Have you heard of Beatriz Flamini? She’s the incredible woman who spent 500 days in a cave alone—completely isolated from the outside world. No news, no social media, no breaking headlines about the latest drama. Just her, her books, and the quiet company of her thoughts. And here’s the kicker: she was happy in the cave.

When I heard about her on a podcast (the delightful No Such Thing as a Fish which I discovered as I was curating my podcasts – a story for another day), and I read about her story, I couldn’t help but chuckle at the parallels to my own News Hermit journey. While I’m not exactly living in a cave (let’s be honest, I’m still surrounded by coffee, Wi-Fi, and a very vocal Alexa), the spirit of stepping back from the noise is the same. Beatriz removed herself from society completely; I’m just removing myself from the 24/7 news cycle. She had 500 days of solitude; I’ve gone about a week without constant headlines and already feel like I’m emerging into a world that’s changed overnight.

But the takeaway from Beatriz’s story isn’t her isolation—it’s her happiness. She found contentment in quiet, in disconnecting from the noise of the outside world and embracing a slower, simpler rhythm of life. That’s exactly what I’m hoping to achieve with my News Hermit approach: less noise, more focus on what truly matters.

Unlike Beatriz, I still poke my head out of my “news cave” from time to time—sometimes to an overwhelming barrage of headlines. But her story reminds me that it’s okay to carve out your own space of peace and quiet. Whether it’s a literal cave or just a break from endless news feeds, the important thing is finding balance and joy in how you engage with the world.

Here’s to being a connected hermit—and maybe channeling a little of Beatriz’s cave-dwelling contentment along the way.