Nick Athanassiadis
@nickfl2.bsky.social
Raised in Athens on strong coffee and mysterious recipes, 30 years in the U.S. taught me stories and irony. I write about life’s absurdities, Greek sun, laughter, and the little moments that make it unforgettable.
“I’m five minutes away.”
In Greece, this phrase covers anywhere between two blocks and two geological eras.
Today’s essay is about time, distance, freddo stops, cats, and why nobody here seems particularly worried about any of it.
The Mani story is coming.
This one arrived first.
Σιγά σιγά. 💙
In Greece, this phrase covers anywhere between two blocks and two geological eras.
Today’s essay is about time, distance, freddo stops, cats, and why nobody here seems particularly worried about any of it.
The Mani story is coming.
This one arrived first.
Σιγά σιγά. 💙
January 14, 2026 at 5:11 AM
“I’m five minutes away.”
In Greece, this phrase covers anywhere between two blocks and two geological eras.
Today’s essay is about time, distance, freddo stops, cats, and why nobody here seems particularly worried about any of it.
The Mani story is coming.
This one arrived first.
Σιγά σιγά. 💙
In Greece, this phrase covers anywhere between two blocks and two geological eras.
Today’s essay is about time, distance, freddo stops, cats, and why nobody here seems particularly worried about any of it.
The Mani story is coming.
This one arrived first.
Σιγά σιγά. 💙
Somewhere along the way, we upgraded the systems—but forgot to update the humans.
This isn’t a manifesto.
It’s a pause.
New essay out today.
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
This isn’t a manifesto.
It’s a pause.
New essay out today.
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
Somewhere Along the Way, We Lost Ourselves
It’s time to upgrade the operating system—and reboot the humans
open.substack.com
January 9, 2026 at 5:09 AM
Somewhere along the way, we upgraded the systems—but forgot to update the humans.
This isn’t a manifesto.
It’s a pause.
New essay out today.
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
This isn’t a manifesto.
It’s a pause.
New essay out today.
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
Taking out the trash in Greece isn’t really about the trash. It’s about shared space, shared responsibility, and the unspoken agreement that whatever bag is visible definitely isn’t yours. No one argues. No one enforces and we are all participate open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
Taking Out the Trash in Greece
A short meditation on communal bins, shared responsibility, and collective denial
open.substack.com
January 7, 2026 at 5:39 AM
Taking out the trash in Greece isn’t really about the trash. It’s about shared space, shared responsibility, and the unspoken agreement that whatever bag is visible definitely isn’t yours. No one argues. No one enforces and we are all participate open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
If you’ve lived in Greece long enough, you’ve heard of the fakelaki.
If you’ve really lived in Greece, you’ve probably delivered one.
And if you haven’t… you’ve definitely waited longer because of it.
👉 New Substack (no envelope required)
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
If you’ve really lived in Greece, you’ve probably delivered one.
And if you haven’t… you’ve definitely waited longer because of it.
👉 New Substack (no envelope required)
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
Greece’s Little Envelope with Big Secrets
The curious life and afterlife of the fakelaki
open.substack.com
December 19, 2025 at 5:07 AM
If you’ve lived in Greece long enough, you’ve heard of the fakelaki.
If you’ve really lived in Greece, you’ve probably delivered one.
And if you haven’t… you’ve definitely waited longer because of it.
👉 New Substack (no envelope required)
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
If you’ve really lived in Greece, you’ve probably delivered one.
And if you haven’t… you’ve definitely waited longer because of it.
👉 New Substack (no envelope required)
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
If you’re thinking of moving to Greece, here’s what no guidebook tells you:
Addresses are optional. PO Boxes are optimistic. The mailman is the final authority. And if you bring diples, your chances improve dramatically.
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
Addresses are optional. PO Boxes are optimistic. The mailman is the final authority. And if you bring diples, your chances improve dramatically.
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
You've Got Mail! (not this, the other, the snail mail...)
Because leases lie, utilities disagree, and only the mailman knows where I live
open.substack.com
December 17, 2025 at 5:21 AM
If you’re thinking of moving to Greece, here’s what no guidebook tells you:
Addresses are optional. PO Boxes are optimistic. The mailman is the final authority. And if you bring diples, your chances improve dramatically.
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
Addresses are optional. PO Boxes are optimistic. The mailman is the final authority. And if you bring diples, your chances improve dramatically.
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
In Greece, coffee delivery isn’t convenience — it’s culture.
Free machines can’t compete with ritual, foam ratios, and the barista who knows your soul.
☕️ Uber Eats? Cute. Greece Has Freddo Teleportation.
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
Free machines can’t compete with ritual, foam ratios, and the barista who knows your soul.
