As Kim contemplates her forty-ninth birthday and reflects on her life here on Zakynthos, she expresses disbelief that twenty-six years have passed since the day she arrived; bulging suitcases clutched to her sides and the unwavering conviction of youth that everything is possible – she remembers it like it was yesterday.

Her departure worried her parents and shocked friends, what had possessed Kim to turn her back on a promising career in the fashionable world of publishing with London firm Hienmann.  Of course, it was a man - Georgos Voutos.  Kim’s actions typify her single-minded attitude and there is no arguing with her pragmatic approach.  Kim had set her heart on marrying this man.

Zakynthos was gently waking to the trickle of tourists; on the surface, the island rippled in anticipation of a tourist swell and the accompanying wealth promoted a feeling of optimism in the entrepreneurial while wary undercurrents stirred the traditionalists.  At that time island life and living was little more than fundamental;  for newcomers like Kim swapping the highlife for the simple life proved a daily challenge.  Her love affair with Georgos and his island did not make the ‘back to basics’ existence any easier to accept although she understood this went with the territory.  They lived out of one small room without a kitchen, no hot water or heating and under the scrutiny of her future in-laws and the intense gaze of the local community.

Interestingly a recent study of people living abroad suggests that foreigners who adapt to different cultures undergo a psychological transformation that apparently broadens their creative abilities to problem solve more efficiently than non-immigrants.  This could be true of Kim who, in order to marry Georgos  underwent an intense two month initiation into the orthodox faith culminating in her baptism in St Dennis church where she was required to climb in to the font!

The family grew by two with the birth of Harry and two years later Angela – business was blossoming too.  Hard work, sacrifice and compromise paid what was due and by 1996, Kim was expanding the Voutos business empire of bars and restaurant to include holiday rooms, pool and bar.  It was during this time that Ch4 approached her to take part in a TV documentary Island of Dreams about the clash of cultures faced by British women married to Zakynthian men.  The concept was subtly sold and Kim agreed to take part.  Unless you know Kim exceptionally well, this is a topic to steer well clear of.  The portrayal of Kim’s supposed discord with her parents in-law was a clever trick of biased editing that has left Kim feeling betrayed years after the event.

Today the island is a million miles away from Kim’s first years – it is a place transformed by time and tourism , Kim is all too aware that she is changed also.  She has long overcome the culture shock, learnt to understand the people, values, culture and history of Zakynthos.

Kim inspects her new family home, and excitedly visualises the library room – her dream retreat overlooking the resort of Alykes. This has been her cherished goal, her ‘happy ending’ to a love story that started over two and half decades ago.  Unfortunately, the house stands unfinished.  Kim has taken the practical decision to hold off completion until the economy stabilises, instead concentrating on the family businesses.  In Kim’s own words “I’ve waited this long, a little longer wont make much difference and I know that good things come to those who wait”.

It seems that perhaps they do , Happy Birthday Kim