We're Living The Mamma Mia Dream!

We speak to three w&h readers who’ve upped sticks and moved to an island paradise.

- Ally Oliver

THE GREEK ISLAND

‘I can lie in bed and hear the waves’

JENNIFER BARCLAY, 49, moved to Tilos, a tiny Greek island, in 2011 where she now writes and edits books.

Shortly after my 40th birthday, I went through a difficult period after a relationship I’d been in ended suddenly. When the plans we’d had went out the window, I realised I wasn’t completely happy with the life I had. Now that I only had myself to think about, I needed to work out what I really wanted in order to make myself happy. 

The idea of moving to Greece had been planted in my mind a long time ago. I’d had a love affair with the country that had started when I was a child growing up in Yorkshire, and we spent many of our family holidays in Greece. I did Ancient Greek O and A levels, and after studying English at Oxford, decided to live in Athens for a year to teach English. Over the years, I kept revisiting the country.

On the eve of my 40th birthday, I decided now was the time to try living on a Greek island. I’d lived abroad for most of my adult life, spending several years in Canada and France, and had travelled for long periods, so moving abroad was not daunting. I knew I wanted somewhere very “Greek”. Tilos has no airport and there isn’t a ferry every day – it was perfect! I loved the peace and quiet, the mountains and beaches, and the friendly people.