# New Beginnings!!!



## busybee.48 (Feb 4, 2014)

lane:Well, here I am 

I have started in earnest this year to make my dream come true!
The house is on the market, wait for that to go first.
Big list of furniture and other items for sale, to fund my expedition. :fingerscrossed:

Cannot wait to start looking for a long term rental in and around Corfu!
Willing to work in any little taverna or local shop, anything just as long as I'm there, doing what I want to do. :spit:

Which is to start enjoying my life as a single woman.
Yeah go on say it....Shirley Valentine!! But I know I can make it work for me....why, because I want it so bad! :eyebrows:

I have travelled to Greece for the last 8 years, and was introduced to the islands by my late father at the age of 9. There has always been a pull and a longing to be there. It feels like home. :welcome:

So is there anyone who can point me in the right direction to make my dream come true....:cheer2:


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## concertina (Oct 18, 2012)

*greece*



busybee.48 said:


> lane:Well, here I am
> 
> I have started in earnest this year to make my dream come true!
> The house is on the market, wait for that to go first.
> ...


just to say your enthusiasm is great to hear but a little caution is required,would it not be better to hold on to your property and rent it out so that you have a bolt hole if needed.Getting back on the property ladder would be difficult.And when you find a job,make sure they will give you state medical cover otherwise you will need to buy private assurance.I bought a flat once from a young woman in UK whos boyfriend convinced her to go off with the money for a good time,on the afternoon we completed she was round crying that she wanted her lovely flat back and oh what a mistake she had made but of course too late,where there is a will there is most often a way but only fools rush in they say.I sold my property in UK and now like the young woman I bitterly regret it,bringing the money to Greece,I have buried it in a hole,there is no property market here,it was never great and now I suppose I shall be dead before I can sell it.I wish you to go well achieve your dreams from concertina


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## samrvy (Mar 26, 2011)

Sound advice from concertina !!!

I've lived in various places and witnessed many Brits living the dream until things go wrong and they need to return. Maybe illness or home sick once winter comes. What's your options once you return ?? And please don't imagine for one minute you have friends once you arrive here in Greece. They will still take your money but in a friendlier way than the UK. Obviously this does not apply to everyone but are you prepared to risk everything on a dream. 
I can only advise you as the previous post to rent your house out in the UK and use this money to pay your rent in Greece for 6 months. 
Have you any idea of wages earned in tavernas etc. I know many people that earn 15 to 20 euros only for 4 hours work and believe me you won't get far on that in Greece. Things have changed in big ways since we got the Euro. 
I also know of many men local to me that are prepared to work all day for 15 to 20 euros and for this they will do just about any manual work. 
Good luck !!


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## mrsDayLewis (Nov 18, 2008)

Yes, you will need a LOT of luck! The islands are actually quite expensive to live on, and the low season months can be very dull. A lot of the (tavena) businesses in Athens close down in the summer and take their staff with them too! I was on Kythnos 18months ago and felt very sorry for the residents who struggle to make ends meet in the summer, let alone in the winter.
I recon best advice may be - downsize your property in UK, and use the surplus cash from the sale to try living in Corfu or wherever... and make sure you have a real home in UK... somewhere you can get to see a doctor, dentist, lawyer, and where you can keep your finances secure. 
I'd never trust a Greek bank (or most other professionals) and certainly NEVER any one from dimos! Remember, Shirley V still had a house in UK (back in the 80s) and if she was still in Greece in the 90s, I bet she retired back to UK by 2005! But, dont burn all bridges yet - give yourself a year - 18 months before you commit fully!


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## ratzakli (May 20, 2012)

Hi Busybee

I guess there are some very sensible replies on here but, to be honest, when you have a burning wish to do something, "sensible" isn't necessarily at the top of the list of priorities, is it? 

My sister and I gave up very good, well-paid jobs in 1990 for the chance to spend the summer in Greece. When we got there, we had to search around for jobs and a place to live but, somehow, we managed it and we had the time of our lives. 

At the end of the season, we started to think about having to come back to the UK but decided to stick around a bit longer. I got a job labouring on building sites and my sister found work in a cheese factory. We were paid next to nothing and barely managed to pay the rent and food bills. However, we found real friends and a sense of "being home" in the village we lived in and we ended up staying for 8 years. Like anywhere you choose to live, there were some money worries and some tight spots but I can honestly say they were the best years of my life.

The only reason we returned to the Uk was because our Mum died, and Dad couldn't cope on his own so we came back to care for him - otherwise, we would have stayed. 

