After a week of holiday in Greece As you drink Freddo espressos in small cafes, linger for hours at taverna dinners, and watch locals enjoy a seemingly laid-back lifestyle, you might wonder: Could I live here?
This happened to me too. I grew up in Boston, but fell in love with Athens the first time I visited. I would quit my job to travel for a year – and I liked Greece so much that I moved here after that year.
I became a resident in 2022, and I bought an apartment here a few years later. I love my life in Athens, but I have learned that the reality of a slow life is very different from the fantasy.
So many things are closed in early August
In my neighborhood in central Athens, almost all shops and most cafes and restaurants are closed for at least two weeks in August, as Athenians flock to islands and villages to enjoy their free time.
For many Americans, the idea of taking at least two consecutive weeks off sounds romantic. I can understand the call; I had never been able to tolerate so much vacation time while living in the US.
But when so many people are on holiday at the same time, life can become difficult. I have to tackle all bureaucratic tasks well in advance, plan my errands carefully, and deal with longer wait times on public transportation due to the shorter summer schedules.
Of course, this isn’t the case for absolutely everyone. I know people in the tourism industry who work fourteen hours a day during the summer months – another downside of living here, and a reminder that not everyone can enjoy the benefits of ‘slow living’.
Slow weekends are wonderful, but require planning
Sometimes I miss being able to go grocery shopping on Sunday mornings. Kathleen O’Donnell
My weekends in Greece look very different than in America. On Sundays, most supermarkets, shops and even major international retailers in my area are closed. Many smaller stores near me also close early on Saturdays.
The hustle and bustle it takes to get everything done after a long work week is real. I rarely lie in bed and slowly drink a cup of coffee on Saturday mornings.
Don’t get me wrong: I’m glad there is a day when almost everyone is free. I love that Sunday in Greece is a day to meet friends and family and relax, not to go shopping.
But every now and then I miss the convenience of being able to shop on Sundays.
‘Tomorrow’ doesn’t always mean tomorrow
From dealing with contractors for my apartment renovation to delivery services, I’ve learned that when someone here tells you they’ll come “ávrio” or “tomorrow,” that’s not a promise of a fixed date.
Usually it means “later”: maybe tomorrow, when all the stars align, or in a few days, a week, or sometime before summer is over. “Tomorrow” is often followed by “it depends” and a shrug.
That kind of flexibility is great when it’s on your terms, but when you have to wait days for an electrician to install functional lighting in your new apartment, it can be frustrating.
This was a big adjustment from living in Boston, where “tomorrow” usually meant the next day.
Still, there are things I like about my pace of life here
Slow living has its disadvantages, but also advantages. Kathleen O’Donnell
While there are parts of my lifestyle here that don’t feel ideal, I enjoy it immensely living in Greece.
I like that my friends here make spontaneous, day-long plans to meet for coffee, instead of registering a month in advance. I love nothing more than a four-hour dinner on a warm summer evening, where the waiter never challenges us, or spending all Sunday on the beach just reading a book.
However, the fantasy of a completely slow life in the Mediterranean is just that: a fantasy. What is heavenly on holiday can be very different when you build a life here.
