A love letter to Athens

Athens, you have my heart. And I have a feeling you always will.

I never meant to fall for you, but you had other plans. You pulled me in with your sunsets that melt perfectly into the sea and your streets that buzz with endless stories, whispered in my ancestral language. I came here searching for something—maybe adventure, maybe a new chapter, maybe even myself—and instead, I found more… a city that felt like home.

I moved to Athens twice and both times it happened at a time when I felt lost, caught between places and unsure of where I belonged. I wanted a change, a break from the familiar, and maybe even a bit of chaos. And you offered me just that. You welcomed me with your unpredictability, your vibrant energy, and your warmth. You gave me a reason to slow down, to take my time with morning coffee at the kafeneio, and long dinners with friends. You allowed me to find beauty in the small moments—like the sound of church bells on a quiet afternoon or the sight of a cat lounging in the sun.

I love your contradictions, Athens. The way your cracked pavements coexist with the bold, colorful graffiti that breathes rebellion and art into every corner. The way the Acropolis, majestic and timeless, watches over the chaos of motorbikes, cars honking, and morning coffee rituals below. How you blend the old and the new so seamlessly, as if time were a concept you decided to reshape and make your own.

Your mornings are warm and slow, bathed in sunlight that spills over balconies dotted with plants and clotheslines. And your nights? Your nights are endless magic. In the winter, the scent of Neratzia trees fills the air, and music spills out from the tavernas and bars as I walk through the city home. I love how I can lose myself in your narrow streets, only to find a hidden courtyard with a single table and two chairs waiting, as if it had been expecting me.

You are imperfect, unapologetic, raw. You don’t try to be anyone but yourself, and I think that’s why I love you. You remind me to be patient and bold, to celebrate life even when it’s messy, to find beauty in the unexpected. You’ve given me more than I ever asked for, friends who feel like family, a place that grounds me, and a sense of freedom I didn’t know I needed.

And that is my love letter to you, Athens, my favorite place on earth & my home.