🏛Get Your FREE Moving to Greece Checklist and Discover the Essential Steps You Need for a Smooth Transition to Your New Life in Greece. Download Now and Start Planning Your Mediterranean Dream Today 👉mygreeklifestyle.com/checklist
Thank you for making this video. My wife and I watched this video together. We are both of Greek decent and we decided to take the steps on getting our Greek Citizenship through ancestry. The church bells in the background were very nice. God bless from America. 🇬🇷
I obtained my Greek citizenship and have now convinced my nieces and nephew to do so too. They are in their early 30s, and I told them that considering the new ways of working that are possible with technology, it will open up unlimited possibilities for them.
@@montrealcanada7023 it won't make any difference the problem is systemic Besides that Trump is very pro Turkish, Erdogan became the Annoyance he is during Trump administration Or as we say in Greek " high pitched the amane" ( started singing in an annoying matter)
Greece has a very weird relationship with it's religion (orthodox christianity). The majority of modern Greeks are actually NOT practicing in any real way. The priests are constantly on heavy fire from the people (and rightfully so in my opinion) and there is the general sense that the curch needs to update many of it's beliefs and practicies. Some even suggest that the religion be dropped alltogether. On the other hand, the Greek national identity is actually ethno-religious. It is very important that you are a christian orthodox, even if only on paper. Christian orthodox = "one of us". A sign of aligiance so to say. On the other other hand, there are surprisingly many pagan/pre-christian habits/stories/history that the Greeks have no problem at all with. It is not really a bad thing to like and practice these pagan things. (Get ready for a lot of "ksematiasma".) tldr Greeks will fight to the death for orthodox christianity, but that's more of a "belonging in the group" thing, than actual love for the faith. When it comes to the religion itself, they are only superficially interested at best.
Hi Daniel. Love your videos. My sisters and are Greek/Puerto Rican Americans so we have dual cultural background. We love Greece and been there many times since our childhood. One of my sisters is looking into dual citizenship and my other sister doesn’t really care. I have looked into citizenship and it’s not easy but I am pursuing it. We love our father’s island of Kefalonia because it’s so beautiful but it is becoming touristy. We have my father’s Will leaving us the house and property. Looking forward to this adventure.
Bottom line ...the more, Greeks from abroad, Europeans and westerners, are coming to Greece the better! They come with a lot of good things for mama Hellas, in times that the country is changing in a non- positive way! Greeks (Greek descent) from abroad have a much healthier social and political attitude than the average Greek!!!! To you Daniel I wish prosperity, γερα νευρα και καλη υγεια! Keep up the good work!😀👍
I speak for myself (and perhaps others?) when I say that the biggest obstacle and reservation I have when it comes to actually moving to Greece (i'm Greek-American) is twofold: 1) Cash flow and job security. Unless you are truly well off, and don't have to work, you have to find a job to live OK and survive. Good jobs are scarce in Greece, unless you are in a niche field that is in demand. Even the locals are having a hard time finding decent work, with record numbers of Greek youth having moved out of Greece for better educational and economic opportunities. Which leads me to number 2... 2) The language barrier. Although i've been to Greece many times throughout my life (i'm 63), I can only speak Greek on a basic level, which frustrates me when I visit and can't communicate effectively like a normal adult. I can speak and understand basic words and concepts, but if I wanted to carry on an intellectual or substantial in depth conversation like I can in English, I would fall short bigtime in Greek. A compromise would be to live in Greece half the year, and in the USA the other half. I have an Uncle George from Pennsylvania that's been doing this for years now. He owned a diner and retired a while back. He probably invested wisely, and can afford to live in both countries, with his dual citizenship.
The population of Greeks abroad is twice the population of Greece. Greeks coming back home is a BLESSING !!! Bringing the positives of the societies they used to live in, blending in the current culture is a great plus for as all. I would love to see more of my fellow greeks of the Diaspora coming back home ❤
Growing up, have done enough of the back and forth to know the challenges of opening a business there and implementing more solar energy use. So happy for you feeling at home in Greece. We love you too, my dad became more American than Greek and I understand. The consulates are very helpful, however, some specific matters require in person in Greece. I am working on one. Dad passed away. Many Greek Americans can use help with that process of handling matters in Greece after loss of loved one.
Anyone who is born and raised abroad, like myself born and raised in the US, even though I am pure Greek, is viewed as a ξένος in Greece and always will be. It took 5 years of living in Greece to understand that. Now I will go back with a different mindset.
