6 months Living in Crete, Greece | What is it like to live abroad
Вставка
- Опубліковано 8 лют 2024
- Join Rett & Katina on their extraordinary journey from the United States to the enchanting shores of Crete, Greece. Delve into the intricacies of expat life as they navigate the vibrant tapestry of Greek culture and embrace the challenges and joys of living abroad.
Embark on this odyssey as they share their candid experiences, from the initial hurdles of settling into expat living in Greece to the breathtaking encounters with the warm-hearted Greek locals. Witness their adventures unfold as they traverse the stunning landscapes of Greece, from the idyllic island of Corfu to the majestic Peloponnese region.
Experience the allure of Crete through their eyes as they immerse themselves in the charming towns of Chania, Loutro, Agios Nikolaos, and Rethymno. Discover the best and worst aspects of living in Greece as they candidly discuss the highs and lows of expat life.
From the bustling streets of Atlanta, Georgia, to the tranquil shores of Crete, join Rett & Katina as they share their captivating journey of moving to Greece and embracing the digital nomad lifestyle in one of the world's most enchanting destinations. Subscribe for more insights into expat life, travel adventures, and the beauty of living abroad.
Watch our UA-cam travel DocuSeries • Becoming Greek | Seaso...
Follow us on instagram / becoming_greek
Connect on Facebook / becoming.greek
#expatlife #MovingtoGreece #GreekIslandLiving #DigitalNomadLifestyle - Розваги
My wife and I visited Crete right after the pandemic restrictions were opened in Greece and absolutely fell in love with the island. We were outside of Hersonnisos and decided instantly we would eventually retire there. We visited Chania, but it was too busy, even during March, for us. I dream about getting a property to the eastern side of Crete in the next 5-10 years to retire to. The people are so sweet, helpful, and caring...and the hospitality we experienced was unmatched in Europe. We became friends with locals just by my wife going for a massage. The masseuse became a friend, her mother, their friends...it was crazy. I've never felt at home anywhere else. Great video.
Yes the hospitality in Greece is unmatched anywhere that I have been in the world 😀
@@becoming_greektry Morocco
We've long-term rented our first home in Crete (Mália). We now go visit Crete for a couple of months per year. We still have to work in our own country, but we now have the freedom to go whenever we like.
Just love Crete!
Congrats!
I just booked a one way ticket after watching this! Peace out ✌🏼
Really? From where?
I'm so on the fence!!! Need a work from home Australian job first 😅
Xania is gorgeous
I am retiring in 2028, and planning on moving to Crete. Worked in the US for over 40 years. I actually speak the language since I lived with my dad and brother in Athens as a teenager. Looking forward to meeting some EXPAT's. Ευχαριστώ για το video!
That’s amazing! Καλή τύχη
Hi guys! I just went through your channel and I really love it! We're Belgian expats living in Crete for 15 months now. We're living in the South, close to Moires. If you ever want to stop by one of these days and meet, just let me know! And if you ever miss American BBQ, I can fix that ;) ahahah !
That’s great to know! We’d love to meet up sometime. If you’d like to communicate better, message us on our instagram
So happy and excited for y’all! Love this! Also loved seeing the pics of Peggy and Cedric arriving! ❤️😄❤️
It’s so fun to watch your journey! Can you talk more about the struggles you mention? It would be helpful for those of us contemplating a move to Crete to know some of the more difficult aspects of Expat life. Thank you!
Thank you for following! We will definitely do a pro/cons list and talk as much as we can about things. So many of the struggles are just the unknown about the answers we do get to be able to stay. It’s hard to talk too deeply about because we don’t want to provide incorrect information and we constantly receive conflicting information from lawyers/ websites/ government officials/ etc and a big part of the problem is that rules constantly change and are unclear. It makes it difficult to plan for the future.
Finally hooked up. Outstanding!! Keep on keeping on! Cheers, Mates.
Thanks for following Bob!
Thank you very much
You are welcome
I want to move to Greece with my husband and daughter . To crete
It’s a great place!
I really enjoyed watching you guys
Looking forward to seeing those amazing views from your new place
Thank you! You guys will have to come see it in person 😁
I’m so jealous I’m been thinking about moving to Greece but idk yet but over all still does not seem to bad for the long hall
We love it here. There’s a lot of work to make it happen but if you really want to make it happen it can. I’d be sure to travel where you think you might go first
If you want to challenge yourselves and live the true essence of Crete try to live at a village near by. Most of them have good internet and its cheaper but a totally different experience. Head up to the mountains.
We actually are moving to a village in a couple of weeks for at least a year. We’ll see how it goes! Internet speed and walkability are the biggest concerns but it is absolutely stunning
Done!
Digital Nomad Lifestyle | Why we moved to a village in Crete Greece
ua-cam.com/video/QD1JmvBCQoQ/v-deo.html
Very interested in the digital nomad groups. Also, so excited you are Greek dancing, Katina, and have found an aerial studio!
