#71 - The Things Nobody Tells You About Living in Athens as a Foreigner with Anthony Muiruri

Marc Alcobé speaks with Anthony Muiruri, a Kenya-born author, speaker, and MC now based in Athens, Greece. The conversation explores what it really takes to adapt to life in Greece, from language and culture to work, healthcare, and the realities of bureaucracy. Key topics He shares what life was like growing up in Kenya, including walking 5 kilometers to school each way and helping on the farm with animals. Anthony explains how Greece became his first real move abroad, even though he had originally dreamed of going to the U.S. He describes the early culture shock in Athens, especially language barriers. Anthony talks about how his professional path started to take shape in Greece through personal development. He explains how TikTok during lockdown accelerated his visibility and pushed him toward writing. He describes the Kenyan community in Greece as small but highly supportive. He compares life in Kenya and Greece across cost of living, work culture, and healthcare and more. 🎙️ The guest: Anthony Muiruri A Kenya-born author, speaker, and MC based in Athens, Greece, where he shares his journey of adapting to life abroad through personal development and community building. He is also the creator of Be Good for Good and the host of Abroad Experience, where he explores what it means to belong, grow, and thrive across cultures. 🔗 Guest Links https://www.anthonymuiruri.com/ https://www.instagram.com/anthonymuiruri/ https://www.tiktok.com/@anthony_muiruri/ https://www.youtube.com/c/AnthonyMuiruri https://www.facebook.com/anthonysmuiruri/ What we discuss: 00:00 — Intro 02:13 — Growing up in central Kenya 03:27 — Athens is the first place he lands in Greece 05:50 — Europe vs expectation; Athens polished and rough 07:18 — Learning Greek and the “head nod” confusion 08:25 — How personal development led to speaking and MC work 10:30 — The push to write and publish his first book 12:54 — The Kenyan community in Athens 15:32 — Biggest cultural adjustment: saying sorry 18:03 — How he made friends and built community 19:17 — Learning Greek through everyday life and cartoons 21:21 — Cost of living in Kenya vs Greece 23:30 — Finding housing with help from the community 25:57 — Work culture and standard salaries 27:20 — Getting around Athens 28:07 — Healthcare in Greece 30:17 — Bureaucracy and paperwork 32:13 — Best and worst part of Greece: the weather 34:28 — Advice for people moving to Greece 36:26 — How to contact Anthony 39:39 — Closing remarks and season finale Check and subscribe to the The Almost Local Letter 🗞️: https://almostlocal.riverside.com/newsletter