☕️ Uber Eats? Cute. Greece Has Freddo Teleportation.
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
Uber Eats? Cute. Greece Has Freddo Teleportation.
In America you order tacos at midnight. In Greece, you order freddo cappuccino at 2 a.m.—even if the coffee machine is free and five steps away.
open.substack.com
December 15, 2025 at 5:11 AM
In Greece, coffee delivery isn’t convenience — it’s culture.
Free machines can’t compete with ritual, foam ratios, and the barista who knows your soul.
☕️ Uber Eats? Cute. Greece Has Freddo Teleportation.
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
Free machines can’t compete with ritual, foam ratios, and the barista who knows your soul.
☕️ Uber Eats? Cute. Greece Has Freddo Teleportation.
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
If you think you know Greece, think again.
The real story isn’t in the ruins or the sunsets — it’s in the people who quietly protect them.
New story up now. 🇬🇷
mybigfatfunnylife.substack.com/p/the-quiet-...
The real story isn’t in the ruins or the sunsets — it’s in the people who quietly protect them.
New story up now. 🇬🇷
mybigfatfunnylife.substack.com/p/the-quiet-...
The Quiet Guardians of Greece
The souls who keep a country standing while the rest of us are busy taking pictures of,,, Greece
mybigfatfunnylife.substack.com
December 12, 2025 at 5:08 PM
If you think you know Greece, think again.
The real story isn’t in the ruins or the sunsets — it’s in the people who quietly protect them.
New story up now. 🇬🇷
mybigfatfunnylife.substack.com/p/the-quiet-...
The real story isn’t in the ruins or the sunsets — it’s in the people who quietly protect them.
New story up now. 🇬🇷
mybigfatfunnylife.substack.com/p/the-quiet-...
Kalimera from Kalamata!
One flight. One missing bag. One Russian suitcase scandal. And one Greek tax ID later… I finally got online.
mybigfatfunnylife.substack.com/p/doing-busi...
One flight. One missing bag. One Russian suitcase scandal. And one Greek tax ID later… I finally got online.
mybigfatfunnylife.substack.com/p/doing-busi...
You think Greece is slow now? Wait!
Doing Business in Greece? A 24-Hour Odyssey. Spoiler: WiFi didn’t save anyone.
mybigfatfunnylife.substack.com
December 10, 2025 at 5:07 AM
Kalimera from Kalamata!
One flight. One missing bag. One Russian suitcase scandal. And one Greek tax ID later… I finally got online.
mybigfatfunnylife.substack.com/p/doing-busi...
One flight. One missing bag. One Russian suitcase scandal. And one Greek tax ID later… I finally got online.
mybigfatfunnylife.substack.com/p/doing-busi...
I thought I wrote Important Work™.
Substack said “Adorable. Now, do something stupid.”
Spoiler: I did.
Read more and watch my downfall...
mybigfatfunnylife.substack.com/p/a-deep-div...
Substack said “Adorable. Now, do something stupid.”
Spoiler: I did.
Read more and watch my downfall...
mybigfatfunnylife.substack.com/p/a-deep-div...
Our Analytics Look Like WebMD Took Over Substack.
A scientific study conducted using our Substack stats by one confused Greek man
mybigfatfunnylife.substack.com
December 8, 2025 at 5:19 AM
I thought I wrote Important Work™.
Substack said “Adorable. Now, do something stupid.”
Spoiler: I did.
Read more and watch my downfall...
mybigfatfunnylife.substack.com/p/a-deep-div...
Substack said “Adorable. Now, do something stupid.”
Spoiler: I did.
Read more and watch my downfall...
mybigfatfunnylife.substack.com/p/a-deep-div...
It’s St. Nikolaos Day.
Meaning: I get to do whatever I want, eat whatever I want, and overshare whatever I want.
If this post makes you laugh, perfect.
If not, St. Nikolaos will be accepting complaints from 9:00–9:01 AM.
🎁 Free diples for my Substack subscribers.
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
Meaning: I get to do whatever I want, eat whatever I want, and overshare whatever I want.
If this post makes you laugh, perfect.
If not, St. Nikolaos will be accepting complaints from 9:00–9:01 AM.
🎁 Free diples for my Substack subscribers.
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
Four Nikos, One Building, and a Mountain of Diples
A true story of neighborly confusion, sugar overload, and Balkan-level diplomacy.
open.substack.com
December 6, 2025 at 5:11 AM
It’s St. Nikolaos Day.
Meaning: I get to do whatever I want, eat whatever I want, and overshare whatever I want.
If this post makes you laugh, perfect.
If not, St. Nikolaos will be accepting complaints from 9:00–9:01 AM.
🎁 Free diples for my Substack subscribers.
