Category Archives: Europe

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

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

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

A Better World: The Refugee Crisis and What It Says About Us

I regularly refer to immigrants, emigrants, migrants, and refugees in this blog. And, to some extent that last category has always been a somewhat obligatory attempt to cover all bases. And to my mind, true refugees have, until recently, seemed … Continue reading

Posted in Bureaucracy, Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Europe, Home & A Sense of Place, Immigration & Emigration, Irish Life & Society, Modern Life, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Foreign & Domestic: Expat Loyalty & The European Union

Shortly after moving to Dublin, as I started to learn more about the EU, I began to hear locals speak of the U.S. and its Federal Reserve banking system in lofty terms. It seems that out here on the fringes … Continue reading

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