It is no secret that times are tough in Greece. The current economic crisis that has a stranglehold of the country is forcing many Greeks, young and old, to contemplate migrating in search of a better life.

One of the most popular preferred destinations is Australia, with many Greeks believing that the far away island continent remains a land of opportunity, a place where if someone is willing to work hard they can succeed. It is no surprise then that when the Australian Government hosted a Skills Australia Needs information session earlier this month, the Australian Embassy in Athens received a record number of applications.

However, while all the focus has been on those wishing to leave Greece for Australia, Neos Kosmos has found three Australians, currently living in Athens permanently, who rather than choosing to leave, have a strong desire to stay in Greece. And they are not alone, there are many more just like them, many who have been established there for years, others, remarkably, arrived recently. One such newcomer is Georgia Thanopoulou, a 24-year-old graphic designer from Melbourne, who visited Greece for the first time in December of 2009 and moved there permanently in January of 2011.

“I just can’t explain how amazing it felt to be in Greece on my first visit. Like so many others I felt this instant connection with the place and I fell in love with Athens,” Georgia explains. So she went back to Melbourne, worked two jobs for the next 12 months, saved every cent she got and returned in January of this year, when it had already become apparent that the global financial crisis was going to have a huge impact on Greece.

“Yes, all the signs were there for a major financial crisis but I just felt that if I didn’t make the move now I would never have done it. It was now or never, so to speak,” says Georgia. She used her savings to rent and furnish an apartment in the trendy neighbourhood of Gazi, took a job as a waitress and set about finding work. “I’ve studied photography and graphic design. It’s an industry that does have a lot of work in Greece but the money is nowhere near what I was accustomed to getting in Melbourne,” says Georgia, who works as a freelancer while maintaining her waitressing job.

“Look, I’m not going to lie to you, it’s tough working two jobs for such little money. It’s also very tough watching people beg for money. People in Australia are so sheltered; they are so lucky, generally speaking, to have everything they need,” says Georgia. She says Athens is a “tough place to live”. “It takes a strong person to come here alone and make it work. I’m not sure I will succeed but I am willing to give it a go,” adds Georgia. The fact that her move is so recent has shocked many Greeks who are looking to get out of the country during this turmoil. “I get many customers at the bar I work at asking me if I’m crazy. It’s funny, but I tell them what I tell everyone, Greece is a great country and they will come out of this crisis stronger for it.”

Georgia’s optimism is one shared by many other Greek Australians living in Athens, including Eleni Argyropoulos, who has been living in the Greek capital permanently since 2007. She says living in Greece, despite its difficulties, has been a thoroughly rewarding experience. “I have experienced more in my three completed years here than I had in Australia my whole life. In terms of hobbies, travel, life experiences, it has been a success. I have challenged myself and proven to myself that I could survive in Greece,” Eleni tells Neos Kosmos.

“Considering how tough it can be in Greece, I consider it some feat to have done so well,” she adds. The Sydney-born Greek Australian is working as a Director of Communications and Marketing for a firm in the growing photovoltaics industry. She says the crisis is having a big impact on an industry which she believes Greece can play a big role in. “It affects us in terms of how difficult it is right now for our clients to be approved for bank loans. It also affects us in terms of foreign investment in PV projects in Greece. The economic and political instability makes Greece an unattractive proposition,” says Eleni.

While times may be tough, even in her industry, Eleni has a secure job in the private sector and says that despite the tax rate increases and the increased cost of living, the economic crisis has not had a big impact on her yet.

“It is the social crisis that scares me, the dog eat dog, survival of the fittest, me-first culture that is being cultivated. It is bringing out the worst in people and there is no inspirational leader to light the way. People feeling hopeless is a dangerous thing,” adds Eleni. Although she admits to being upset by the situation, Eleni, like Georgia, refuses to leave.

“Of course I am saddened, however picking up and leaving is not a solution for me,” she says. Another Greek Australian not willing to give up on his dream is John Karras, a 32-year-old who has been living between Athens, Patra and Santorini for the last seven years. “I refuse to take the easy way out by returning to the comforts of Australia where I can get a good paying job and have the support of my family,” says John, who like Georgia and Eleni, moved to Greece alone, in search of something new, against his family’s wishes.

“My family wants me to go back. They think Greece is in a downward spiral it cannot recover from. I wont take it lying down, I want to fight for what I believe in and I want to be here when Greece gets back on its feet,” adds John. The former resident of Adelaide moved to Greece in May of 2005, having visited the Mediterranean country many times before making the move there permanently.

“I initially came over just for the Olympic Games seeking some bar work on an island during what was going to be a very busy summer season, but after three months in Santorini I fell in love with Greece and with a Greek girl from Patra and we moved there in November of 2004 after I had been back to Australia briefly just to pack my things and say goodbye to my family,” says John.

“I returned to Patra and quickly found work as a barman while also trying to get some work as a writer, which is what I studied back in Australia,” he adds. With just a handful of English language publications in Greece, and all of them in Athens, John quickly became frustrated by life in Patra and moved to Athens, in search of employment. “After a year-and-a-half of serving drinks in Patra I made the big move to Athens where I had a cousin that helped me get a job as a courier while I sought work as a writer.” Despite his efforts, John hasn’t found a well paying position as a writer, and continues to work as a courier during the winter months, while spending the summer season in Santorini, where he works as a barman.

“It’s not what I wanted career-wise, but in Greece you learn that your job is not the be all and end all of your life. Being happy is far more important. I now work two different jobs in winter and summer. I get the best of both worlds, Athens in winter, spectacular Santorini in Summer. It’s an amazing lifestyle and I would not give that up for anything,” says John.