I was given two choices: I could go to Portugal or Greece. I chose the latter because that project greatly piqued my interest. Two weeks after sending my CV to Yobbers, I boarded a plane for a flight to Athens. The adventure could begin!

The taxi driver at the airport (George!) who was waiting for me was exceptionally friendly and helpful. On the way to the hotel, he told me many things about Greece, what there is to do, which mobile provider to use, and, of course, where to eat the best souvlaki.

After arriving in Athens, I still had a week before starting training for my new job, so I took the time to explore the city. You can practically walk in any direction for an hour and still be in the city center. So that’s what I did. I walked in random directions, stopped for coffee or souvlaki at random cool-looking places, bought clothes on busy market streets, and talked to as many locals as possible. Athens, in my opinion, is a mix of amazing food, lots of cats, astonishing graffiti, crazy traffic, and very open people.

A week felt like a day, and I mentally prepared for my new job. I was nervous and unsure because I didn’t have much experience in customer service. As the days of training passed, I realized this was something I enjoyed doing. We had a great trainer; she often called us her children and was happy to go the extra mile for her “children”. If you weren’t feeling well or were homesick, she was always there to talk to you or help you if needed. I met a lot of great people from all over the world there (Dutch, Belgian, Swedish, Turkish, Polish, Norwegian…).

Compared to my old job in Belgium, I had no trouble getting out of bed; I was genuinely excited to go to work every day. The atmosphere is good, the company is large, and the people I meet are great, making every day interesting. It feels less like work and more like a project I’m genuinely enthusiastic about. We don’t have strange dress codes, and everyone can be themselves, which makes it easy to adapt to the new work environment. The company’s small restaurant has great (and cheap!) food, so life is truly budget-friendly.

Halfway through the training, I started worrying about finding an apartment, as my days in the hotel provided by the company were coming to an end, and initially, I struggled a bit; but giving up was not an option. After fantastic guidance from the Yobbers recruiters, I found a place! Hoping my housemates were nice people, I moved into my new place, and to my delight, I immediately became friends with my housemates!

It’s now my third week working here, and I can tell you, I look forward to my job every day. If I could give one tip to someone who is hesitant about taking the leap to work abroad but is unsure about this choice, I would say: What’s the worst that could happen? Life is short, so take risks! Life’s best moments are always outside your comfort zone! I never thought when I left my home in Belgium with my bicycle that four months later I would be working in Athens for a great company!