led us to delve deeper into the Blue Zones, and thus to the birth our company, Mr. & Mrs. Blue Zone.
A year ago, while painting our campervan in Ikaria, we happened to meet two hotel owners who were interested in taking a look and invited us to see their hotel. We quickly discovered that there was a lot of overdue maintenance, and without any form of digital marketing, things weren’t going to well. Our offer to renovate the hotel and rent it for the coming years was therefore welcomed with open arms.
The five hotel rooms are now a spacious and simple apartment, right in the lively center of Evdilos, the heart of Ikaria. It has two bedrooms, a study, a dining room, and a living room, lovingly furnished, making maximum use of the old furniture that was already there. The beach, numerous restaurants, bars, and a small supermarket are within walking distance. It’s also convenient that you can walk there by boat upon arrival.
It’s a new chapter in our adventure as Mr. & Mrs. Blue Zone, and we’re proud of what we’ve created with so much love. If you’re interested in staying there or organizing something related to (mental) health and/or personal growth, please feel free to contact us. Don’t expect jungle showers, king-size beds, or air conditioning. Instead, you’ll find a loving place in the heart of Blue Zone Ikaria to heal, connect, and above all, enjoy, alone or together!
Lunch & Learn Session at Fluor Corporation
Today, we were guests at Fluor Corporation, a global engineering and construction firm, to conduct a Lunch & Learn session on vitality and the Blue Zones. Over thirty employees enjoyed a lunch featuring various healthy and vegetarian dishes from the Blue Zones that were not only delicious but also visually stunning. A big compliment to the catering team.
In an hour, we shared insights inspired by the Blue Zones on how to work and live vitally, showed film clips, and engaged in discussions with the employees about our vitality insights. We found it incredibly inspiring to see people from diverse backgrounds participating (Fluor employs people from over 60 different cultural backgrounds). For instance, we learned that in Korea, it is quite common for office lights to be turned off for an hour in the afternoon to allow employees to nap at their desks. Similarly, in Kuwait, it is customary to take a nap at your desk after lunch.
Interested in a Lunch & Learn session? Feel free to contact us to discuss the possibility of organizing one for your organization.
Framework Agreement with the Dutch Tax Office
After conducting a series of workshops and lectures on the Blue Zones and vitality, we have signed a framework agreement with the Dutch Tax Office. We will now partner in enhancing vitality and increasing job satisfaction for the over 25,000 employees for whom we have yet to conduct a workshop. What a fantastic challenge!
Mr. & Mrs. Blue Zone at the Dutch Child Protection Board’s Inspiration Festival
This week, we were guests at the Dutch Child Protection Board’s Inspiration Festival. In addition to workshops on juvenile law and child protection, the organization also focused on the vitality and sustainable employability of its employees.
This focus is not without reason. Like many other organizations, the Dutch Child Protection Board faces high absenteeism. Employees deal with intense (family) issues, face high workloads, and show great commitment. While this dedication benefits the vulnerable children they support daily, it can also lead to stress and long-term absenteeism.
We were genuinely honored and grateful to be asked to contribute to the prevention of absenteeism and the promotion of vitality and sustainable employability with our six vitality insights. The demand was evident from the fact that our interactive lecture was fully booked first. We were thus joined by over 100 employees of the Dutch Child Protection Board (as they call themselves) in the charming Railway Museum.
It proved quite a challenge to cover all six vitality insights within the hour we had. We love discussing these topics, but the short reflections that are part of the lecture led to so much discussion among participants that we had to continually pause these engaging conversations. Fortunately, we have already received the first two invitations from teams to explore these themes further with our Blue Zones in the Workplace workshop. Stay tuned!