Meet the Travel Writer
We Talk to Athens Resident Katie Silcox
Hi to all our readers
This week we’re bringing you another interview that won’t be appearing on the website. It’s with a travel writer who has lived in Greece for the last five years, Katie Silcox.
Katie Silcox has written about Greece for various publications including Condé Nast Traveler, Time Out and Citizen Femme (of which she is also Managing Editor). She has lived in Greece for five years and currently lives in Athens.
You’ve lived in Greece for five years. Has it always been in Athens?
Yes, it’s always been Athens. I like to think of myself as someone suited to island life and Greece is an ideal place to live out that vision, but in reality I’m not sure I could do it. I need the energy and buzz of a big city, both of which Athens has in spades, alongside some wonderful beaches along its southern coastline. For me, it’s the best of both.
How did living in Greece come about?
I’ve been somewhat of a global nomad for 12 years now; Greece is the latest in a list of countries I’ve lived in. I first came to Greece to volunteer in a refugee camp and the plan was to stay for three months initially but I loved it here, and have ended up staying much longer.
How long have you been travel writing?
Amongst other things, since 2007.
What other work do you do?
A lot! A large portion of my time today is as a writer and editor for Citizen Femme, as well as with other travel and lifestyle publications as a freelancer – but I’ve also spent time working as a photo editor and shoot producer for Condé Nast (Traveller, GQ and Architectural Digest), on strategy and content plans for tourist boards and travel tour operators, and working in communications and project management for corporate brands. Though varied, most of the work I’ve done has had a travel spin.
What are the best things about being a travel writer?
The obvious answer would be to say the travel opportunities which is – in part – true. But I also truly love writing and always have done. As a child at school, story-writing assignments were my favourite and I would spend hours on them, filling up page after page of my exercise books. I can’t say the same for some of the other subjects, such as maths and science…
And the down side?
Never really getting a holiday! Most of my travel is for work, which I love. But on the rare occasion I try to take an actual holiday – an actual break – it’s almost impossible. I’m constantly looking around me: at the hotel, the people, the life on the streets, the food, the street art, the museum art…the list goes on. There’s a story idea on every corner. But honestly, I know I can’t complain.
What have been some of the most exciting and enjoyable trips you’ve done?
This is such a tough question and my answer would probably differ depending on when you ask me – and where I’ve just come back from. Towards the end of 2023 I travelled to Japan for the second time; my first visit was in 2006 and it was also the very first country I visited in Asia. It was wonderful to return after so many years, and to meet friends who live there. During my 2006 visit we partied hard together, this time I was able to meet their wives, husbands and children which was really special.
I also loved being one of the first journalists to stay at the brand new, incredibly impressive One&Only Aesthesis on the Athens Riviera – this part of Athens is developing very quickly with wonderful places to stay opening up in quite quick succession. In 2024 so far, it’s Amsterdam which wasn’t a work trip; I met my mum and sister there to celebrate my mum’s birthday.
What are the pros and cons of living in Athens as a travel writer?
Not only is Greece a wonderful country to travel and explore (for both work and pleasure), it’s also in a really excellent location for international travel. Located on the eastern edge of Europe, it has easy access to the continent as well as to the Middle East and Africa. I’ve also found that being here means that Greece has naturally become a niche within the industry for me, and that publications approach me with travel writing projects focusing on the country.
However, I feel that there’s less of an ‘industry community’ here than in other places I’ve called home. There’s a large and active digital nomad community in Athens, with people from all manner of professional fields, but I’ve generally found more of a camaraderie between travel industry and journalist peers in other places I’ve lived than I do here, reinforced in those cities through industry events and meetups.
And what are the pros and cons of living in Athens generally?
The lifestyle and mindset of Athenians – and Greeks in general – is a huge pro for me. Although it’s the Greek capital, there’s more of a warmth and a laid back approach to life, work, and everything in between, than you’ll find in other capital cities. As someone prone to putting all my time and energy into work, it’s taught me a lesson or two about enjoying life outside of it. It helps that there is a huge stretch of easily-accessible beach along the city’s southern coastline, that I’ll often visit for downtime with a good book.
Delicious Greek food is also a major plus point (seriously, walk into any of the many tavernas dotting the city and you’ll find it), but I’d also say food is one of the cons – the lack of decent international cuisine has been hard for me. Some might say the city and the way it operates is a bit chaotic and haphazard too, and they’d be right, but I thrive off of that – and it’s not as hectic as some of the other places I’ve lived!
You seem to be a bit of a nomad so tell us about some of the other places you’ve
lived.
My first move out of the UK (where I am from) was to Mumbai, India. I’d applied for a full-time position with Condé Nast Traveller India and, to my surprise, I interviewed, received the job offer, managed to get my visa, and moved from London within a month! I’d never been to India at the time, and nor did I know anyone there. To say it was a leap of faith is probably an understatement – but it’s also the best thing I ever did, and I’ve never looked back. Since then I’ve lived in and worked for travel and lifestyle magazines, guidebooks and websites in the UAE, Sri Lanka, and now, Greece.
Are you settled in Athens or will you get itchy feet again?
The latter. I love it here, and am sure I always would – if I could stay put. But, as my above answer proves, that’s just not the case. Watch this space.
And finally, where in Greece would you like to get to this year?
So many places. There’s so much to see and do in Greece that even after five years of living here, I still feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface (though two of those five years – 2020 and 2021 – were of course spent mainly in my apartment). Top of my mind right now are the islands of Kastelorizo and Folegandros as well as much of the north of the country, including the Macedonia region, the city of Thessaloniki, and the Halkidiki peninsulas
Website: katie-silcox.com
Instagram: instagram.com/katiesilcox
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/katiesilcox
And that’s it for this week. Till next time, Yia Mas!
Mike and Donna
Great interview! I ended up following her on Instagram - Greece is one of my favorite places in the world.