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
Meaning: I get to do whatever I want, eat whatever I want, and overshare whatever I want.
If this post makes you laugh, perfect.
If not, St. Nikolaos will be accepting complaints from 9:00–9:01 AM.
🎁 Free diples for my Substack subscribers.
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
Everyone asks which Greek island is best.
Nobody is ready for the real answers.
My unapologetically biased guide is live. 🏝️✨
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
Nobody is ready for the real answers.
My unapologetically biased guide is live. 🏝️✨
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
Greek Islands: Which One Is Best?
A completely unhelpful guide you’ll still thank me for later.
open.substack.com
December 5, 2025 at 5:08 AM
Everyone asks which Greek island is best.
Nobody is ready for the real answers.
My unapologetically biased guide is live. 🏝️✨
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
Nobody is ready for the real answers.
My unapologetically biased guide is live. 🏝️✨
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
Five Greek words.
One thousand possible meanings.
All decided by eyebrow angle.
Welcome to advanced Greek linguistics.
New post ⬇️
#MyBigFatFunnyLife #GreekHumor #SigaSiga #Greece
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
Five Greek Words That Mean a Zillion Things
Because in Greece, vocabulary is optional. Eyebrows, however, are mandatory.
open.substack.com
December 3, 2025 at 5:14 AM
Five Greek words.
One thousand possible meanings.
All decided by eyebrow angle.
Welcome to advanced Greek linguistics.
New post ⬇️
#MyBigFatFunnyLife #GreekHumor #SigaSiga #Greece
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
Ever tried reading a Greek electricity bill?
It’s like Greek mythology: dramatic, confusing, and full of hidden monsters.
I cracked the code so you don’t have to. ⚡️🇬🇷
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
It’s like Greek mythology: dramatic, confusing, and full of hidden monsters.
I cracked the code so you don’t have to. ⚡️🇬🇷
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
Cracking the Code of the Greek Electricity Bill
How 444 kWh turned into a national fundraiser for garbage trucks, TV soaps, and wind turbines.
open.substack.com
December 1, 2025 at 5:13 AM
Ever tried reading a Greek electricity bill?
It’s like Greek mythology: dramatic, confusing, and full of hidden monsters.
I cracked the code so you don’t have to. ⚡️🇬🇷
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
It’s like Greek mythology: dramatic, confusing, and full of hidden monsters.
I cracked the code so you don’t have to. ⚡️🇬🇷
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
Black Friday in Greece:
Adopt the name, ignore the meaning, keep the discounts.
A flawless business model, honestly.
New story up on Substack.
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
Adopt the name, ignore the meaning, keep the discounts.
A flawless business model, honestly.
New story up on Substack.
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
It's Black Friday baby! Wait, what???
Huge Sales, Zero Clue. Perfect.
open.substack.com
November 28, 2025 at 10:10 AM
Black Friday in Greece:
Adopt the name, ignore the meaning, keep the discounts.
A flawless business model, honestly.
New story up on Substack.
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
Adopt the name, ignore the meaning, keep the discounts.
A flawless business model, honestly.
New story up on Substack.
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
Greek literalness meets New York subtext.
Somehow… still married.
Read the saga.
mybigfatfunnylife.substack.com/p/you-are-so...
mybigfatfunnylife.substack.com/p/you-are-so...
You are so literal! What do you mean?
A 25-Year Marriage of Translation, Negotiation, and Mild Havoc
mybigfatfunnylife.substack.com
November 28, 2025 at 5:55 AM
Greek literalness meets New York subtext.
Somehow… still married.
Read the saga.
mybigfatfunnylife.substack.com/p/you-are-so...
mybigfatfunnylife.substack.com/p/you-are-so...
Two nations. Two humor systems. Zero synchronized laughter.
Greek jokes need context. American jokes need none.
Cue the chaos.
mybigfatfunnylife.substack.com/p/when-greek...
Greek jokes need context. American jokes need none.
Cue the chaos.
mybigfatfunnylife.substack.com/p/when-greek...
When Greeks and Americans Try to Be Funny: Two Worlds, One Big Misunderstanding
Where sarcasm, roosters, and political correctness collide, and only one survives.
mybigfatfunnylife.substack.com
November 26, 2025 at 5:10 AM
Two nations. Two humor systems. Zero synchronized laughter.
Greek jokes need context. American jokes need none.
Cue the chaos.
mybigfatfunnylife.substack.com/p/when-greek...
Greek jokes need context. American jokes need none.
Cue the chaos.
mybigfatfunnylife.substack.com/p/when-greek...
After 18 months, endless signatures, up and down stairs, and three nervous breakdowns, Greece finally said:
“OK, fine… you can stay.”
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
“OK, fine… you can stay.”
