By Stamatina Notaras
We all have wants and desires that feel just out of reach. Not because we can’t achieve them, but because of that little voice in our head that gets louder and louder, telling us that “Life isn’t a holiday,” and “It’s not like the movies.”
Paired with the societal pressure of what growing upis supposed to look like, it’s the perfect storm for anyone who’s even slightly considering taking a big leap to retreat back into their comfort zone – where their favourite coffee shop is around the corner, and their friends and family within arm’s reach.
I urge anyone standing at the precipice to ask themselves this: If you could will your dream life into existence, what would it be?
While the Eat, Pray, Love phenomenon is probably not lost on you, with a wild-haired Julia Roberts roaming around Italy undoubtedly springing to mind, the essence of this journey comes in many forms. For some, the pull for adventure is loud and urgent. For others, it’s more subtle, creeping in at the fresh-faced age of 25, in a suburban home somewhere in Sydney. For Anthi Preketes, it was the latter.
Now calling Greece home for just over a year, Anthi is living her best life yet. She packed her life into a single suitcase (weighing just 25kg), grabbed a one-way ticket, and set off with her hopes and dreams in front of her – her return date, TBC (to be confirmed).
“In my head when I left, I didn’t really think of it as moving to Greece. I had no idea what to expect,” she says.
While Julia’s ah-ha moment came through a turbulent divorce from her husband of 10 years, Anthi’s was a bit less dramatic.
“There wasn’t a specific moment that led to my decision… something was pulling me towards Greece. As I’ve matured, I’ve become more interested in discovering more about my heritage and my culture,” she explains.
Contrary to my 20-year-old self’s own experience – landing in London eight years ago and thinking, “What the hell have I done?” – Anthi’s touchdown on Greek soil felt nothing short of a match made in heaven (literally).
“It was a crazy feeling, but when I first arrived in Athens, I felt I belonged. I think this has become a self-discovery journey without that being my intention,” she says.
Anthi only validated my assumptions that if there are two certainties about Greeks, it’s this: they cannot hide their emotions, (even if they try really, really hard), they’re always late – even when they’re early – and they will never let life get in the way of having a good time.
“Something I learned when moving to Greece is that the lifestyle and mindset here are so different. In Australia, you live to work. In Greece? You only work so you can live,” Anthi says.
Where Egypt has its pyramids and Paris has the Eiffel Tower, in Greece it’s all about the freddo espresso, island hopping, and filling woven bags with fresh market produce.
If you haven’t yet scrolled Anthi’s TikTok – AKA, her “visual diary” – let me give you a peek into an average weekend. It starts with an ice-cold freddo espresso and a koulouri, followed by a stroll through the market. Then it’s off to a nearby island by ferry, and bouzoukia night to finish.
To wrap things up, I asked Anthi for her top tips on moving abroad.
“Patience is very important, sometimes you have to put yourself in uncomfortable situations to connect with people, and Bumble BFF is a lifesaver when it comes to finding new friends,” she says.
