By Cyn E
“I Kali mera ap’ to proi fenete!” (“A good day begins with a good morning” is a loose translation of a much-loved Greek expression). In this series of personal stories, a new resident of Hania shares who the first local person was that they truly got to know and who helped them settle into local life more easily.
Ididn’t plan to move to Hania. Like many life-altering decisions, it began casually over a conversation in September 2023 with a friend back in Toronto. She had just returned from her honeymoon in Crete, her photos filled with sunlit harbors and impossibly blue water. “You need to see this for yourself,” she said. Somehow, that was enough.
I started searching for flights, scanning listings, and trying to make sense of what “moving abroad” actually meant. That’s when I found Elena R., a local real estate agent. From our first interaction, there was a sense of reassurance, something steady to hold onto while everything else felt uncertain.
Elena had an apartment within my budget, but I had questions, endless ones. Is the neighborhood safe? Was it furnished? Were there supermarkets nearby? And, most importantly, did it have laundry? We scheduled a video call, and as she walked me through the space, I began to understand how different daily life would be. There was no washer at first, no dryer either. In Canada, they come as a pair; here, I learned, clothes are often hung out to dry under the Mediterranean sun. Dishwashers weren’t standard, and “furnished” didn’t necessarily include essentials like towels or cutlery. But Elena, and the landlord she represented, met every concern with quiet generosity. A washing machine was installed. Household essentials were sourced. She even offered to pick me up from the airport -a gesture that, at the time, felt like a lifeline.
Those first days blurred with jet lag and discovery, but Elena made sure I didn’t navigate them alone. She was instrumental in helping me connect with the community I now call home, even inviting me as her guest to my first event in Hania and introducing me to people I remain connected with to this day.
She also took me to her favorite coffee spot, where I met Stavros, who served me one of the best coffees I’ve had, while eyeing me with mild disbelief as I stirred in honey. The local farmers’ market was another introduction, one that has since become a Saturday ritual. Three years on, I know the farmers by name; they know mine.
When my initial three-month stay ended, Elena stood beside me at the immigration office, helping me navigate a system I barely understood. It wasn’t easy, and it didn’t happen immediately, but in time I found my footing here and eventually secured permanent residency.
Looking back, I came to Hania searching for a change of scenery. What I found instead was connection and it started with the first local I met.