We ended up making new lives back here but we are now making plans to sell the house we have here (no, we won't downsize or rent it out) and move back out to Greece again. We know all about the pitfalls of living on a Greek island but I've no doubt that, this time, we'll end our days there!

My advice to you would be: 

if you _really_ have the need to give it a go - listen to everyone else's opinions, then ignore them and just do it!!:lalala:​
Whatever you decide, make sure you're happy with it!


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## concertina (Oct 18, 2012)

ratzakli said:


> Hi Busybee
> 
> I guess there are some very sensible replies on here but, to be honest, when you have a burning wish to do something, "sensible" isn't necessarily at the top of the list of priorities, is it?
> 
> ...


hi ratzakli.I was glad to hear your story and could equate with much of what you felt,overall I believe that if one is financially secure, a life in Greece might be better than the UK,all depending what one wants out of life.However I dont believe it is correct to tell someone to ignore members of this forum opinions especially when they have been specifically asked for,dont forget we give time and energy to think about and answer peoples questions and I think that most of us answer in such a way so as to protect and care about each other,otherwise whats the point of anyone asking for information in the first place.Remember, you were not alone in Greece,you had your sister with you but some people come alone,especially young women and they are particularly vulnerable.You were also here before the economic situation became intolerable for many people.I have heard of many sad cases of peoples ruin here,particularly of a young woman who came with her young son believing that life was going to be a bed of roses,when in fact it turned into her death bed,she ran out of money,was sleeping in falling down buildings and actually starved to death with her son laying across her,he was thankfully saved on the point of death.I think it would be better to tell someone to take a balanced view of members opinions, experiences and advice, and bear them in mind when making decisions,we are after all trying to help them, not finish them off.Telling someone to just go ahead and do it might be considered irresponsible.


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## ratzakli (May 20, 2012)

concertina said:


> I dont believe it is correct to tell someone to ignore members of this forum opinions especially when they have been specifically asked for





concertina said:


> Telling someone to just go ahead and do it might be considered irresponsible.


Concertina - I'm not particularly bothered whether other users agree or disagree with my comments. The fact is, the OP asked for opinions so I gave her mine.

If you don't like the way I phrased it, I can only paraphrase the advice I offered the OP:

_read the opinion, then ignore it_​


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## concertina (Oct 18, 2012)

ratzakli said:


> Concertina - I'm not particularly bothered whether other users agree or disagree with my comments. The fact is, the OP asked for opinions so I gave her mine.
> 
> If you don't like the way I phrased it, I can only paraphrase the advice I offered the OP:
> 
> _read the opinion, then ignore it_​


we need to do the same with yours then.......read it and ignore it


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## ratzakli (May 20, 2012)

If you read my post again, you'll see that is what I suggested you might want to do!


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## samrvy (Mar 26, 2011)

I feel that lots have changed since you and your sister stayed in Greece and since they there is certainly more hardship to face along with many other nationalities competing for work. I wonder how you and your sister might get on if you came back to greece to start over again. Then I have to wonder how you alone would get on if your sister stayed in the UK.


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## ratzakli (May 20, 2012)

I agree that, of course, lots of things have changed since we last lived there. 

When we arrived, there was one telephone in the shop that served the whole village - by the time we left, everyone was getting mobile phones - nowadays, they all have broadband internet and we are in touch with them all on Facebook.

When we arrived, there were two state TV channels, ET1 and ET2 - by the time we left, there were dozens of national and local commercial channels - nowadays, most homes have got a satellite receiver.

But that's life - things are always changing.

We are planning our move back to Greece next year and, even with the knowledge and experience that we have, I've no doubt we will face challenges - just as we did when we were there the first time. But we are reasonably pragmatic and adaptable types so we will find a way to deal with them - just as we did the first time.

Life on the islands isn't as difficult as it is in Athens, Thesaloniki, Patras or some of the other cities. There are still opportunities to find at least occasional jobs during the season that will keep you going. 

You talk about people earning €20 for a day's work but we only earned about that amount when we first went. If you really want something, you will adapt to the circumstances. We waited for 18 months before we managed to save enough to get a small, circular washing tub. It was basically a circular drum with a paddle that only washed - the clothes had to be rinsed by hand. We also waited for 2 years before we got a small black and white TV.

My sister and I are the best of friends and we enjoy each other's company - but we also had our own groups of friends so I think we would both manage on our own if the need arose.

