Ferry to Greece | Vanessa Badura

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What Nobody Tells You About Moving to Crete

What Nobody Tells You About Moving to Crete

What Nobody Tells You About Moving to Crete

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Expatfamily in Greece Real life in September

Wait for leevi turning the shower into a full concert every single time. 😂🎤

POV: You just want to have a clean car in Greece for more than 3 days. 😂🇬🇷

POV: You try one of Greece’s sweetest traditions… 🇬🇷🍬

WE ARE BACK after a little summer break - A Normal Week in Our Life in Crete as an Expatfamily

Sunday’s in Greece 😅🇬🇷

A typical Friday evening for us on Crete, Greece🇬🇷

I moved abroad as a single mom — and still caught myself comparing my life to other people’s.

Image by MAK

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When we moved to Greece 🇬🇷, it was just the two of us. We had just lost family dog after wonderful 12 years together and had no idea how much our lives were about to change — or that dogs would once again become such a big part of our family.

One of the things I love most about having our Huskey girl in our lives is watching the relationship between her and my son.

There’s something so special about seeing a child grow up alongside a dog. The cuddles, the playing, the silly moments, the little routines — but also all the things they learn from each other.

He learns to be gentle, to respect boundaries, to be patient, to care for another living being and to take responsibility. But most importantly, he gets to experience that completely unconditional kind of love and friendship that only a dog can really give you.

I grew up with animals myself, and I always wanted that for him, too. Not just to know how to behave around animals, but to actually have them as part of his everyday life — to care for them, grow with them and have those memories that stay with you forever.

And I absolutely love seeing that this is still part of our life.

Would I ever have imagined that our version of “growing up with animals” would involve a Husky on a Greek island? Definitely not. 😂

But here we are. And honestly, I wouldn’t change it. 🤍🐾

When we moved to Greece 🇬🇷, it was just the two of us. We had just lost family dog after wonderful 12 years together and had no idea how much our lives were about to change — or that dogs would once again become such a big part of our family.

One of the things I love most about having our Huskey girl in our lives is watching the relationship between her and my son.

There’s something so special about seeing a child grow up alongside a dog. The cuddles, the playing, the silly moments, the little routines — but also all the things they learn from each other.

He learns to be gentle, to respect boundaries, to be patient, to care for another living being and to take responsibility. But most importantly, he gets to experience that completely unconditional kind of love and friendship that only a dog can really give you.

I grew up with animals myself, and I always wanted that for him, too. Not just to know how to behave around animals, but to actually have them as part of his everyday life — to care for them, grow with them and have those memories that stay with you forever.

And I absolutely love seeing that this is still part of our life.

Would I ever have imagined that our version of “growing up with animals” would involve a Husky on a Greek island? Definitely not. 😂

But here we are. And honestly, I wouldn’t change it. 🤍🐾

She has genuinely NEVER done this before. 😂

Since our second Husky, Loki (her dad), sadly passed away in May at the age of 12, Skyla has had to get used to being alone for certain periods of time. Before that, she was simply never used to it.

And because we obviously can’t take her everywhere with us — especially with the heat here in Greece — she has recently started trying to find new ways to escape whenever she’s left on her own. 🙈

Because she’s already escaped a few times, there is absolutely NO way we can leave her alone in the garden anymore. But today… she really unlocked the next level. 😂

Luckily, we have a camera, so we actually caught the whole thing happening. Which means we now have to come up with yet another solution to outsmart our Husky. 🫠😂

And thankfully… the lock survived. 🫣

She has genuinely NEVER done this before. 😂

Since our second Husky, Loki (her dad), sadly passed away in May at the age of 12, Skyla has had to get used to being alone for certain periods of time. Before that, she was simply never used to it.

And because we obviously can’t take her everywhere with us — especially with the heat here in Greece — she has recently started trying to find new ways to escape whenever she’s left on her own. 🙈

Because she’s already escaped a few times, there is absolutely NO way we can leave her alone in the garden anymore. But today… she really unlocked the next level. 😂

Luckily, we have a camera, so we actually caught the whole thing happening. Which means we now have to come up with yet another solution to outsmart our Husky. 🫠😂

And thankfully… the lock survived. 🫣

I honestly didn’t even realize how hot it was outside today. I’ve been editing photos at home all morning, and with the shade around the house, it’s already starting to feel a little cooler.

