00:00When I come to the beach, I'm like, oh, I'm so lucky.
00:03And Margot is pretty obsessed with it too.
00:07My name is Paris Picard.
00:09I'm from the U.S. and I've been living in Chania for a year and a half.
00:17Chania is the island's second largest city.
00:19With its Venetian port and Ottoman architecture, it's a tourism hotspot.
00:24Paris moved here from Texas with her husband, Mason.
00:26So initially, we were looking at moving to France because I speak French.
00:32And I had heard amazing things about Greece.
00:35Basically fell in love with Chania immediately.
00:39While most Greek islands empty once the tourists leave, Crete is home to over 620,000 people.
00:45Chania has a thriving community year-round.
00:48After years in the tech industry, Paris started an online sales business,
00:52which allowed her to make her dream of moving to Europe into reality.
00:56She still works with U.S. clients, but now makes her own schedule.
01:01Living here is just a completely different way of life.
01:05And I'm on an island now, so things are not as convenient.
01:09But I think it's better.
01:11I have to go to stores.
01:12I'm meeting store owners.
01:14Everything's local here.
01:16This is where I get my shoes fixed.
01:25A lot of the stores are specialized.
01:28So you'll go to a produce store, and then you'll go to a nut store and tea store.
01:34In Greece, there's not so much a culture of being sold stuff all the time.
01:41I feel like people are a lot more trustworthy, and you can ask them, like,
01:44okay, what's good and what's not good, and they're going to be honest with you.
01:48Perfect.
01:50Polyarea.
01:51Living in Greece and interacting with Greek people on a daily basis, I think, has helped
01:56my mental health, because people are so kind and generous.
02:00And I'm certainly not fluent in Greek.
02:02I take Greek classes, but Greek people make you feel like you're at home.
02:07Goodbye.
02:09Here in Chania, she has time for things she enjoys, like ceramics.
02:15People make more time for hobbies and, like, doing things they enjoy, as opposed to in
02:19America, I feel like it's all about the hustle, and, like, you're always bragging about how
02:23busy you are.
02:25The work-life balance isn't the only reason she wanted to leave the U.S.
02:29Starting a family was a big factor.
02:32We felt like Greece was a lot safer.
02:35In general, I feel like Greece is extremely family-friendly, and childcare is a lot more
02:41affordable as well.
02:43Well, we also have to do fertility treatments, and in the U.S., I don't think it would be
02:52possible with the prices of healthcare.
02:55Paris and her husband entered Greece on the so-called digital nomad visa for remote workers
03:01who earn at least 3,500 euros per month.
03:05Yet the average Greek salary is estimated to be around 1,300 euros.
03:10Paris realises her U.S. salary puts her in a position of privilege.
03:16There is a feeling of guilt because I'm really happy here.
03:21I have a great experience here.
03:23But a lot of Greeks want to leave Greece because they want to get a better salary.
03:28This is one area where it's difficult to navigate as a foreigner.
03:33She and her husband currently live in an Airbnb in the city center.
03:37The short-term rental market catering to tourists is creating a housing crisis in Hania.
03:42There's honestly just not a ton of properties here.
03:46And then properties that aren't being used for Airbnb are even harder to find.
03:51So if you want to do a long-term lease or something like that.
03:55We're hoping to find a year-long lease soon.
03:57Paris has made a mix of Greek and non-Greek friends.
04:07One thing that's been a pleasant surprise is being able to meet so many female business owners.
04:12We actually have a lot of things in common even though we're all from different places.
04:16I think the best place to live in Greece is Greece.
04:20Because of the climate, the people, the good food, the nice international community.
04:25But there are challenges too.
04:28Crete is a really...
04:30It's a closed community.
04:34Everyone, you know, Cretans have their own friends, their own family.
04:38So to blend in even as a Greek, at first might be a little bit of a challenge.
04:44My family and friends keep asking me, when am I moving back to America?
04:50I don't plan to move back.
04:52I love it here.
04:53I feel like I've made it a home and the community is incredible and Greek people are amazing.
05:00So I don't plan on coming home.
05:02Sorry, mom and dad.
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