The Greeks have a saying Siga, Siga- it means Slowly, Slowly. You’ll hear this a lot in Greece. “Slow down”, “have patience”, or just “things take time here”. For someone who doesn’t have the most patience, this is a challenge, but I’m trying. The rugs, Jeff’s desk and the bathroom organizer we have ordered is all still on their way. We have found the local grocery store and can easily get daily food or needs. I have bought shoes, a dress and have had a girl’s night out with our cousin- all helping me feel like I could really make a life here. On the other hand, it took me days to figure out a way to transfer money from the US to our Greek Bank account, we cannot find a screwdriver but have gotten really interesting looks when I try to describe it- one girl handed me a pencil sharpener. Things we took for granted in Tampa to be easy are hard here.

Little Victories:

• We are eating well, feeling healthy and walking all around and love the location or our apartment
• The dogs are doing well, we have been able to leave them alone in the apartment but also take them around town with us to eat outside
• I signed up for Greek school- I start Tuesday and there’s the cutest puppy at the school
• We have an amazing family offering us whatever we need- borrow their car, babysit our dogs, cook for us. Yesterday we were told they do this so we won’t leave:) It’s working
• I feel incredibly safe here- always aware of my surroundings but unlike the US I feel no need to have mace or not use my air pods for fear of someone behind me

Challenges:

• Paying bills is done through the banking system- so you have to have Euros in your account to pay rent, the electric bill, we didn’t move enough money before we left and because we now show up in Europe online the options we thought we had aren’t available. We were told to use Xoom or Xe but from the EU they won’t work- having to do a wire transfer next week and hoping this solves the issue
• The heatwave caused me to go out and buy an overpriced fan/mobile AC- it works ok but it’s not perfect and I’m not sure how it will handle the whole summer
• I need a CVS/Walgreens desperately- I need the smallest things- scotch tape, pens, a screwdriver, they all seem to be at different stores, or we just need to go to a big supermarket- which we will try tomorrow
• There are times of loneliness- at home I would have looked out my window, grabbed a White Claw and walk across the street to see my friends. Here I haven’t made any friends yet- which is hard, facetime isn’t the same, but it helps

Some of the victories, Lilly- the Greek School pup, the food, a Limoncello Spritz- which I like a lot more than an Aperol Spritz, our view from lunch yesterday.

So as school starts and hopefully, we get deliveries and find a screwdriver- let’s see what next week brings. I do have a meetup next Saturday with a FB group I found of Women Ex-Pats on Crete so I’m excited to meet some people in the area- probably who have all gone through similar experiences and get their advice and hopefully make some friends.

Siga, Siga