And then my German brain kicks in:
“September? Okay, summer is basically over.” 🍂😂

Meanwhile, Crete is like:
“Girl… it’s still summer.” ☀️

September — and honestly even October — can be absolutely beautiful here. Warm, sunny, and still very much summer.

And I have to say… after living here for more than two and a half years, 33°C just doesn’t feel the same anymore. Of course it’s warm, but somehow your body gets used to it.

Would I have worn long jeans in 33°C in Germany? Absolutely not. 😂

So I’m starting to think this might officially qualify me as a local. 🇬🇷

I honestly didn’t even realize how hot it was outside today. I’ve been editing photos at home all morning, and with the shade around the house, it’s already starting to feel a little cooler.

And then my German brain kicks in:
“September? Okay, summer is basically over.” 🍂😂

Meanwhile, Crete is like:
“Girl… it’s still summer.” ☀️

September — and honestly even October — can be absolutely beautiful here. Warm, sunny, and still very much summer.

And I have to say… after living here for more than two and a half years, 33°C just doesn’t feel the same anymore. Of course it’s warm, but somehow your body gets used to it.

Would I have worn long jeans in 33°C in Germany? Absolutely not. 😂

So I’m starting to think this might officially qualify me as a local. 🇬🇷

This is already his third school year here, and honestly, I still can’t quite believe how quickly time is passing. It feels like just yesterday that we stood at the school gates for the very first time, starting this completely new chapter in a new country, at a new school and in a new language.

Of course, even though the school did everything from the very beginning to make us feel welcome, it still took us a few weeks to really feel settled. And I think that’s completely normal because children need their time too. They need time to adjust, to find their friends, to understand a new environment and to feel safe and at home.

And now, two years later, after twelve weeks of summer holidays, he was actually excited to go back to school. 😂 He gets to have the same teacher again, see all his friends, and be part of this little school community that feels so much like another family to us. I’m especially grateful that he gets to learn in an environment where the focus isn’t only on grades, pressure and performance, but on development, curiosity and actually enjoying the process of learning — and all of that while growing up with three languages around him.🇩🇪🇬🇷🇬🇧

Sometimes I’m honestly just amazed at how naturally he has adapted to this life. How much he has grown, how confident he has become and, most importantly, how he still goes to school with genuine joy.

My “little baby” really isn’t that little anymore. He’s officially a 4th grader, and I couldn’t be prouder of him. 🥹🤍

And because it was the first day of a new school year, of course we had to celebrate with a little cake. 🎂 Here’s to another year of learning, growing, making memories and hopefully slowing down time just a tiny little bit… because I’m definitely not ready for how fast this is all going. 🥹🥹💫💫

This is already his third school year here, and honestly, I still can’t quite believe how quickly time is passing. It feels like just yesterday that we stood at the school gates for the very first time, starting this completely new chapter in a new country, at a new school and in a new language.

Of course, even though the school did everything from the very beginning to make us feel welcome, it still took us a few weeks to really feel settled. And I think that’s completely normal because children need their time too. They need time to adjust, to find their friends, to understand a new environment and to feel safe and at home.

And now, two years later, after twelve weeks of summer holidays, he was actually excited to go back to school. 😂 He gets to have the same teacher again, see all his friends, and be part of this little school community that feels so much like another family to us. I’m especially grateful that he gets to learn in an environment where the focus isn’t only on grades, pressure and performance, but on development, curiosity and actually enjoying the process of learning — and all of that while growing up with three languages around him.🇩🇪🇬🇷🇬🇧

Sometimes I’m honestly just amazed at how naturally he has adapted to this life. How much he has grown, how confident he has become and, most importantly, how he still goes to school with genuine joy.

My “little baby” really isn’t that little anymore. He’s officially a 4th grader, and I couldn’t be prouder of him. 🥹🤍

And because it was the first day of a new school year, of course we had to celebrate with a little cake. 🎂 Here’s to another year of learning, growing, making memories and hopefully slowing down time just a tiny little bit… because I’m definitely not ready for how fast this is all going. 🥹🥹💫💫

….So you pretend your boyfriend is taking photos of you — just so you can stay close enough to capture the moment. 😂📸

And then your son decides it’s the perfect time to become the ultimate photo bomber. 🫠😂

I absolutely LOVE my job. 🤍

But I’ll be honest — when I get to choose, I usually try to avoid the most touristy spots, especially places like the Lighthouse in Chania’s Old Harbour.