@@muddywaters538 I think it's more of an older people thing, my father came to Greece in 1981 from South Africa and some relatives of my mother - who ironically also grew up in SA was referring to him as the " African" to the point that the veryyyy conservative grandparents of her wanted to meet the " African" thinking he was black 😄😄😄 Needless to say that Greece in 1981 was 100 times worse than is today in that issues and often things like new technologies ect was sounding completely Sci - fi to the locals ect
It's like you are talking directly to me Daniel! Love your channel! Heading to my Baba's χωριό next summer, been there but been a very long time. Bringing wife and kids for first time.
About the way of thinking of Greek Americans, it's only natural for them to have immersed into the American culture and being a little bit more into American way of thinking ect I once knew a ship repairing company from Huston Texas, that was belonged to a Greek American, that was more like an American with a soft spot for Greece and Greeks in general He was hiring Greeks from Greece and paid them some Serious money bonuses ect but he still needed supervisors and team leaders from Greece to act as Intermediaries of sorts, I remember once at a repair at Bahamas, the supervisors were like " the boys are restless" because they wanted to see the island, so he was like " if you fish the ship on schedule or faster, you going to get a bonus and a one day tour at the best places of the island on me" half American, half Greek response 😁
Greece is chilled for those who come back to Greece with money and wealth they made overseas. From what i saw, it wasnt very chilled for those Greeks struggling to make 900 euros per month
Finally, a realistic comment!. Exactly, Greece is great when you move there with North American money. When I am there and I talk to.my Greek relatives they are not doing well, or barely keeping their heads above water. At least two have said to me, be thankful your parents moved you to Canada. I love Greece, but realistically, Canada is easier to live in.
No everyone is Greece is on euro 900 per month. The same way as not every Greek in Australia has "made money". I can tell you with certainty the same percentage as poor / middle class / upper middle class, wealthy and super wealthy is identical between Australia and Greece. Do Greeks in Greece earn less, yes they do. However many people do ask, what money s left for savings after paying the monthly bills ? You might be surprised to find out that it is basically the same "nothing" is left over expenses.
America isn’t for the weak minded. It’s very hard here. Opportunity for young people is much better here. I was married to a Greek man for 25 years. I watched him quite literally destroy his health to chase the American dream. He worked himself to near death. I would talk to him about taking a day or two off to enjoy his family, me and the kids, but he would not listen to my message to him. At 50, his health took a nose dive and at 56 had a heart attack. Through that heart attack, we discovered he suffered from stage 3 kidney disease. After about 9 years later, he was diagnosed with diabetes while being in Greece for 2 1/2 years without seeing a doctor. He came back to the U.S. after 3 days he passed out in my kitchen and thank god his son caught him. When paramedics got here, he was discovered to have diabetes. While here, he saw his doctors and nephrologist and now in stage 4 kidney disease. He’s living again, back in Greece and has adopted a healthy lifestyle with no stress. He says he feels good, walks, workout and lives 300 from the sea. It’s a cautionary tale. Yes, the U.S. has many opportunities but remember to take care of yourself, too. Greece is a beautiful country with a rich history and culture. I would leave to retire there. You can live well on just SS check in Greece. 🇬🇷
Daniel Much respect and gratitude. If you want to help Greeks from abroad who want to repatriate, offer specific examples of what “does not work in Greece in the way it works in America.”
Hi Daniel, you mentioned you don’t really get to speak spanish anymore, i wonder why don’t you speak to your children in Spanish? There are so many similarities to greek and they will easily gain a 3rd language ❤ spanish is so useful to know Keep up the good content 😊
I wish most of them come back to Greece, for many reasons.Best one will be that they will save our economy without even knowing that.Second best is that population will increase ,especially in the countryside
@@bullspre The only people who can save our economy is the Greek people themselves, the youth of the country need to be given the right incentive to stay at home and put their expensive education and skills to good use in sorting out what ever problems the country faces. Greece needs to be self sufficient and to rely less on foreign people.
@@nikosniko7092 You are right, the problem with the Greek economy goes as far back as World War II. There was a large Jewish population living in Thessaloniki who were sadly murdered. Jews are good business people and I believe had they survived, Greece would be in a better place right now.