Chania is a loving place and Crete the island of diversity. However is difficult to mingle with locals because there is the mentality barrier. They are very welcoming and generous of course but it will take time to understand them. You can hang out with expats though and Greeks from other places who reside here and create your social circle. Everything else is wonderful in Chania, the culture, the weather the nature so you will have a great experience!
I have noticed and heard that. We’ve been able to connect with more Greeks from other parts of Greece who live here easier (and other expats) than the locals from here with a couple of exceptions. As you say they are very kind though. It’s interesting though as that same mentality doesn’t seem to exist in the areas surrounding Chania or in Rethymno
@@becoming_greek Crete is a whole world of its own and there are a lot of micro cultures in it. Interesting to explore!
hi guys! keep up the good work.
Thank you!
We are currently watching your video, and I LOVE IT! You guys are creative and did an incredible job! Thank you! Question #1 - What state would you call your "home states" in the States.
My wife and I are a (much) older American couple who have been living in Cyprus for the past 6 years. We're "wine people", and we've "holidayed" in Crete a couple of times, once in Chania, and once in Heraklion, and we've both loved it. We're thinking our time in Cyprus has come to an end, but as I look at life - politics and cost of living in the US... I DON'T KNOW! So I've been researching places in the Mediterranean that might be more affordable. Crete is on just about every top 10 list. I'd LOVE and would really appreciate getting in touch with the two of you and asking "How things are going?"... "How are you finding life?"... (and if you would stretch your imagination) "How do you think a retired couple would find life in Crete?"... "Do you miss the conveniences (restaurants, "super store", Amazon, etc.) of the States?" So if I could get an email address from you, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks.
Thank you for the kind words and I understand where you’re coming from. If you would send us a message to our instagram so we can more appropriately message and share information
I can't wait to watch season 3. (With an episode of Georgioupoli?).
We can’t wait to make and share season 3 🇬🇷😁 Looking forward to new adventures. Thank you for following along!
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
🙌🙌
Need to come and visit this summer ! Which cities in Crete do you recommend to stay in July/August ?
While July and August are the busiest months (the earlier you can visit in July the better) I would still recommend Chania and Rethymno. I think Heraklion is worth it if you plan on seeing Knossos but not otherwise as the city itself is more populated, industrial and lacking the charm of the other two. They have a great food scene but I also find that on the other 2 cities. Just my 2 cents
Thank you guys for an amazing video! 😊What would be the best time to start looking for an accommodation? Do you have any recommendations where to look?
When are you planning on traveling? If you are looking to stay in July/ August it is busy season so it’s better to book farther out than if you’re staying in say late September/ early October. What area are you looking to stay in?
@@becoming_greek I was thinking October this year. Is it already cold? I would like to go to Crete but depends on the accommodation, maybe Athens.
Early October is possibly the best time to visit Crete. Not is crowded but everything is still open, weather is still really good and swimable. Weather may not be as likely to be perfect every day like it is in the summer but it’s worth it. You also can probably find more affordable accommodation. As far as Crete though, it’s a big island so if you want to see both sides of it you need a couple of weeks. If you have less time than that, if it were me, I’d stick to the western side using Chania and Rethymno as bases to explore. There are also great villages you can stay in if that’s more your vibe. Crete will be warmer in October than the other islands
I plan on visiting Greece to look for an island to retire to. I have it narrowed down to Corfu, Crete and Rhodes. Do you have any suggestions for a quieter lifestyle destination. But one I could use as a jumping off point to visit Europe. Thank you
We love all of those islands but they’re not really the “quieter” ones, they’re all considered bigger and popular islands. You should be able to find somewhat quieter in some villages though, depending on when you travel. The easiest of these islands to access from Europe, I believe, is Corfu based on location and more of its European history and has many Europeans who live on the island (as they all do but it feels like more on Corfu per capita.. note that this is not data driven as I don’t have the actual numbers but it just feels that way) but all of these islands have better access to the rest of Europe than the rest. If you really want quieter though, you’ll find that in places which have harder to access places. It all depends on your priorities, for quieter lifestyle I liked Skopelos.. for accessibility to anything you want to see and food I prefer Crete.. for the old town charm (although not small) I prefer Corfu..
Thanks for this wonderful video! I was so bummed out that I had to cancel my first trip to Crete last fall, but this helps me to feel like I'm on the right path as far as a place for my wife and I to retire. What is the organic produce situation? Common or not so much? Have you been to Corfu and, if so, what did you think about it?
Great questions. Crete is the most sustainable island in Greece. Beyond that, because it’s farther south, it grows additional produce to the mainland, like avacados, as an island they’re the largest consumer of olive oil in the world so they produce a ton of it, every meal is so good and made with such quality ingredients (check out our video on Rethymno) and their access to them is better than maybe even the mainland with its own microclimate and having enriched soils from the Santorini volcano. There are 3+ farmers markets a week here in Chania, the Saturday market has hundreds of vendors all with great produce.
