‘I cannot believe that we live here’: This US couple swapped Florida for Greece and never looked back | CNN

Two years ago, Jeffrey Davidson and Walter Zak hadn’t even set foot in Greece. But the couple, who were previously based in Orlando, Florida, are now happily settled in the Peloponnese region and can’t imagine ever leaving.

Now retired, Jeffrey and Walter love being surrounded by Greece’s rich history and what they describe as the “wonderful chaotic energy” of the European country.

They spend their days either relaxing at their home in the coastal town of Akrata, where they’ve lived since April, exploring the local sites, or taking day trips to nearby cities such as the Greek capital Athens.

“We lived in the land of make believe,” Jeffrey, 62, tells CNN Travel of their former home near Walt Disney World and other US theme parks.

“Now we stumble over ruins that are several thousand years old in every direction.”

The couple first met around 32 years ago.

“We kind of knew that we were soulmates,” says Jeffrey. “And we’ve been together ever since.”

They both worked in hospitality and built a happy life in Florida, where they lived together for three decades, but as they approached their twilight years, the couple were ready for a new adventure.

“We always thought about moving abroad,” says Walter, 57. “Not to get out of the US, but just to experience something different.”

He goes on to explain that they had traveled a lot together and loved meeting people from different cultures and backgrounds.

In fact, they originally had their hearts set on relocating to one of their favorite vacation spots, the Caribbean island of St. Martin, which is home to Maho Beach, where planes fly incredibly low over the sand.

But the cost of moving to the destination and the threat of hurricanes ultimately led them to rule it out.

“We still have issues here with earthquakes and wildfires,” concedes Walter. “But you at least have places to go, when you’re on an island it’s a little different.”

Although Walter is of Greek heritage, Greece wasn’t really on their radar as a potential place to retire to until they took their first trip to the European country in 2024 to celebrate their 30th anniversary.

The couple went on a 10-day cruise around the Greek islands and also visited Thessaloniki, the city where Walter’s grandfather was born.

While they were only in Greece for two weeks, they both fell in love with the country and wondered what it would be like to live there.

“We liked the pace,” says Walter. “We liked the people. We liked what we saw.”

However, he stresses that “one trip does not make a life,” and they wanted to make sure that relocating to Greece actually made sense for them before taking the plunge.

When they returned to the US, Walter “started digging into things,” to see if it was financially feasible. They then discovered that they were eligible for the Greek Golden Visa, which allows non-EU nationals to secure EU residency through real estate investment – the minimum investment ranges from €250,000 to €800,000 depending on the location, property type and size.

Around a year after their visit, Walter casually asked a stunned Jeffrey if he wanted to retire early and move to Greece.

“He told me we would move to Greece as soon as I sold my Corvette,” says Jeffrey. “And I did within a week. And then everything else started falling into place.”

Of course, it wasn’t just the car to consider. The couple also decided to sell their three-story townhouse and “pare things down quite a bit” in terms of their belongings.

Although they considered basing themselves in Thessaloniki, after looking into other potential spots, they decided that Akrata in the Peloponnese region, a rugged peninsula situated in southern Greece, would suit them best due to the warmer weather.

They went on to buy a home in the village of Platanos sight unseen for €400,000 (around $461,000).

“We are Florida boys in our blood. So Greece will still get a little colder than we’re used to,” admits Walter.

Once the purchase of their home was complete and all of their affairs in order, the couple had to break the news to their friends and family, who were largely unaware of their plans.

“The biggest emotional piece is really the family and friends component,” says Walter.

Thankfully, it turned out that they had nothing to worry about, as “They were like, ‘Go. Do what you want. Whatever. We’ll see you soon,’” recalls Jeffrey.

In April, the couple set off to the airport together with 10 suitcases, sending the rest of their belongings in a shipping container.

While they had some issues along the way, Jeffrey and Walter arrived in Athens safely, and drove to their new home with the “biggest smiles” on their faces.