Daniel my nice and her husband lived and born here ,10 years ago her husband is a surgent dentist and she is a lawyer with 2 kids they left and lived in the States for 10 years and they are returning to Greece because of many reasons that has to with unfriendly people being so closed to themselves and the way of life that they can't bear to stay anymore they missed everything here and it has to do with interacting with people and all the other things you talk about in your life 😊 I don't think they ever watched you they know things from first hand they were born here.
In my opinion, Greek Americans are seeking Greek citizenship in droves over the past 5 to 10 years, especially after Covid. Years ago, Greek Americas scoffed at the idea of getting their Greek citizenship and many parents didn’t even want their children to get it as there were fears of serving in the Greek army as war between Greece and Turkey seemed likely over the invasion of Cyprus and Imia disputes. The truth is, the USA is getting very expensive to live, food, mortgage, rent, health insurance and even your safety is at risk . Many are seeking backup plans and Greece is becoming appealing again to the diaspora
I find it absolutelly logical that Greek Americans feel like foreigners coming to Greece. Mainly because Greek people immigrating to the US, Canada , Australia and other countries tried really hard and succeeded in intergrating with the local societies. They tried as best they could to keep their language, faith and tradition, but they always aimed to weave themselves into their new country's society, and not isolate themselves. That is something that takes time and changes you as well. You can't just come back to Greece as a second or third generation immigrant (even 1st generation if it has been long enough) , put on your Greek hat and feel intergrated here....Family connections can help, but only so much....
@@ancientbodyancientbody very basic, because of many Greek medical personnel immigrating to northern Europe for better wages all hospitals in general are Understaffed, besides this for regular exams check-ups ect you have the option to visit a private sector doctor and get a return for the money you spend Although if you pocket allow it I would recommend a private assurance as well since although the government sector might be "for free " for everyone it can get really overwhelmed for times to times 😉
@@Unexpectedperspectivesnow If you do a cost/benefit analysis it is excellent. I am in the US and yes healthcare is great but considering the cost of insurance for a family is more than the average household income of a greek family... you realize that the Healthcare in Greece is good enough. If you want better go to a private hospital where it will be on par with American hospitals but you will pay more. Another benefit in Greece is that you can visit any doctor specialist at their private practice at very reasonable prices (typically 50-80 euros). In the US a cardiologist will require at least $600 per visit without insurance, maybe more... Same with all other doctors dentists included!
@@AB-jz9ns exactly if it is for typical exams, Prescriptions ect private practices will take even less 10 to 15 euros And I would dare to say that private sector is also cheaper in comparison with US especially when it comes to routing operations although we have to mention that private hospitals and practices - especially of Dentists are cheaper in neighboring countries than Greece, with whatever that might mean It's very common for people at northern Greece to visit dentists in Bulgaria or "north Macedonia"
Roots Manoeuvre witness the fitness 👊 Edit bit: Please consider speaking Spanish tongue to your children as it empowers them in latin and of course English. You Baba/Pater then get the best of you in setting your most beloved for life . Easier wrote than done . 👍
There's great variety of Greek Americans and Greeks aren't cut from the same cloth either. Moreover, an element that's overlooked is social class. I know it's a dirty concept, but people of similar socioeconomic backgrounds often jive with each other across citizenships and nationalities. Still love your vids. Watching from Laconia.
I don't think it's got to do with reconnecting, otherwise this reconnection would have been happening for decades. I think that it's got more to do with the fact that Greece and Cyprus are going to remain spectators to WWIII, whereas the USA is about to go into it full speed.
Nothing you said was wrong, perfectly said. Greek Americans, have a more capitalist mindset with the locals are more socialist. It all depends too on where you grew up in the US and where you would want to live in Greece precisely. Greece is a small country but varies from island to island,town to town, city to city where in the city? What region? Etc. etc. A lot of micro climates as well, a town 15 minutes away can be a lot cooler and vice versa. Macedonia is different than the Peloponnese for example in customs and mannerisms. The Thrace region is different than a place like Nafplio for various reasons and the list goes on. Greece is very regional something that never gets talked about.
