Kitchen Conversations, Building a Life in Athens

Episode 4: Soraja Hadzalic-Oskarshamn, Sweden

In this episode, Soraja talks about living abroad before eventually moving to Athens, and the social burnout that pushed her toward change. She discusses receiving a job offer in Greece, adapting to Athenian work culture, and her surprise at discovering that Greeks can seem reserved at first-but deeply generous once they truly know you. The conversation explores her eventual love for Athens, discovering the city through basketball, nightlife, dating culture, and meeting her husband Kostas. Soraja also speaks about integration, getting married both at the courthouse and on the beach, navigating the Covid lockdown in Athens, and the exceptional care she received during pregnancy and childbirth compared to Sweden. Jaime and Soraja also discuss naming her boys, small but memorable experiences with racism, the "Antifa" neighbourhood of Exarcheia, an unexpected encounter there involving anarchists, the new metro construction in the area, and advice for anyone dreaming of building a life in Athens. And finally, Soraja turns the tables on Jaime -encouraging her to begin sharing her own story on the podcast.

Episode 3: Aga Krawczyk-Warsaw, Poland

Can you ever fully belong in a city that wasn't originally yours? In this episode of Kitchen Conversations, Aga from Warsaw talks about creating a life in Athens-the expectations she arrived with, the reality she discovered, pregnancy and birth in Greece, cultural differences between Warsaw and Athens, and the surprising generosity she found here.

Episode 2: Kallia Trova- Sarasota, Florida

How is Kallia creating a life in Athens? Let's listen! Check out Kallia's website with her kombucha! www.thegreekgut.com

Naz-Izmir, Turkey

Let's hear about how Naz is building her life in Athens!