We LOVE Corfu and tbh we were between these 2 islands when looking to move, ultimately we chose Crete due to accessibility (internet & roads.. roads especially are terrible even for an island in Corfu), there are people of all ages living in Crete (a lot of Greece has seen young adults leave for opportunities), there is more to explore, and the food here is just a step above. Maybe we should make a video on this topic
@@becoming_greek OMG! Thank you for such a wonderful, detailed answer! I am a BIG fan of avocados. I am greatly encouraged. I am considering a visit this fall and would investigate Chania and Rethymno.
Both are incredible. I think Rethymno is a bit smaller and initially more accepting but not as good of access to internet or a larger community of expats and even other Greeks from around Greece (like Chania). They’re both different but the best answers IMO depending on your needs
Crete is a tough place for animal lovers, a lot of animal abuse .. 😢. I'm half greek and speak the language, was born and live in Germany. I'd love to live in Greece but can't face all the stray and neglected dogs and cats there. I support two shelters in Ierapetra. Hope the situation will change some day 🙏
It seems to be slowly improving, there’s a lot more domestic animals as of late. I will say that culturally they’re newer to pet ownership and while we’ve seen struggles there are many animal lovers in Crete advocating and doing what they can to help as well
Super interesting insights! Sound quality could be a bit better!
Yeah.. it was a windy day so the mic was under my jacket… worst sound quality we’ve had thus far but you pick your poison in the wind, which is a common thing in the winter in Greece
This has been informative, I too am looking to leave the US and move to Greece. I would like to get connected with an expat community. I lived in Hawaii for a long time and relocated to the mainland for a year now and its definitely not for me.
There is a decent size expat community in the area here in Crete. Especially in Apokoronas and Akrotiri. On the east side I know there is a community in Elounda and I’m sure many more. I know that a much larger community exists in Athens, we weren’t looking for a big city ourselves
@@becoming_greek : Thank you both very much! I’m not looking for a large city either!
Is it easy to get along without speaking Greek ?
It’s easy, they definitely appreciate the effort of trying to learn and speak though. I also feel less alienated from certain things the more of the language I speak and understand, which makes sense
Im moving to Crete October 1. Im a single man. I have a house there from my parents. How far will $20,000 go in Crete living comfortable without a job?
Define comfortable? Obviously you need a plan to make money at some point.. if you’re sparse, don’t travel much, go out a lot and have the things you need you’ll be ok for a year.. but then what? Crete isn’t an expensive place but $20K has a relatively short life timetable no matter where you live I think
@@becoming_greek thanks
“No cars in Crete” “plenty of places to drive”??? Which one is is? How is CoL in Greece? Should I move there or not?
Plenty of places to drive for sure. There is a very small village you can take a ferry to that has no cars which is the exception but it’s nice to go to unplug. Cost of Living depends on where you move from obviously but we find it very affordable compared to the US and most of Europe, especially if you shop at the farmers markets and don’t need to be close to the Center.
It looks beautiful! By the way, Greece is not by the ocean😊Thanks for sharing…
Lol, do you mean because it’s by the sea and not the ocean? Technically a sea is a portion of the ocean. 🙏 thanks, it is very beautiful here 😀
Sakis Karpas We know it is you. You are not fooling anyone. Hahahaha
What do you mean?
Oh that’s funny. I kinda see it
I am hearing the health care is horrible on the island of Crete
It depends on what you need. For minor care there are some great specialists that I’ve dealt with that are professional and very reasonable (I pay less out of pocket for private care than my co-pay would be in the states the couple of times I’ve needed something). I do believe for major medical needs, anywhere in the country, they say to go to Athens and seek private care. With the healthcare woes, drinking and smoking away and less safe than average roads, Cretans are still outliving most western countries (as well as most of Greece) and on its own would basically qualify as a blue zone.
Katina? Really? That's our way of saying Karen in Greece. What's wrong with Katerina?
Katina is her given name as it was her yia-yias name. We are aware of the meaning but it is her name
Nothing is wrong with Katerina…it’s just not my name. I was born Katina, my YiaYia’s preferred name. I love my name and that’s all that matters. I am very aware of how Katina is a term for a suspicious person like Karen is a term for a baseless complainer. But we are all more than our names, right
@@TheHappyHoopDancer Just pulling your leg there, nothing wrong with Katina off course. You just don't meet anyone named Katina in Greece anymore because it's synonymous to an old hag who's constantly nagging and badmouths other people. From my three year stint in the States though I found out that there's a substantial amount of Greek American women still carrying the name. Cheers...
@@TheHappyHoopDancerKatina in Greek is someone that gossips not suspicious.