@@Unexpectedperspectivesnow I would disagree, even moving from one side of Athens to an other feels like an alien place, let alone moving from Athens to thrace or the Peloponnese, don't get me wrong but I understand that as a tourist you might overlook those things but good luck trying to move to Salonica with a clearly Athenian accent or go for drinks at Ksanthi with mannerisms that scream you are not local Not to mention Crete and the rest of the islands that every each of them is a micro universe of it's own
@@Unexpectedperspectivesnow I understand your perspective don't get me wrong, modern Greek architecture for example is almost identical to every place you go in mainland Greece, you got to go to Aegean Islands to get something more iconic and traditional It's makes sense if you think about it 99% of infrastructure was destroyed after ww2 and we had an other 5 years of civil war, the country was rebuilt from scratch and in haste leading to a very simplistic style of architecture being applied everywhere I was mostly referring to the everyday living For example I grew up in Piraeus Piraeus isn't just "the port of Athens" It's technically a city on her own right that grew to the point that you can't tell anymore were it end and were Athens start But clearly the lifestyle of Piraeus is very different than the one of Athens, even the micro climate is different from place to place, chaidari for example has at least 3 degrees lower temperature than Agia Barbara that is like 5km away 😏 Kyfisia even lower than Athens center ect 😉 but I understand your perspective
@@Unexpectedperspectivesnow there is a difference in life style between Piraeus and Athens For starters less pollution density You won't see Ten-storey apartment buildings in Piraeus The neighbors are different, for example in some neighborhoods of Athens like kypseli is impossible to own a car - where you going to park it? Drapetsona on the other side of the port is a working class neighbor with big blog buildings and Wide spaces and streets only comparable to kalithea - that happens to be part overpopulated part lesser populated because it Sitting exactly between Athens and Piraeus Piraeus also has better infrastructure than many places in Athens You can seriously compare koridalos for example with Grava Or faliro with Marousi Salonica again is very different Is built on a " net" system like American cities, you can literally see the city blocks on the map forming Squares, you never get lost in Salonica And the people have also different attitudes, often reflected on what they vote for
@@Unexpectedperspectivesnow Have you talked with long time locals from Pireus? If you do you will discover how different they are from similarly long time Athenians! Most Piraiotes are descendants either from Mani or from Aegean islands. Athenians are from all over. It may be difficult to understand the differences but they do exist IMO.
Hello daniel Im greek. And my wife is from turkey She never get use to greek way of life even if she lives here almost same amount with you (15 years) I believe greek people are not a nation that accepting easy foreigners She almost master greek language but still.. Seems not working well for her What was your way to connect with culture here im curious
My uncle also took a Turkish wife (although she did convert to the Greek Orthodox faith). They moved to Greece in 1964 (when Greeks were kicked out of Istanbul) and lived the rest of their lives in Athens. Gulden never had any problem getting along with Greeks and becoming a part of the community.
Greece is a wonderful country to live in but as an American you need to be prepared for what to expect. The less you deal with bureaucracy the better off you are. You also need private healthcare because as an American the public hospitals are just awful. You need access to private healthcare, but good news is that it is 1/10th of the cost of an equivalent private insurance in the US. And on top of it the private healthcare you get is immediate vs weeks or months of wait time in the US and really really good. Your property taxes will be ridiculously low compared to the US, we are talking BIG difference of typically 1/10th to 1/30th of equivalent properties in the US. Cost of living is cheaper in Greece but getting more expensive but still with a US salary or pension you can go a LOOONG way in Greece. And you can’t beat the people. Normal good people compared to the crazies you deal with in America (yes you know who you are)
Daniel you are bang on with your points. People of Greek Heritage living abroad are at times unrealistic about moving to Greece. Our mind sets are just different, and we will always be foreign to local Greeks..Our mannerisms, our accents, the way we dress, politics. I may be wrong but sometimes I feel they may be harder on us rather than other non Greeks living there. I love it when I am there though, but I sigh with relief when I am back in North America.
@@despinakyraleos2234 every person is different, my father was born in Egypt and grew up in south Africa, he always felt Greek and in 1981 moved to Greece and never looked back, no matter the difficulties no matter what he made his decision his brother on the other hand was the completely opposite he didn't even considered moving to Greece he just didn't felt connected he as was south African as you can get died in SA by his own choice 😏
America is no longer a safe country to live , in fact it's become so dangerous you fear for your life day and night . There comes a time in ones life when you say enough is enough , I want quality of life from now on , this is the reason why Greek Americans are moving back to Greece .
