A mum has detailed her family’s bold move overseas, having ditched the Aussie “rat race” for a calmer life.
Zoe Kefalianos, 36, told Yahoo News she and her husband grew tired of “constantly chasing our tails” while trying to raise five kids in Darwin, where they were all “born and bred”.
So in 2024, they sold their house and moved 15,036 kilometres away to the tiny Greek island Kalymnos with a population of just 18,000.
“Living on a small island gives our children, aged 9, 8, 4, and 2, the opportunity to have more freedom and feel a sense of safety,” Zoe told Yahoo.
“In Australia, they always had a schedule we had to keep up with.
“On the island, we live in a tiny village with about 400 people. Our days are slow here,” she added.
“Many called us crazy for giving it all up to pursue a more wholesome way of life.”
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Zoe and her family moved to the tiny island two years ago seeking a calmer life away from chaos.
(Zoe Kefalianos/zoe_unapologetically)Family has no plans to return to Australia
Now, after spending two years living the island life, the family have no plans to return to Australia.
“We know everyone in our village, and the community here is so beautiful,” Zoe said
“We often have people calling by to drop off fresh fruit or something they’ve cooked just because they thought of us one.”
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While Zoe admits being away from family in Australia is hard, her father-in-law now lives with them in Kalymnos.
“It’s great because we have someone here to help with the five kids when needed. It’s also great for the kids to have one of their grandparents around,” she added.
The island of Kalymnos has a populatrion of 18,000.
(Zoe Kefalianos/zoe_unapologetically)Growing number of Australians moving overseas
The Kefalianos family joins the growing number of families leaving Australia behind. Cost of living, housing affordability and lifestyle factors are among the most common reasons for the change.
Last month, Queenslanders Peter and Chantal Jones declared the classic ‘Australian Dream’ dead, and revealed thier plans to move thier kids to Malaysia.
Locally, hordes of Aussies are swapping city life and moving to rural or regional areas. Like Zoe, they’re hoping for a more relaxed life.
The family has no plans to return to Australia.
(Zoe Kefalianos/zoe_unapologetically)
For the mum of five, her biggest concern was that her kids would “lose thier [Greek] culture”.
“We wanted to reconnect our children to their roots, culture and faith, which is something people lose in Australia,” she said.
Kalymnos is also “full of history” and the kids “love forming new connections with the local children”.
Zoe has been sharing her experience online in hopes of encouraging others to make the move. It was the best decision they ever made.
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