Love hearing about the experience of others as expats. But I will especially enjoying reading about your own experiences in Italy this fall! Just the everyday things and always love a photo or two (like this post!) It's the things that happen just unplanned in Italy that are so beautiful. Like the party for a child's birthday last night here at our villa property - parents, children, playing, eating, running into the night. The sounds of the voices was like music to us! All things Italy! Just do that!!!!!
Thank you for you feedback, Alecia! I really appreciate the nudge. I like writing the personal and then fear it will be too much. I need to sign up for WITD!
What fun to see how Gloria and Noah have navigated the purchase of and enjoyed their home in Crete. The real estate stuff does seem daunting--as do the various long term visas, but what they and others have managed to do to live abroad, even as temp expats, sure seems worth every frustration. Thanks for sharing their adventure!
Thank you for this! As you say, Gloria and Noah have created a wonderful life in Sitia as they continue to enjoy their Ozarks home as well. Pragmatic and fun!
I left out the part about how much of their time is spent with friends and family who visit. Really wanted to dive into that but that it better to hold back! LOL. Perhaps you understand . . .
Loved the story about Noah (my brother) and Gloria. They also have a lot of guests who would probably never have traveled to Crete on their own. It was an excellent story. thank you for sharing it.
Thank you, Susan. Nice to meet you virtually! Noah and Gloria estimated something like 60% of the time they are there, they are hosting guests. That number may not be right—it may have been 30%. I don’t have my notes handy right now. But the point is that it’s a lot of the time—they are VERY generous! In fact, my husband and I had a great visit with them a few years back. I didn’t include that information in the article—didn’t want them to get swamped by requests for visits! But you are right that they are super helpful and generous with friends and family. Amazing people!
I was surprised to like Athens as much as I did. It is certainly different-or at least in the part of Athens I managed to book my daughter and myself in. Because of a rainstorm, we were unable to book an Uber so we got out and walked the neighborhood surrounding us. Lovely restaurants and cafes dotted the streets we found a pharmacy across the street. The filled my daughters prescriptions and told us about their experiences in Pharmacy School in West Virginia and South Carolina. They were happy to return home because no coastline in South Carolina could match those found in the Mediterranean. We told them we understood. When my daughter left the hospital, the other patients in her ward were sad to see her go. In fact, the lady next to her spoke no English but called out her name as she was leaving and blew her a big kiss. So many other encounters such as these almost made up for the missed wedding and trip to the islands my daughter missed because she needed an appendectomy!
Paula, I am glad you had a good experience in Greece—despite the circumstances! When you posted about your daughter’s trip and then her sudden hospitalization, I could hardly believe it. I followed your posts every day! Getting seriously ill while traveling is a topic in itself—worth an entire book!!!
I am glad the Greek people and expats were welcoming to you. ❤️ I am glad you both made it home safely, too, but I am sorry you missed the wedding.
Thanks for reading and responding with your experience. It means a lot!
I love these detailed windows into other lives abroad, Etta. Thanks for doing all this research to share it with us! I look forward to my vicarious trip to Tuscany next. 😁
So interesting. I never thought about moving out of the USA - especially permanently. However, the political situation here in the US could change that. I hope that we all vote Blue so we can go forward as a country - not backward!
I know not everyone can do this, Anne! I interviewed a woman who rents (and has rented the same place for four years while being a part time expat), but I hot written up that interview yet. You remind me that I need to do so. Thanks for reading and responding.
Love hearing about the experience of others as expats. But I will especially enjoying reading about your own experiences in Italy this fall! Just the everyday things and always love a photo or two (like this post!) It's the things that happen just unplanned in Italy that are so beautiful. Like the party for a child's birthday last night here at our villa property - parents, children, playing, eating, running into the night. The sounds of the voices was like music to us! All things Italy! Just do that!!!!!
Thank you for you feedback, Alecia! I really appreciate the nudge. I like writing the personal and then fear it will be too much. I need to sign up for WITD!
What fun to see how Gloria and Noah have navigated the purchase of and enjoyed their home in Crete. The real estate stuff does seem daunting--as do the various long term visas, but what they and others have managed to do to live abroad, even as temp expats, sure seems worth every frustration. Thanks for sharing their adventure!
I’m glad you read and enjoyed, Linda. It’s nice to let other people do the work and just experience the adventure vicariously! 😎
Thank you for this! As you say, Gloria and Noah have created a wonderful life in Sitia as they continue to enjoy their Ozarks home as well. Pragmatic and fun!
I left out the part about how much of their time is spent with friends and family who visit. Really wanted to dive into that but that it better to hold back! LOL. Perhaps you understand . . .
Loved the story about Noah (my brother) and Gloria. They also have a lot of guests who would probably never have traveled to Crete on their own. It was an excellent story. thank you for sharing it.
Thank you, Susan. Nice to meet you virtually! Noah and Gloria estimated something like 60% of the time they are there, they are hosting guests. That number may not be right—it may have been 30%. I don’t have my notes handy right now. But the point is that it’s a lot of the time—they are VERY generous! In fact, my husband and I had a great visit with them a few years back. I didn’t include that information in the article—didn’t want them to get swamped by requests for visits! But you are right that they are super helpful and generous with friends and family. Amazing people!
Thanks again for reading and for reaching out!
I was surprised to like Athens as much as I did. It is certainly different-or at least in the part of Athens I managed to book my daughter and myself in. Because of a rainstorm, we were unable to book an Uber so we got out and walked the neighborhood surrounding us. Lovely restaurants and cafes dotted the streets we found a pharmacy across the street. The filled my daughters prescriptions and told us about their experiences in Pharmacy School in West Virginia and South Carolina. They were happy to return home because no coastline in South Carolina could match those found in the Mediterranean. We told them we understood. When my daughter left the hospital, the other patients in her ward were sad to see her go. In fact, the lady next to her spoke no English but called out her name as she was leaving and blew her a big kiss. So many other encounters such as these almost made up for the missed wedding and trip to the islands my daughter missed because she needed an appendectomy!
Paula, I am glad you had a good experience in Greece—despite the circumstances! When you posted about your daughter’s trip and then her sudden hospitalization, I could hardly believe it. I followed your posts every day! Getting seriously ill while traveling is a topic in itself—worth an entire book!!!
I am glad the Greek people and expats were welcoming to you. ❤️ I am glad you both made it home safely, too, but I am sorry you missed the wedding.
Thanks for reading and responding with your experience. It means a lot!
I love these detailed windows into other lives abroad, Etta. Thanks for doing all this research to share it with us! I look forward to my vicarious trip to Tuscany next. 😁
Thank you, Victoria. You and Alecia are motivating me!
So interesting. I never thought about moving out of the USA - especially permanently. However, the political situation here in the US could change that. I hope that we all vote Blue so we can go forward as a country - not backward!
Thanks Etta!
Candy
Thank you, Candy! Despite trying to be apolitical in my posts, I can’t control the comments…😎
I enjoy hearing about others’ paths to life abroad. I would love to be able to have two homes in two different places someday. Who knows!
I know not everyone can do this, Anne! I interviewed a woman who rents (and has rented the same place for four years while being a part time expat), but I hot written up that interview yet. You remind me that I need to do so. Thanks for reading and responding.
By the way, thank you soooo much for the link to my Substack! So thoughtful of you!
You are welcome! I don’t know why it took me so long to set A Renaissance Life as one of my recommended reads as well…