When I boarded my Lufthansa flight for the 16-hour journey from San Francisco to Greece, I didn’t know a single person in the country I was about to call my new home.
I had no practical reason for making the move. In San Francisco, where I had been living for the last 15 years, I had stable employment, a circle of long-term friends, and an apartment I loved.
Moving to Greece was stepping into the unknown. There was no new job waiting, no friends, no apartment — I didn’t even speak the language. Yet, I had this undeniable feeling that Athens was where I should be.
Moving to Athens was the right choice for my career
As I settled into my seat, I felt an overwhelming sense of happiness and excitement. What should have been a moment of anxiety was the opposite. At the age of 41, I felt like my life was about to begin.
I became a Certified Public Accountant at the age of 24, not because I loved accounting and finance, but because it was a solid, practical career choice. In some ways, it was a good calculation, my job in finance offered me a stable income and a comfortable lifestyle. On a deeper level, though, my days of reporting financial results felt stagnant and uninspiring.
I had no way of knowing at the time, but moving to Athens for no reason besides following my intuition was exactly the right choice for my career.
Since moving, I’ve traded my career in finance to become an author and business trainer
At first, I continued working remotely as the CFO of an interactive agency in California, but concurrently, I pursued a certification in the Enneagram, a personality system that deepens self-awareness and enhances understanding of others.
The Enneagram is a system I’d been passionate about for years, but I’d never imagined turning it into a career.
After living in Greece for three years, the finance work had begun to feel less and less congruent with my Greek life. So, I quit and turned my attention more fully towards the Enneagram.
I didn’t know exactly what I would do next, but with more free time, I began to write. I published my first book in 2016, called “Headstart for Happiness,” which combines the Enneagram personality system with yoga exercises. Then I wrote a second one, “The Nine Keys,” focused on the Enneagram in romantic relationships.
While promoting “The Nine Keys” at a conference in Portugal, an audience member approached me to ask if I would be interested in helping him in his corporate training business. Before long, I was training business teams in Europe and the United States, helping them unlock their full potential.
I also began offering business and personal retreats in Greece, letting me share the love of my adopted country with others.
This redesigned life has transformed the way I view everything
Before moving, I imagined I would retire at some point in my 60s.
Now, I don’t think about retirement at all because there’s nothing I want to retire from — this is exactly how I want to spend my time for the rest of my days by helping people improve their lives.
Back home, my friends and family have all been supportive of my decision to move, and with technology and frequent visits, it wasn’t hard to stay in touch.
Admittedly, starting my social life over wasn’t easy. I rented an apartment in the Acropolis neighborhood and, before long, formed a friendship with the family who owned the souvenir shop next door.
Their 25-year-old daughter welcomed me into her social circle, inviting me everywhere from urban bike rides with a group called “Free Day” to bouzoukia — traditional Greek live music shows where I was advised that arriving before midnight would be far too early.
The bond grew so strong she even asked me to be the godmother of her first child, which led to yet another adventure when I was baptized Greek Orthodox in order to fulfill my role as “nona.”
Aside from this connection, platforms like MeetUp and expat groups became the foundation of my early social life in Greece.
The main difference between my new and old life is how alive I feel
I feel energized and excited when I wake up in the morning because I feel like I am doing my life’s work.
I focus a lot on my health because I want to be able to keep sharing my work with others for years to come.
If you want to change your life, my message is simple: you can. I did. Your path doesn’t have to be as dramatic as mine. Like Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “You don’t need to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”
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