We arrived in Greece the last week of June of 2021. It was a sad flight because we left family and friends behind but at the same time, it was also a familiar flight for us. Yianni, Sophia and I had done the exact same route before. Not only that, it was summer! We always travel to Greece in the summer, so it didn’t feel any different.
When we arrived in Greece, we traveled straight to our farmhouse which is where we always stayed in the past, not to mention yiayia (grandma) was here waiting for us. There was a lot of familiarity so it felt like we were just coming for summer vacation.
We lived in the farmhouse and enjoyed every minute of summer.
Life in the country was exactly what we needed it. Our winter in New York was a difficult one and relaxation was what we needed. We spent a lot of time with each other, we learned a lot about farm life, we enjoyed outdoor life, we ate fresh food every single day, we went to the beach, we walked in town, saw our family, went to our favorite and to new restaurants, went to concerts, and took many deep breaths of fresh air.
When September rolled around, we were still living in the farmhouse because the renovation in the city house was still not complete. This meant we got to enjoy the best of both the farm and the city. Nicholas started school September 1 so we traveled from the farmhouse to the city to drop him off and spent time in the city with Sophia finishing up anything for the house or simply spending time with her by going out for breakfast or shopping. Her first day of school was September 13 so by then were all already used to the twenty-five minute commute in the morning. The fact that there was never any cars in the highway was definitely a plus.
We officially moved into the city house in October. And by then we had a routine going and the kids were all enjoying school. Even though we were in the house, there were still minor things to be done so we either left the house to stay out of the worker’s way or stayed and unpacked boxes.
Also during this time, our lawyer was finishing up all our paperwork (especially mine for my residency) so we were also running around the city for appointments and things. All of that is finally complete so we can just enjoy and know that this is where we will stay.
The city house itself is located in a lovely neighborhood. Walking around you will see new renovated homes as well as original built ones that goes back over hundred years. There are also schools (Sophia’s school is literally half a block away), cafes, restaurants, bakeries, supermarkets, a soccer stadium, churches, more cafes, and the beach. It is a neighborhood that has many families with small children because this part of the city is mostly flat. It doesn’t have too many hills and that’s what parents look for - I can’t imagine pushing Nicholas on a stroller down or up a hill!
Life in Greece is completely different than in New York City. We don’t have the same stress we had while we lived there. Life here is a lot more calm and everyone enjoys each day (or I should say every hour) or their day. Greeks don’t rush anything (which can be negative at times) and they will always stop what they’re doing for a cup of coffee.
Many people can’t believe how well I adjusted to living in Greece. How can anyone not?! Greece is safe, it’s beautiful, has great weather, everyone is super welcoming and friendly, they have delicious and fresh food, and Greeks are always in a good mood.
I remember going to work or talking to anyone for that matter in NY and everyone (including myself) complaining how it was Monday, or the weather was horrible, or “I can’t believe it’s only Wednesday”…so much stress, all the time! Not in Greece. And I’m so thankful for that. I couldn’t take all the stress from NY and to be here in Greece without it is a gift - and probably what helped me adjust.
I must admit, small city life was the best change for our family.
Now that we live in the city house and all the construction has finished, we finally have a routine going.
We start our day at 7am.
We drop off the kids at school (Sophia goes in at 8:15am and Nicholas at 8:30am).
After dropping them off, Yianni and I do errands (supermarket, or farmer’s market, or go shopping for the house…).
Next we come home and we make lunch/dinner
And then it’s time to pick up Sophia from school at 1pm.
Nicholas stays in school till 3pm so I have time to help Sophia with her homework before picking him up.
In the afternoon, we do shower, dinner, (diffuse throughout the day!), the kids play, read books, or we watch a little bit of tv and then they're off to bed at 8pm.
Yianni and I work from home. So we basically work when the kids are at school but most of the time, we work after they go to bed at night. Since we work from home, we have more time with each other, we work whatever time we choose to, we have more time with our children (instead of spending time with them in the car during traffic like we used to), we work as many hours as we want, we work for ourselves, and because of all these changes in our lives, life feels light and so much more enjoyable.
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