'I am impressed the way you two were able to end your world back in the States and embrace expat life,' observed a new expat friend in Greece. He was pondering the pros and cons of 'leaving it all behind' for a life here.
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| Agios Nikolaos, our expanded world |
In recent months we've had similar conversations with a number of Americans who are contemplating a move from one world to another, specifically from the United States to Greece. While their questions are many and varied the one common uncertainty for them is leaving all that is known for all that is pretty much unknown. The heart might be saying 'take the leap' but the head is thinking of logistics and loss.
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| American expats who have expanded their worlds |
' What things do you miss? What do you enjoy? How do you fill our days? Are you glad you are here?' they ask us.
Their questions have made me stop and think about our world and how it seems to be working for us, and others we know, who've also decided to expand our worlds.
Letting Go, Not Leaving
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| As expats we are planted in two worlds |
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| Arrow points to Our Stone House on the Hill in very rural Greece |
We let go of a conventional suburban lifestyle in America's Pacific Northwest for one not quite so conventional in the rural Peloponnese, a half a world away. It takes a good two days to travel between our old and new worlds but I can assure those who ask, I feel very much a part of both.
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| Letting go, not leaving that old life meant storing memories |
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| Olive harvest ~a new adventure of this expat life |
We'd eased ourselves into this 'foot-in-two-worlds life' by saying we'd give the Greek adventure 'five years'. If it wasn't a fit, we'd return to the old life satisfied in knowing we had at least given it a try.
We said that when we bought the Greek house, now eight years ago. We said it again when we applied for our first residency permit five years ago. We've just begun the application process for another three-year residency.
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| Learning new ways of food shopping in our expanded world |
In moving to Greece, we haven't given up our US citizenship. Nor have we become Greek citizens. We have simply been granted a permit to live full-time in Greece. The first permit was for two years, then it can be renewed in three-year increments (if we continue to meet the requirements set forth by the Greek government.) We didn't opt for the much touted Golden Visa, which sets a 250,000-euro threshold for investment in Greek property in exchange for a five-year visa. And buying property is not a requirement of residency, many expats in our area rent their homes.
Note: This is different than the way our British friends apply and the length of their permits. . .so if you are researching permits make sure you are researching one that will apply to you.
The Expanded World
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| New friends in my expanded world |
My heart swells when I think of our new expanded world: all the friends we have made since moving to Greece, both expat and Greek. All the adventures, experiences and travels we've had. It contracts to think of all these wonderful experiences we'd have never had, and people we'd never have met had we stayed within the confines of that suburban US world.
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| Greek and expat friends celebrate Easter Saturday night |
We were asked the other day if we had much of an expat community where we live. And we certainly do! We are getting a total multicultural immersion as our expat friends hail from Britain, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Turkey and Singapore. . .just to name a few. And there are more than two dozen Americans now living in our little slice of Greece.
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| Expat Christmas lunch 2019 - multi-culture at its best |
I think one of the best Christmas's we've ever had was with a gathering of expats at a buffet lunch hosted by Swedish friends who live a short distance from us. Each expat brought a traditional holiday food from their country. What a fabulous and varied feast we enjoyed with a fabulous and varied bunch of people!
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| Expats in Mani from France, America and England |
In the big cities, like Athens and Thessaloniki, there are formal expat organizations designed to help expats meet other expats. Here we have no need for such things. All it takes is a few trips to the village for coffee or wine. Because here you always speak a greeting or nod to others at nearby tables. It doesn't take long for a bit of conversation to follow the next few times you see each other, and then, in many cases, a friendship isn't far behind.
The Old World
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| Keeping in touch with long-time friends - both sets have been to Mani |
The truth is that it takes a bit of effort to remain a part of our old world when we are 10 hours ahead of it. It takes some juggling and scheduling to communicate face-to-face or by phone. Written communication works 24/7.
We've learned that those friends and family who want to keep us a part of their worlds do and many of those folks have even come to Greece to see our world first-hand. Thankfully with Covid rules easing, we may have even more come visit!
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| Decades-long friendship going strong in both worlds |
The internet has made expanding our old world easier. While we are enjoying new friends here we still have strong ties with those we have known for years 'back there'. There is nothing better than finding an email filled with chit-chat in the inbox. Or a Messenger note that simply says, 'thinking of you' or comment on a FB post.
FB Messenger and Skype provide us the ability to make phone calls or video chats and we use them often. And I have to tell you that those conversations keep us a part of the old world - sometimes better than when we were living in it! |
| In Hawaii - now WhatsApp brings us face-to-face twice a month |
My Hawaii walking buddies (one from the U.S. and one from Canada) and I haven't been physically together for nearly three years, but thanks to WhatsApp we see each other for visits twice a month and have done so since our last walk together on O'ahu.
Now to keep from sounding like Pollyanna about this expat life, I need to admit that we've lost touch with some friends. And it can happen whether they live a few miles or a few thousand miles away. Some we will hear from infrequently. Others will tell us they 'think of us often'. And even that is better than being gone and forgotten!
When the Worlds Converge
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| New friends from the Seattle area help harvest our new world olives. |
Something we didn't expect was to be meeting new friends from the old world because of some Greek connection. Twice last year we had the pleasure of meeting and then becoming friends with people from Washington State whom we would never have met had we not moved to Greece.
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| We met in Manson and they visited us in our Greek world |
That's it from the expats living in The Stone House on the Hill for this time around. We hope this finds you enjoying your world and those who make it special. Welcome to our new subscribers and thanks to you all for the time you've spent with us today in our ever-expanding world. Hope to see you back again, soon!
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I would be concerned for the language barrier. Do the two of you speak much Greek? Do many in Greece speak good English?
ReplyDeleteWe speak one word Greek, certainly not full nor correctly phrased sentences but get by very well. Most of the world seems to be bi- or even multi-lingual when compared to those of us from the States. So no problem with communication!
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ReplyDeleteI always love reading about your expat experience!
ReplyDeleteA wonderful peek into expat life...thoughtful and insightful!
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