{"id":20747,"date":"2025-06-16T11:36:21","date_gmt":"2025-06-16T09:36:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grtraveller.gr\/?p=20747"},"modified":"2025-06-16T11:40:48","modified_gmt":"2025-06-16T09:40:48","slug":"20747","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grtraveller.gr\/en\/20747\/","title":{"rendered":"Elita and Vallia, creators of the Gen Z(en) podcast | Our generation is nostalgic \u2013 we want to look back a little, just to find meaning ahead"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Elita and Vallia, creators of the Gen Z(en)<\/em> podcast, in conversation with Lillian Psylla<\/strong><\/h4>\n

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How did two girls from Chania\u2014strangers to each other\u2014end up not only sharing a flat in London, but also their dreams, the worries of an entire generation, and eventually, a microphone? Elita and Vallia share with GRtraveller<\/em> the story behind their podcast, Gen Z(en)<\/em>, giving voice to their generation\u2014loudly, yet without shouting.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

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What was the spark that turned two \u201cstrangers\u201d into flatmates, collaborators and, finally, co-creators of Gen Z(en)<\/em>?<\/strong>
Although we both grew up in Chania, we didn\u2019t know each other. Life, however, had other plans. We both ended up at the LSE the same year. Our parents were friends, and through them we got in touch to help each other look for a place to live. The most practical solution was to move in together.
We weren\u2019t friends yet. That came gradually\u2014through late-night chats about the future, loneliness, money, and how much we missed our parents. After graduating, we made a promise: to keep talking, but this time to record our conversations and share them with others. That\u2019s how Gen Z(en)<\/em> began.<\/p>\n

You moved to London full of dreams. How did that journey reshape your view of Greece and the idea of \u201chome\u201d?<\/strong>
Elita realised early on that London didn\u2019t quite suit her. She missed the warmth and romance of Athens. Vallia, on the other hand, fell in love with the city\u2014but once she started working, she longed for the light and energy of Greece. In different ways and at different paces, we both came to realise just how much we value our home country.<\/p>\n


“Technology gave us infinite possibilities\u2014and a great deal of loneliness.”<\/em><\/span><\/h3>\n

What does \u201cZen\u201d mean to you\u2014and why did you choose that name for a podcast representing a generation that\u2019s anything but zen?<\/strong>
Exactly for that reason! It\u2019s ironic. Instead of living carefree, we\u2019re filled with anxiety, uncertainty, and psychosomatic stress. We\u2019re not zen\u2014at least, not yet. But we live with the hope that someday we\u2019ll get there.<\/p>\n

You were born into technology and raised through crises. What does that mean for the way you communicate, work and envision your future?<\/strong>
Technology has given us infinite possibilities\u2014and deep loneliness. We struggle to communicate meaningfully, to negotiate, to assert ourselves. Social media floods us with information and constant comparison. Somewhere in the chaos, we lose touch with what we truly want.<\/p>\n

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What are the biggest clich\u00e9s you hear about your generation, and how do you challenge them through your content?<\/strong>
That we\u2019re lazy. In truth, we were shaped by crises\u2014economic, health-related, geopolitical. We have endless options, but that often leads to overwhelm. And social media intensifies the pressure. Through Gen Z(en)<\/em>, we explore these topics with honesty and empathy.<\/p>\n

If you were to design a \u201cGen Z(en) road trip\u201d across Greece, where would you go and what would you want to highlight?<\/strong>
We\u2019d skip the obvious tourist hotspots and choose authentic, traditional places\u2014somewhere we could reconnect with what\u2019s local, calm, and real. Our generation is nostalgic; we look back to find meaning going forward. The ultimate Gen Z(en)<\/em> road trip? Crete. Not just because we\u2019re from there, but because every stop is an experience: dreamlike beaches, raki in mountain villages, festivals and local feasts.<\/p>\n

Do you think Greek tourism truly understands the needs of the new generation of travellers? What\u2019s missing and what needs to change?<\/strong>
We\u2019re not just about beach bars and pools. We crave connection\u2014to nature, to food, to people. Greece lacks hostels and co-living optio<\/p>\n

ns. We want innovative solutions: car sharing, communal stays. We\u2019re looking for experiences\u2014not just holidays.<\/p>\n

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What\u2019s your dream for the evolution of Gen Z(en)<\/em>? Are you thinking about video, live events or even reaching an international audience?<\/strong>We started with zero expectations, and now we\u2019re part of pod.gr<\/em>. From our laptop, we made it to the studio. Next up: live events\u2014to meet our community in real life. An international audience isn\u2019t in the plan yet, but we never say never. We go with the flow\u2014always guided by our vision.<\/p>\n

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Have you ever felt that older generations don\u2019t take your voice seriously? How do you claim your place in public discourse?<\/strong>
We have\u2014especially in professional spaces. Our answer is this: knowledge. When you come with arguments, integrity and evidence, you create space\u2014even where none exists. Our academic background and professional growth give us the confidence to be heard.<\/p>\n

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What would you say to a younger member of Gen Z who feels like their voice doesn\u2019t matter?<\/strong>
Don\u2019t give up. Believe in yourself\u2014even when it\u2019s hard. Invest in knowledge and learn to express yourself with substance and respect. Sometimes, it\u2019s not that your voice doesn\u2019t matter\u2014it\u2019s just that you\u2019re in the wrong room. Find or create the space that hears you. And remember: you don\u2019t need to shout to be heard. You just need to know what you\u2019re saying\u2014and why.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0 Elita and Vallia, creators of the Gen Z(en) podcast, in conversation with Lillian Psylla   How did two girls from Chania\u2014strangers to each other\u2014end up not only sharing a flat in London, but also their dreams, the worries of an entire generation, and eventually, a microphone? Elita and Vallia share with GRtraveller the story…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":20758,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[140,148],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20747","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-personalities","category-podcasts-en"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/grtraveller.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20747","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/grtraveller.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/grtraveller.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grtraveller.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grtraveller.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20747"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/grtraveller.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20747\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20755,"href":"https:\/\/grtraveller.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20747\/revisions\/20755"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grtraveller.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20758"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/grtraveller.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20747"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grtraveller.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20747"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grtraveller.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20747"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}