In May 2023, on a regional train from Naples to Pompeii, I was reading a memoir by an American woman. She'd moved to Naples for an internship, met the love of her life, and, despite regularly indulging in ragù and sfogliatella (a sweet pastry), had somehow lost 20 pounds. Lucky her, I thought with admiration and slight envy.

I, on the other hand, felt exhausted. I had dark circles under my eyes from working myself to the bone across time zones, my skin dulled from endless hours staring at a screen. I was supposed to be on vacation but my phone kept buzzing with messages pulling me into yet another crisis the company was involved in.