Greek here, born and raised in Greece. Before you guys decide to move here you need to consider a few things. First of all Greece is in economic crisis since 2008 and things are getting worse for the average Greek every year. We have the highest rates of depression in the EU. Corruption is rampant and the whole country is run by cartels. The government is the most authoritarian one in the EU and the local press is surviving on government money. We have the lowest percentage in the freedom of speech index in the EU. Pensioners is the highest group of the population and their (easily manipulated) opinion, is usually the one that matters the most. Nea Dimokratia runs in every election unopposed after the "Predator Gate" scandal, there are other political parties but they are all muted. Social mobility is non existent and most of Greeks work for the minimum wage. Healthcare, education, telecommunications and transportation infrastructure have been underfunded for more than ten years. Finally, 15 years of brain drain has changed this country culturally for the worse. It will be difficult to run any business here, the cartels and the government are after your profits. If you decide to work as an employee you will be underpaid and you will be probably working in a toxic environment. Think twice before you move here if you don't have a source of income from abroad, your quality of life will drop significantly.
Wow. Just like Australia. No country is perfect but don’t take Greece for granted. It’s a nicer place to live than what people realise. It’s not only about money but the connections amongst its people, climate, beauty that make it tick.
@@fouskalini political parties muted really? Who is forcing the Opposition from doing their job??? Syriza has become just a bunch of drama queens, instead of doing THEIR JOB - going after the government we have all that kaselakiada and sick Navel-gazing Who's fault is that? Pasok is existing in a parallel universe, and talking about authoritarian people, you want to really talk about Zoe konstantinopoulou? Or the right wing parties? People think that the universe was born the day they were born but the reality is this An expat isn't the run out the mill immigrant, it's a person who is looking to work around different inflation rates Half of the things you mentioned are irrelevant to an expact It's also interesting that people are locking actively to leave a negative comment don't you think?
@@josephj6521 see been a bit melodramatic, surely Greece has many serious problems but those people often don't realize how the rest of the world is, especially if we are talking about our neighborhood They compare apples with lemons basically, industrial countries of 100 million souls to a Balkan country of 10 with no natural resources and the 2d highest defense budget ( thanks to bordering mordor) per capita in NATO Half of those things she mentioned are irrelevant to an expat Obviously an expat won't going to work in the fields or whatever, that's pretty much a sorted out issue for such a person
Only people of Greek heritage are required to go to the army or people who grew up in Greece Also depending on previous military experience and age you can go for few months or pay of the days of service and don't go at all
Yes. It's mandatory for all male Greeks citizens that are above 18 years old until they reach 45 years old to join the Greek armed forces for one year. For me it was a nice experience.
@@ΣΤΕΡΓΙΟΣΚΟΣΜΙΔΗΣ it's also mandatory if you are of Greek heritage and you want to become Greek citizen And at least when I went to the army the cap was 55
Please come to Greece by all means you will be welcomed, but only do so if you want to contribute something to the country, please don't bring with you all the bad attitudes and ideas from America, they can keep them, Greece doesn't need that.
Are you kidding man?! Greece has been 'Americanized' or 'Westernized' for half a century or so now! Greek citizens have had what they call 'Xenomania' for decades, consuming and desiring American movies, music, food, clothes/fashion, etc.!
This is not the truth. Yes big issues in the US but in Greece the system and government is worse than in the US. Many moved to Greece BUT move back to the US.
I am fluent in Greek which is rare because we are the last generation and are small in numbers. I can’t wait to return for good. I have an American pension so I have to work for 7 years, until I can return. The United States is so dangerous and the level of Christo Fascism is on a rise.
All of this! Exactly. It’s moving in that direction and as an American, this country would essentially be the Christian version of Iran. I will fight this with every fiber of my being. I am 64 and never thought that American could be so close to a fascist theocracy.
Daniel, many american and british citizens who made the leap into a EU country and tried to make it their new home, failed. YT has an abundant number of these cases showing couples who confess that it was not to be. Your case is very particular, Daniel, you are adept at languages, you decided and applied yourself to studying and learning greek, and you speak greek already, plus learned about the local culture and habits, your wife is greek, your parents-in-law were generous and helpful with the kafenion, you work online. Nevertheless, we know from what you told us in previous videos that it was a difficult beginning. Taking in american and british - who will in many cases complain «why aren't they speaking english? Why don't they serve pizza with moussaka!?» in Greece will not really help the demography or stem the invasion, and it will definitely not stem the invasions in their home countries (which is the main reason they are leaving).🛄✈