But when this is the place you’ve dreamed of for your proposal, I’ll make it work. ✨

So the mission was: find the quietest possible spot around sunset, blend into the crowd, stay close enough to react quickly… and somehow make the final images look like there was hardly anyone around.

Because no — it’s not always as easy as it looks. 😂

There’s actually quite a bit of preparation, timing and positioning behind these “effortless” moments.

And sometimes the funniest part is how much you have to pretend to take photos or videos of yourself just to stay close to the couple without giving anything away. 📸😂

Luckily, I usually have my own little team with me — my partner and my son. And honestly, I love that they’re part of it.

We get to create our own memories along the way, while I get to capture incredibly special moments for other people.

And maybe that’s what I love most about photography:

It’s not about having the perfect location or having nobody else around.

It’s about knowing how to find the moment, even in the middle of the chaos — and turning it into a memory that feels like it belonged only to you. 🤍

Even if there’s a little photo bomber at the end. 😂

….So you pretend your boyfriend is taking photos of you — just so you can stay close enough to capture the moment. 😂📸

And then your son decides it’s the perfect time to become the ultimate photo bomber. 🫠😂

I absolutely LOVE my job. 🤍

But I’ll be honest — when I get to choose, I usually try to avoid the most touristy spots, especially places like the Lighthouse in Chania’s Old Harbour.

But when this is the place you’ve dreamed of for your proposal, I’ll make it work. ✨

So the mission was: find the quietest possible spot around sunset, blend into the crowd, stay close enough to react quickly… and somehow make the final images look like there was hardly anyone around.

Because no — it’s not always as easy as it looks. 😂

There’s actually quite a bit of preparation, timing and positioning behind these “effortless” moments.

And sometimes the funniest part is how much you have to pretend to take photos or videos of yourself just to stay close to the couple without giving anything away. 📸😂

Luckily, I usually have my own little team with me — my partner and my son. And honestly, I love that they’re part of it.

We get to create our own memories along the way, while I get to capture incredibly special moments for other people.

And maybe that’s what I love most about photography:

It’s not about having the perfect location or having nobody else around.

It’s about knowing how to find the moment, even in the middle of the chaos — and turning it into a memory that feels like it belonged only to you. 🤍

Even if there’s a little photo bomber at the end. 😂

When I first moved to Greece, I thought I was looking for siga siga — a slower life, doing less and simply taking things more slowly like Greeks are known for.

But the longer I live here, the more I realise that my own balance looks very different. For me, it’s about feeling connected — to nature, to my body, to my family, to the people I love and to the little moments that are actually happening around me.

A long walk with Skyla, being out on the SUP, hiking with my boys, swimming in the sea or simply spending time outside without my phone can give me so much more than staying home and trying to “rest” ever could.

I’m also learning to notice when I get too caught up in creating, working and trying to capture the perfect version of our life, because that’s when I start losing that connection again.

So I’ve stopped trying to live someone else’s version of siga siga. I’m learning to find my own — and for me, that means allowing every day to look a little different. Some days I need to do less, some days I need to move, explore and do more.

And honestly, I think this is one of the biggest things Greece has given me: the space to slowly find my way back to what makes me feel like me. To realise that I don’t need to live a certain way just because it looks good from the outside. I just want to feel present in my own life again — and for me, so much of that feeling starts with simply stepping outside. 🤍

When I first moved to Greece, I thought I was looking for siga siga — a slower life, doing less and simply taking things more slowly like Greeks are known for.

But the longer I live here, the more I realise that my own balance looks very different. For me, it’s about feeling connected — to nature, to my body, to my family, to the people I love and to the little moments that are actually happening around me.

A long walk with Skyla, being out on the SUP, hiking with my boys, swimming in the sea or simply spending time outside without my phone can give me so much more than staying home and trying to “rest” ever could.

I’m also learning to notice when I get too caught up in creating, working and trying to capture the perfect version of our life, because that’s when I start losing that connection again.

So I’ve stopped trying to live someone else’s version of siga siga. I’m learning to find my own — and for me, that means allowing every day to look a little different. Some days I need to do less, some days I need to move, explore and do more.

And honestly, I think this is one of the biggest things Greece has given me: the space to slowly find my way back to what makes me feel like me. To realise that I don’t need to live a certain way just because it looks good from the outside. I just want to feel present in my own life again — and for me, so much of that feeling starts with simply stepping outside. 🤍

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