Moments after pulling up at their new property, Jeffrey says he sat on the grass outside and exclaimed, “I cannot believe that we live here. This is the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen.”

Although they were overjoyed to be in Greece, there was also “a little bit of trepidation” about starting over in a place they had only briefly visited.

Reflecting on their first few weeks in Akrata, the couple began what they describe as an endless journey of “figuring things out.”

This included getting new cell phones, installing an internet connection in their home, buying a new car and even finding out where to buy propane gas.

“Every day was like, ‘What did we learn today?’” says Walter. “We’re still doing it.”

In hindsight, they feel that they made the move “at a good age” when they “still have a lot of learning time,” as things might have been much harder if they were in their 70s.

They bought their home fully furnished, so it felt like “living in somebody else’s Airbnb” until their shipping container of belongings arrived, and they were able to add their own personal touches.

While their property is secluded and they don’t really have neighbors, they say they’re warmly received by locals whenever they venture out into town and people are always thrilled to hear that they are full-time residents of Greece rather than “part-timers.”

“The locals light up, because they’re like, ‘Oh, you’re really embracing Greece,’” says Walter. “And when they hear I have some Greek blood in me. It’s like, ‘You’re Greek.’”

Although they spend a lot of time cooking at home, the couple also love eating out, and go to a handful of local restaurants frequently “because the service is amazing,” says Jeffrey.

“The people recognize us as soon as we walk in the door,” he adds. “And they’re like, ‘Come right over here. We’ve got the best table for you.’”

Jeffrey and Walter also appreciate the fact that servers “don’t force you out” and dinner can last several hours.

“Everything you see around you is forcing you to slow down,” says Walter. “It’s very nice, and it’s kind of forced relaxation, which we need after years of ‘How quickly can you eat dinner?’”

However, adapting to the later restaurant opening times has been a challenge.

They recall how they’d turn up at restaurants at 7 p.m., and staff would look at them strangely, as Greeks tend to eat dinner much later.

The couple have also had to get accustomed to the daily Greek siesta, known as mesimeri, when businesses are usually closed between 2 to 5 p.m. as well as the fact that “everything’s pretty well shut” on Sundays.

While it seemed like they were “aliens in a different world” in the beginning, Jeffrey and Walter started to feel more settled after a few months, particularly after making some Greek friends.

There are few foreigners in their town, and the couple say that this suits them fine, stressing that they didn’t want to live somewhere with a “high concentration of Americans” as it would feel like they’d never left the States.

“We wanted to embrace the Greek culture,” says Jeffrey. “And have a much calmer way of life here.”

They’ve tried to pick up the Greek language and recently took a week-long course. But picking it up has been harder than they expected and feels “like going back to grade school all over again,” says Jeffrey.

They’ve been able to get by as “almost everybody speaks English, especially the younger generations,” he adds.

Jeffrey and Walter are determined to improve and try to practice speaking Greek as much as they can, particularly when eating out.

Even after four months in Greece, they say they still feel incredibly lucky to be living there. There’s little they enjoy more than relaxing at their property, which consists of a main one-bedroom, one-bathroom home and a one-bedroom guest apartment with full facilities and a “beautiful view of the Gulf of Corinth.”

“It was the perfect location. The perfect price, and it just has worked out beautifully for us,” says Jeffrey.

Jeffrey and Walter haven’t returned to Florida since they left back in April, but they’ve already had visits from loved ones and enjoyed being able to spend time with them without feeling rushed.

“It always seemed like we were just helter skelter go, go, go when we were in the United States,” says Jeffrey.

“We were either taken up with going to visit family, or trying to go to the grocery store, or trying to meet up with friends…

“It was kind of crazy at times. Here it’s such a much more laid-back way of life. You get to ‘slow down and smell the roses,’ like they say.”

They can’t ever imagine going back to live in the US permanently, but “never, never say never,” says Walter.

Jeffrey seems to be keeping a less open mind, joking, “He can go. I’ll stay.”