I understand that many people are having a tough time out there at the moment but I reject the continual stories of doom and gloom that seem to dominate many of the threads on this site. There is another side to the coin.

If Busybee decides she doesn't want to take the risk of trying to live her dream, then I really hope she finds another one in the UK - but only she can decide if she wants to take the "sensible" approach or to take the "sod it, I'm going to give it a go" one.


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## AngeloK (Feb 16, 2014)

Busy Bee, I say follow your dream. You said that you have been here before, so you aren't exactly a stranger to the place. And I do believe that Greece is going to get MUCH better in the next few years. Everyone I have spoken to here in Greece about the recession all agree on one thing. Every single person here told me that the recession is actually a blessing in disguise, because, just like an alcohol needs to hit rock bottom before he/she gets better, this recession is finally going to force the government to fix everything they did to destroy Greece for the past 40 years. And if they don't, their political party will quickly fall into extinction, because the people here have finally had enough. For the politicians here, they know if they don't finally do their best to fix all of the past's problems, it's do or die for their party. I say follow your dream and come enjoy the benefits of a new emerging Greece. Just my 2 cents.


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## AngeloK (Feb 16, 2014)

And, at this point, Greece has nowhere to go but up. I came to live here in Greece, from the U.S., and I don't regret my decision one bit. I love it here.


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## aliland (Jul 19, 2013)

Just wanted to give a little support to ratzakili.
Without hearing tone of voice, its sometimes hard guess intention. My reading of his post was not that busybee should ignore other members posts as they had no value, rather he was adding a more optimistic outlook as busybee clearly wants to make the move. People adding cautionary tales are completely right and probably she needs to here before potentially making mistakes she will regret, but there is nothing wrong with backing up her enthusiasm.
Personally, I gave up an excellent job with huge potential- a home - a life ..... for the potentially ridiculous reason of being in love with a boy I hardly knew. Had a posted here, I'd be surprised if anyone would have supported my decision- I wouldn't! My family surprised me with huge support after the boy in question came to UK for a few days. Knowing my character (over think things), they could easily have diswaded me.
Life here is not easy, but the same can be said of many places. And what happened with the boy? After ten years, we are still very happily married!


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## concertina (Oct 18, 2012)

aliland said:


> Just wanted to give a little support to ratzakili.
> Without hearing tone of voice, its sometimes hard guess intention. My reading of his post was not that busybee should ignore other members posts as they had no value, rather he was adding a more optimistic outlook as busybee clearly wants to make the move. People adding cautionary tales are completely right and probably she needs to here before potentially making mistakes she will regret, but there is nothing wrong with backing up her enthusiasm.
> Personally, I gave up an excellent job with huge potential- a home - a life ..... for the potentially ridiculous reason of being in love with a boy I hardly knew. Had a posted here, I'd be surprised if anyone would have supported my decision- I wouldn't! My family surprised me with huge support after the boy in question came to UK for a few days. Knowing my character (over think things), they could easily have diswaded me.
> Life here is not easy, but the same can be said of many places. And what happened with the boy? After ten years, we are still very happily married!


oh hi Aliland,just to say how right you are,much more enthusiasm is what is required and Im sure he didnt say...read and then igore .....,my mistake totally,I apologise,optimistic outlook is essential in these times,I probably havnt got the jist of these posts,that Im supposed to go along with what they want to hear and basically just agree,I didnt realise that was the purpose of answering back,but now I do,thankyou for setting me right,your a kind soul.Did you buy the smoke alarms from England that I kindly advised you to do, as you said you had a bit a of a paranoia about house fires?I hope I got something right for you and you feel more secure with them sitting on your ceiling.And I hope that I will no longer make any mistakes in my posts so that you dont have to dissect them on a continuous basis.I would like to say good luck with your Thasos land,it sounds promising and I am sure you will find a way of achieving your dreams.


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## aliland (Jul 19, 2013)

Hey concertina, I'm really sorry you took what I said that way! I honestly wasn't getting at you (which is why I said - it is totally right to post cautionary tales). I'm really sorry I have lead you to believe that I constantly dissect your advice (so I'm guessing this is not the first time you have had cause to be irritated by me) nothing could be further from the truth. You are one of the members I watch out for as your advice is consistently sound (and yes, reminding me about smoke alarms was an excellent example). 
Obviously I am guilty of the same problem I was attributing to ratziki - namely that without tone of voice and body language, a misplaced word can cause misunderstanding.
To repeat - my most sincere apologies, I did not wish to offend, I will try to be more careful, and I do appreciate and value you as a fellow member.


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