Abby Avgerinos: An American in Greece with a passion for photography.

Photo by Abby Avgerinos @beyondblueandwhite

Here at All Things Greek we are grateful to Abby Avgerinos for allowing us to use her photos on our homepage. Abby’s photo featured behind the search bar was especially chosen as it is a great depiction of Greece and Hellenism. That blue sky, the white church dome and the Cross are unique key symbols of Greece that any Greek instantly identifies with. All of Abby’s photographs perfectly capture the glorious Greek light, aspects of historic sites but also moments of the modern Greek living.

Abby Avgerinos is an American married to a Greek who recently decided to move their family to Athens, Greece. Along with managing the transition for a family of four, Abby created the rising blog @beyondblueandwhite on Instagram. Abby shares with us the experience of moving to Greece and what inspired her to capture exceptional Greek views on her IG blog. Here is Abby!

All Thing Greek: Hello Abby! We are very pleased to meet you! Tell us a few things about yourself. Where did you grow up?

Abby Avgerinos: Hello all, I am happy to meet you, too! I was born in Pennsylvania, near to Philadelphia, where I grew up on a horse farm. 

ATG: Have you lived in other places other than your hometown?

A.A. : Yes, after finishing school, I moved to NYC for the big city life where I lived for nearly 15 years.

ATG: While in USA, were you working outside the home?

A.A. : I am a Nurse Practitioner, however after having 2 small children, I am now a stay-at-home mom living in Greece!

ATG: That’s a full time job! When was the first time you visited Greece? How was that experience?

A.A.: My first time visiting Greece was in 2013.  It was a whirlwind 2 ½ week trip!  We visited 3 islands. Santorini, Mykonos, and Andros. Also, Athens, Galaxidi, Nafpaktos, Delphi, and Arachova!

ATG: That is indeed a great introduction to Greece! When did you relocate to Greece? What made you decide to make the move?

A.A.: We permanently moved to Greece in the summer of 2020. My husband is a native Athenian who had moved to NYC in his 20s for his medical training.  After having 2 small children we decided to make the move to Greece for a better family lifestyle. 

ATG: How was the transition? Do you feel settled in?

A.A.: Of course, every transition and big international move comes with stressors and difficulties, however luckily, we have a very supportive family close by to help and I have managed to meet a great group of friends.

ATG: How is your Greek? Is it easy for you to communicate in your everyday life?

A.A.: I can communicate in basic everyday life things. I have been taking lessons once a week so with time, I hope to become more fluent!

ATG: How do Greeks treat you?

A.A.: Greece is such a warm and friendly country that I have to say, with a few rare exceptions, I have been treated very well here! 

ATG: What fascinates you in Greece and what puts you off?

A.A.: You can’t beat the climate and I love that I can drive 10 minutes and hike in the mountains or drive 25 minutes and swim in the sea!  The food is fantastic and so fresh.  What puts me off is the traffic and lack of parking.

ATG: What is one thing you miss from home?

A.A.: Of course, I miss my friends and family back home this most.  I also miss being able to communicate freely everywhere I go.  I miss the bagels and pizza from NYC! 

ATG: You are also a blogger. How did @beyondblueandwhite Instagram come about?

A.A.: I have always loved photography and collected photos from my travels all over the world.  After we moved to Greece, I decided to start my blog as a hobby to share with the Instagram world my travels around Greece while including some interesting facts and travel tips! 

ATG: Great idea! Your Instagram blog is quicky gaining significant audience. What do you think makes it appealing to so many?

A.A.: To me it is a great place to come and learn about Greece!  I share all my favorite places I have been while including information about that place or an interesting fact or its historical significance.  Hopefully beautiful pictures of beautiful places helps too!

ATG: What do you wish to achieve through your blog?

A.A.: For me, my blog is a hobby and a place to share and showcase my photos!  I hope to be able to inspire people to come and visit Greece and to learn about new places throughout the country. 

ATG: Are you the sole photographer for your blog?

A.A.: I am!  All photos are taken only by me!

ATG: If someone has never come across @beyondblueandwhite how would you describe it?

A.A.: Beyond Blue and White is a travel photography blog featuring places all over Greece!

ATG: What was your best experience that you captured through your lens for your blog?

A.A.: While driving to Balos Beach in Crete we were greeted by friendly Kri-Kri goats that came right up to our car so was able to get some great up-close shots!

ATG: Is it difficult to keep up with your blog? How much energy does it consume from your daily life?

A.A.: When I first started in January of 2021, I made a goal to post every single day.  Now that my blog is slightly more established, I post when I have something great to share!  It does take time to research facts, but I like that I am learning more about places through this process. 

ATG: Would you advise your closest friend to move to Greece?

A.A.: It really depends on your life situation, your career, your openness to new cultures.  It definitely is not for everyone, but for the right people it can be a great lifestyle and of course, you can’t beat the Greek summers!  

ATG: If that friend visited you in Greece for the first time, what is the first place you would take them to see and why?

A.A.: What Athens is known for!  The Acropolis! 

ATG: Also, what food would you advise to try first?

A.A.: Souvlaki! 

ATG: What is the major difference between the Greek and the American way of life?

A.A.: American life is much more organized, and people plan for things far in advance.  Here [in Greece] life is way more relaxed.

ATG: What is your favorite photograph on you blog so far and why?

A.A.: We were in Nafplio strolling along the water and the sky was just beautiful that evening!  I captured a shot of an old wooden boat with the Bourtzi fortress in the background.  The colors in the photo are just gorgeous!

ATG: Your photos are featured on the home page of All Things Greek. How did this collaboration happen?

A.A.: All Things Greek heard about my blog through a mutual friend and they graciously reached out and asked to feature my photography for their new website! 

ATG: Do you feel All Things Greek is a tool you would use if you were still in the USA?

A.A.: I think it is fantastic and now that I live in Greece and am used to the food and products here [Greece] I will be using All Things Greek when I am in the US to help me locate these products!

ATG: Thank you Abby for your time! We enjoyed learning more about you and @beyondblueandwhite.

You can follow Abby and her Instagram blog here: Beyond Blue and White (@beyondblueandwhite).