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
I Didn’t Move to Greece for a Job. EFKA Gave Me One Anyway
How We Climbed Bureaucratic Olympus, Met Zeus, and Defeated the Ypiresía
open.substack.com
November 24, 2025 at 5:30 AM
After 18 months, endless signatures, up and down stairs, and three nervous breakdowns, Greece finally said:
“OK, fine… you can stay.”
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
“OK, fine… you can stay.”
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
Love + lawsuits + 17 liters of olive oil.
I promise, this one is very Greek and very real.
New post out now.
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
I promise, this one is very Greek and very real.
New post out now.
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
Love, Lawsuits, and 17 Liters of Olive Oil
The long, expensive, and occasionally ridiculous history of the Greek dowry.
open.substack.com
November 21, 2025 at 5:12 AM
Love + lawsuits + 17 liters of olive oil.
I promise, this one is very Greek and very real.
New post out now.
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
I promise, this one is very Greek and very real.
New post out now.
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
In Greece the Ypiresía blames you. In the U.S. the computer blames itself. Meanwhile, I’m just trying to renew something without crying.
#MyBigFatFunnyLife #GreekBureaucracy #GreekLife #SigaSigaLife #GreekAmerican #DiasporaDiaries #OnlyInGreece #PaperworkParade
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
#MyBigFatFunnyLife #GreekBureaucracy #GreekLife #SigaSigaLife #GreekAmerican #DiasporaDiaries #OnlyInGreece #PaperworkParade
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
One Country Blames You. The Other Blames a Machine. Guess Which One Feels Worse.
The Fault of the Ypiresía vs. The Fault of the Computer. How Greece invented the mythical scapegoat, and America just digitized it
open.substack.com
November 19, 2025 at 5:09 AM
In Greece the Ypiresía blames you. In the U.S. the computer blames itself. Meanwhile, I’m just trying to renew something without crying.
#MyBigFatFunnyLife #GreekBureaucracy #GreekLife #SigaSigaLife #GreekAmerican #DiasporaDiaries #OnlyInGreece #PaperworkParade
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
#MyBigFatFunnyLife #GreekBureaucracy #GreekLife #SigaSigaLife #GreekAmerican #DiasporaDiaries #OnlyInGreece #PaperworkParade
open.substack.com/pub/mybigfat...
They said: “Move to Greece, eat healthy, live longer.”
They forgot: “Prepare for nonstop baklava ambushes.”
Here’s the real Mediterranean Diet. 🍯😅
#MediterraneanDiet #GreekDesserts
mybigfatfunnylife.substack.com/p/the-sweet-...
They forgot: “Prepare for nonstop baklava ambushes.”
Here’s the real Mediterranean Diet. 🍯😅
#MediterraneanDiet #GreekDesserts
mybigfatfunnylife.substack.com/p/the-sweet-...
The Sweet Truth About the Mediterranean Diet
Because somewhere between olive oil and syrup, Greece took a wrong (or very right) turn.
mybigfatfunnylife.substack.com
November 17, 2025 at 5:18 AM
They said: “Move to Greece, eat healthy, live longer.”
They forgot: “Prepare for nonstop baklava ambushes.”
Here’s the real Mediterranean Diet. 🍯😅
#MediterraneanDiet #GreekDesserts
mybigfatfunnylife.substack.com/p/the-sweet-...
They forgot: “Prepare for nonstop baklava ambushes.”
Here’s the real Mediterranean Diet. 🍯😅
#MediterraneanDiet #GreekDesserts
mybigfatfunnylife.substack.com/p/the-sweet-...
Discover the secret life of Greek plastic bags! 🛍️ From trash to treasure, these bags have more lives than a cat. Dive into the hilarity of Greek cabinets in My Big Fat Funny Life. 😂🇬🇷
mybigfatfunnylife.substack.com/p/the-eterna... #GreekLife #Humor
mybigfatfunnylife.beehiiv.com/p/the-eterna...
mybigfatfunnylife.substack.com/p/the-eterna... #GreekLife #Humor
mybigfatfunnylife.beehiiv.com/p/the-eterna...
The Eternal Greek Plastic Bag
Because in Greece, nothing is ever really thrown away
mybigfatfunnylife.substack.com
November 14, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Discover the secret life of Greek plastic bags! 🛍️ From trash to treasure, these bags have more lives than a cat. Dive into the hilarity of Greek cabinets in My Big Fat Funny Life. 😂🇬🇷
mybigfatfunnylife.substack.com/p/the-eterna... #GreekLife #Humor
mybigfatfunnylife.beehiiv.com/p/the-eterna...
mybigfatfunnylife.substack.com/p/the-eterna... #GreekLife #Humor
mybigfatfunnylife.beehiiv.com/p/the-eterna...