Expat

Packing your entire life into three and a half suitcases to move across the country is not easy. Let alone with a child. Space bags are essential for fitting everything you need. I tried to pack for only the seasons that we would be in Greece. Packing for me was easy but packing for a baby was really hard. Especially for that amount of time. I didn't know what sizes she would be,  if I was bringing things she would never wear, or packing things that she would quickly outgrow. I tried to pack as many of her toiletries as possible. I wasn't completely sure what products they would have in Greece and Kamryn has dry, sensitive skin. After repacking four times I could finally zip up the suitcase. Necessities included: onesies ranging to one size too big, lots of sleepers, light jackets, a million bows, and one suitcase dedicated to diapers, wipes, toys, blankets, bibs, bottles, a breast pump, and medicines. In one of the large suitcases, I was able to fit two of the large size space bags and two of the medium-sized space bags filled with my clothes. I packed 2 empty large space bags and 3 small ones for bringing things back. I also took into consideration all of the things we would donate or leave because Kamryn would have outgrown them.

DAY OF
We had an early morning flight out of San Antonio, Texas. I checked in three bags, and even with the space bags inside they were overweight. All the baby items were free of charge. I checked a pack and play, three suitcases, and I decided to gate check the stroller since we would have such a long layover in New York. I wore Kamryn through the airport and on the plane with my WildBird ring sling. I wanted a longer first flight so Kamryn would take her long morning nap during it. She slept most of the first flight so it worked out perfect. At JFK there was a kid's pay place so we went there and she played while I ate lunch. After our 3 hour layover, we had a direct flight from New York to Athens. I wasn't aware of the bassinet on the flight going but we got lucky enough and had the entire row to ourselves. The plane left around 6pm, so Kamryn was only awake the first hour of the flight. I made a pallet across the two seats and she slept only waking up to nurse. She woke up as we were served breakfast and the flight attendants were kind enough to bring her, her own plate of food. We landed at 8am Athens time which is 2am  local time. I wore Kamryn through baggage claim where I grabbed 3 suitcases, a pack and play, and 2 piece stroller. It was about a 5-minute walk to the exit of the baggage claim. Once you exit the airport there is no re-entry. I carried all of our things by myself because her daddy was not able to enter that side of the airport. They had porters for suitcases but I knew her dad was just on the other side of the exit so it wasnt worth the cost.

GETTING ACCLIMATED
Kamryn's jet lag was pretty bad the first couple of days, it took her a few days to get adjusted. We lived in Nea Smyrni, a southern suburb of Athens. Our neighborhood was pretty close net, everyone knew each other, we had a small square in our neighborhood with a hair salon, a nail salon, a small grocery store, coffee shops, and 24-hour kiosks(New York bodega style). Greece is not typical of Europe, things are open late, you can even find places that are open 24 hours. From the small square, everything was pretty much walking distance, I could walk to the bigger square, where there was shopping, tons of places to eat, a bigger grocery store, and the train or metro. Our building where we lived housed 6 people. There was someone below us and above us. Our landlord was Australian but lived in Greece for 25 years, he was very helpful. He helped me with discovering the local Laki, which is the farmer's market, ours would be every Tuesday from 8am-3. This is where I got most of our fresh produce but they also sold clothes and other household things at flea market prices. The economy in Greece is really bad so everything is negotiable. I picked up on a few Greek phrases like thank you, please, wait, good morning, and no. Greeks love babies so I had to learn to be more aggressive because people would walk up to me and pick up Kamryn.

FOOD
The food in Athens is definitely one of my favorites. The first night there we went out to dinner. We looked up authentic Greek food and this place had 5 stars so we went. We started our meal at LIONDI Traditional Greek Resturant with Calamari. We also enjoyed bread with olive oil(real olive oil). They also included a block of feta cheese. I was under the impression that you spread it but it comes out crumbled so you just eat it with your bread. The reviews on TripAdvisor said that the best item on the menu was the traditional Greek Plate for two. With that plate, you get pita and tzatziki, stuffed tomatoes and bell pepper, chicken gyros, lamb shank with potatoes, moussaka, and baked tomatoes with cheese. The lamb was my favorite, the meat fell off the bone. The moussaka I did not really enjoy. It's a big traditional Greek dish similar to a lasagna baked with heavy oil and topped with loads of cheese. When the waitress came to clear our plates she was shocked we had not touched the moussaka at all. We became regulars at this restaurant. There isn't a single bad thing I can say about the food in Greece! Service was always great, tons of family-friendly places along with some great date night spots. My top 3 recommendations would have to be The Nautical Beach Club if you're looking for sit down and enjoy seafood with a really great view, its located on the marina. A bit secluded from the other restaurants there and I hear gets really busy in the summer. I had gone for a girls outing and being a seafood lover this place was amazing. We frequented a few times after that as well. Noel which is a great place for cocktails but is always busy, we went during the Christmas holiday and the cocktails were British themed. The food was good as well, smaller portions but Noel is a place you go for the ambiance not so much the dining experience. Zuccherino was my absolute favorite for dessert; maybe even the best in the city. We had one in the big square and it was always packed. Its design is so cute super airy in turquoise and white colors bright lighting, outdoor seating and a wrap around staircase to lead upstairs. Mango sorbet never disappointed. Of course, I can't forget authentic gyros, you could find them just about anywhere. We didn't eat out often, but the prices for two including appetizers and usually drinks was very reasonable. On nights that I didn't feel like cooking delivery was always an option. Everywhere in Greece delivers, literally everywhere; and for no fee

FRIENDS
There are tons of groups to find friends. I got on facebook and searched expats in Athens and someone referred me to the Foreign Mothers Living in Athens group. I made a post on the page, connected with a few people, and quickly found a group of women I could hang out with. We did play dates, girls nights, dinner dates, etc. Some people use Tinder to make friends but I enjoyed the mommy group because Kamryn and I met so many great mamas and their children. There's literally a group for everybody. Finding people to connect with is extremely easy through social media you could use Facebook, Tinder, and even hashtags on Instagram.

RETURNING HOME
The initial return wasn't anything drastic. Until I wanted to run to the market and it wasn’t walking distance. I wasn’t able to put Kamryn in the stroller and just go for a walk. Or even the ease of ordering something and just getting it delivered without outrageous delivery fees. If we were out of something while abroad it was so easy for me to strap her in her stroller and walk around the block to our grocery store. Completely different from having to strap her in and driving on the interstate for 15 minutes take her inside carrying groceries to the car and then up to our third floor apartment. In Athens I got accustomed to our little community, coming back was different because everyone in the states is just concerned about only themselves. That sense of community was quickly gone. I was also very spoiled by all of the good food in Athens. A friend gifted me olive oil from their village and cooking with it was a game changer, until it ran out!  Life was relaxed in Athens, I could go to the square at 1 in the afternoon or at midnight and it would be packed. In America, it is such a rigid structured 9-5 way of life. Greece is for sure a disorganized country compared to America. I was only there for a short 90 days but I quickly jumped into greek life and fell in love. I loved the city, the history, the food, events and the people. The ease of being able to speak English was a bonus for sure. Greece goes down as one of my favorite eastern European countries.