Category Archives: Dublin Life

I Thought Having the Paper Would Help: Meditations on NOT Being Irish

First, my deepest apologies for not writing sooner, and particularly for not writing in the lead up to my naturalization ceremony (originally postponed due to the hurricane, and ten rescheduled and executed in late November). So, yes, I am now … Continue reading

Posted in Dublin Life, Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Europe, Expat Living, Naturalization | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Waiting: The Naturalization Shuffle

Apologies for the six-month delay in posting, but I’ve been waiting for my citizenship paperwork to go through, and hoped to be able to write about being a citizen for my next post. Alas, it was not to be.  I’m … Continue reading

Posted in Bureaucracy, Dublin Life, Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Expat Living, Immigration & Emigration | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Multiculturalism and This Immigrant

Apologies for taking so long to post something, but it’s been a busy couple of months. In August I returned to filmmaking, my first love, and was fortunate enough to put together an amazing team of people to shoot most … Continue reading

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Immigrant Awareness: American Isolation, Social Media, and Brexit

It seems all too obvious that living in another country would, or should, increase our awareness of the world; but I was not prepared for how much it would open my eyes not just about the rest of the world, … Continue reading

Posted in Dublin Life, Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Europe, Expat Living, Immigration & Emigration, Modern Life, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Everything Is Ireland’s Fault: Or Why I’m a Bad Immigrant

Hey, Ireland, I’ll let you in on a little secret. As much crap as you talk about the immigrants within your borders, we talk about you too. Even after nearly five years of living in Dublin, a town I’ve grown … Continue reading

Posted in Dublin Life, Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Expat Living, Friends & Family, Home & A Sense of Place | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Dublin Versus Paris: An Immigrant’s Guide to Choosing A City

For those of us who are predisposed to emigration, I think there is a danger that we’ll always live with one eye fixed on distant shores. I’ll admit that “where to next” is always on my mind in some way. … Continue reading

Posted in Dublin Life, Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Europe, Expat Living, Home & A Sense of Place | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Getting On With It: Lessons in Making A Life

One of the things that simultaneously aggravates and inspires me is the Irish notion of, “It’ll be grand”, of just getting on with it, and making do. It seems so casual and whimsical, but “getting on with it” has made … Continue reading

Posted in Dublin Life, Expat Living, Home & A Sense of Place, Irish Countryside, Irish History, Irish Life & Society, Pubs | Tagged , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Out in the Country: Big Lessons From a Small Place

As a self-confessed city person, I admit that I tend to think of most countries as big cities with a few other places scattered in between. But Ireland has, as with so many things, helped me see the error of … Continue reading

Posted in Dublin Life, Expat Living, Home & A Sense of Place, Irish Countryside | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Thanksgiving in Ireland: The Importance of Sharing Old Traditions and Making New Ones

Each year around Thanksgiving I’m amazed at how many of the Irish I meet are familiar with American Thanksgiving traditions. I know that’s not a typical immigrant experience. Ireland and the U.S. are unnaturally close. But I am heartened to … Continue reading

Posted in Dublin Attractions, Dublin Life, Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Expat Living, Home & A Sense of Place, Irish History, Irish Life & Society, Pubs, Things to See in Ireland | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Company you Keep: Celebrating Immigrant Differences

In the ex-pat community you often hear people say that to have a true local experience you shouldn’t hang out with other immigrants, particularly your own kind (Americans if you’re American, the French if you’re from Paris, etc.). “Buswah”, I … Continue reading

Posted in Dublin Attractions, Dublin Life, Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Immigration & Emigration | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments