Category Archives: Immigration & Emigration

Waiting: The Naturalization Shuffle

Posted on June 27, 2017 by Glenn Kaufmann

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

Immigrant Awareness: American Isolation, Social Media, and Brexit

Posted on July 12, 2016 by Glenn Kaufmann

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

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

Posted on September 29, 2015 by Glenn Kaufmann

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

The Company you Keep: Celebrating Immigrant Differences

Posted on August 21, 2015 by Glenn Kaufmann

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

Expat Ambassadors: How Migrants Answer For Their Home Countries

Posted on December 11, 2014 by Glenn Kaufmann

Given recent events, I’ve found myself watching from afar and wondering if we migrants (immigrants and emigrants) will ever be free of national accountability. Will there come a time when we won’t be called on to explain the actions (“right”, … Continue reading →

Posted in Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Expat Living, Home & A Sense of Place, Immigration & Emigration | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

Love You From Afar: An Expat’s View Of Change At Home

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Glenn Kaufmann

For expats knowing where (and what) “home” is can be difficult. For many of us, we’re not really “locals” yet, but we aren’t really part of that place we came from anymore either. We’ve moved on. It/they have moved on. … Continue reading →

Posted in Dublin Life, Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Expat Living, Home & A Sense of Place, Immigration & Emigration, International Moving | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Playing the Skins: The Expat’s Second Chance At Life

Posted on September 22, 2014 by Glenn Kaufmann

As adults we rarely get the chance for a “do over”. When you move overseas, you are, to a greater or lesser extent, given the chance to change who you are. You can try on different masks, and be someone … Continue reading →

Posted in Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Immigration & Emigration, International Moving, Modern Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

I Am Moved By Water: Water and the Flow Of Migrants

Posted on August 13, 2014 by Glenn Kaufmann

I am moved, even haunted, by water. For me, the sea, lakes, rivers, canals, and streams have always had a special, almost mystical, pull. I am an infrequent sailor, an abysmal paddler, and a romantic wannabe live-aboarder. My life is … Continue reading →

Posted in Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Home & A Sense of Place, Immigration & Emigration, International Moving | Tagged , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

The Song Of My People: The Expat’s Guide to Foreign Language

Posted on July 16, 2014 by Glenn Kaufmann

For anyone traveling overseas, speaking the local language is not just useful, but may well save his or her life. For expats and immigrants, threading the needle of “becoming a local” (if that’s even possible) involves picking up not just … Continue reading →

Posted in Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Health Care, Immigration & Emigration, International Moving, Irish Life & Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Stone Fences: Struggle, Sacrifice, and the Expat Life & Legacy

Posted on June 28, 2014 by Glenn Kaufmann

For the past week I’ve spent an hour or so every day digging in the garden, preparing a 4-foot by two-foot patch of ground for planting. Ever day, as I pull dozens and dozens of stones from the ground, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Dublin Life, Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Immigration & Emigration, International Moving, Irish Countryside, Irish History, Irish Life & Society, Modern Life, Things to See in Ireland | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments