There are various reasons why some choose to move and live permanently in the Peloponnese and Mani, but it is rarely a decision made hastily and without preparation. Elias and I decided in the summer of 2015 to take this step, but the actual move took place at Christmas 2017. So the basic planning to interact with the community in Mani was done in Gothenburg and Sweden. Greece is my third country and I had a bit more experience of changing countries than Elias.
Language and employment
Elias could already speak Greek and, purely theoretically, he could teach me but… teaching other people to speak is a lot about having competence in the learning methods themselves, so I chose to learn basic Greek at Folkuniversitetet in Gothenburg. There were fifteen of us when the course started, but only four at the end of the course. It is not proof that Greek is a difficult language, but it is proof of how strong one’s motivation is. Knowing the country’s language should probably be at the top of your list. If you want help when you are here on site, we recommend you read the blog post with Leda from Kalamata (link here).
It is also necessary to plan what you will do in your new country. Can you bring the job from your home country?Congratulations, you secured a living but that doesn’t solve your integration plans. The easiest thing is to find people who have similar hobbies or interests. If you are passionate about music and other cultural events, check local pages (Parea-Sti-Mani), do you want to participate in the environmental program (Clean Mani), help homeless dogs and cats (MIAO), walk with others (Hiking Trails)? There are a variety of volunteer organizations that you can be a part of.
Do not rely too much on social media or the digital meeting place
Although social media and various expat communities are enticing and certainly not wrong to be a part of, it doesn’t solve the need to integrate with Greeks and that’s what you want, isn’t it? The best tip we can give you is to sit down in a tavern, order what you want to order and talk to waiters or other guests. Talk to your hairdresser, visit local markets and talk to vendors there. Because here we still talk with each other and it’s perfectly fine to ask your hairdresser if he/she knows where you could learn to turn, or if he knows people who organize bike tours. And, yes, even if you don’t speak Greek yet, there are many people who can converse with you in English.
Too young to retire? Have plan B with connection Mani
Are you one of the lucky ones who brought assignments with you from your home country? Great, but it can be difficult over the years to maintain the projects and we recommend that you start at a fairly early stage with plan B. Now, when you’ve lived here, you know for sure what kind of business would work in Mani. We have 5 tips for you who choose to live in West Mani, Peloponnese. It is important to add that the list below is solely based on our own local experiences.
- Animal hotel. The vast majority of people love their pets just like a family member, but unfortunately it is not always possible to take the pet with you wherever you go.
- Skin care and facial treatments. A top class professional beauty salon. Skin care, facials, hair removal, body treatments…
- Computer help, computer support and computer service. A personal computer support.
- Rental of tools. Garden tools, hand tools, lifting tools, ground tools and more. A concept that you probably know from your home country but still doesn’t exist here.
- Second Hand Shop. Cantilever chairs, sofas, pots, chests of drawers, outdoor furniture, doors, windows and more…
