n Santorini, where the earth won’t stop trembling, some have chosen to stay. It’s not a matter of luck or misfortune but a conscious decision to continue their lives despite the uncertainty. Some stay because they have responsibilities they cannot abandon, while others refuse to fear the tremors, having endured even harsher trials in life.

On an island facing unprecedented seismic storms, these are the people who stand firm, insisting that life doesn’t stop just because the ground shakes.

Jenny Bagia: “I Had the Choice to Leave, But I Stayed”

Jenny Bagia, 20, works as a receptionist at De Sol, year-round. She had the choice to leave—either for Athens or for her family home in Albania.

“At first, the situation wasn’t too worrying, and it never even crossed my mind to leave,” she says. “But now that things are getting worse, I have second thoughts.”

Like many others, she is used to earthquakes—“but not this often,” she emphasizes. Some of her relatives have already left the island, yet for now, she chooses to stay. For her, life in Santorini goes on, even if the ground beneath her feet refuses to stay still.

Antonis Koronios: “What Should I Fear at My Age?”

At 74 years old, Antonis Koronios never once considered leaving Santorini. Born and raised on the island, he isn’t afraid of the earthquakes. After all, he lived through the massive 1956 quake when, as a child, he slept in a tent in the fields with his family.

Today, his only companion is Markos, his donkey—and for him, that’s enough.

“I have my animals. Should I just abandon them? Who will take care of them?” he says with the certainty of a man who has learned to live in a place where the earth is never completely stable. “What should I fear at my age? Not the volcano, not the earthquake—nothing.”

If anything worries him, it’s not the earth shaking—it’s the changes in society.

“I fear for my grandchildren—not because of earthquakes, we can handle those. But because of all the criminals roaming around. That’s what really scares me.”

Sophia Athanasiadou: “I Stayed Because I Have a Duty—To My Job and My Community”

Sophia Athanasiadou has lived and worked in Santorini for 21 years. We met her on the veranda of U & M Suites in Firostefani, with the caldera stretching out before her—a seemingly still landscape, yet never truly motionless.

The hotel hangs on the edge of a cliff, but she remains calm. Even when earthquakes became a daily occurrence, she never thought of leaving.

“I stayed because I have a responsibility—both in my job and as a citizen,” she states firmly. “I don’t want to leave my guests without someone to assist them. I know what to do in case of an earthquake—I’ve attended first-aid seminars and can help if necessary. I understand the Talos emergency plan and the seriousness of the situation.”

Even though she chose to stay, she made a difficult decision: She sent her children (aged 13 and 14) to Athens for safety.

“Yesterday, they flew to Athens to stay with family friends. But my husband and I remained. We are here for our guests.”