I became friends with a stranger on vacation. Despite living on separate continents, we're still close 5 years later.

• I met Jon at a health retreat in Thailand in 2020, and we're still good friends years later. • We stayed connected through pandemic lockdowns with regular Zoom calls and fitness challenges. • I've visited him on work trips, and I see him more than some of my friends who live nearby.

A Scottish teacher and an Australian writer meeting in an ice bath in Thailand sounds like the setup for a bad joke. However, it's a real-life moment that sparked a friendship that's lasted five years and crossed two continents.

In February 2020, I arrived at a health retreat in Phuket feeling exhausted and stressed. On the first morning, I stood staring at the activity board, completely overwhelmed.

Jon, a Scottish teacher living in Dubai, saw me hovering there and introduced himself. He asked why I w