Category Archives: International Moving

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

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

The Expat’s Guide to Housing: Irish Landlords, Renting & Foreign Property Ownership

One of the first things that expats have to adjust to in their new home is the local outlook towards renting and property ownership. In the U.S. if you don’t own, or aspire to own at some point, you are … Continue reading

Posted in Dublin Life, Emigrant/Immigrant Life, International Moving, Irish Economy, Irish History, Irish Life & Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

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

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

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

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

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

Low Corporate Tax Rates & Attracting Foreign Investment: Is Ireland’s Greatest Asset Its Willingness To Be Controlled By Outsiders

In a recent post about land “ownership”, I remarked that in a country with few resources, Ireland’s land may be its greatest asset. Since that post I’ve questioned that assumption, and done a great deal of thinking about what Ireland, … Continue reading

Posted in Bureaucracy, Immigration & Emigration, International Moving, Irish Economy, Irish Life & Society, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

As Dublin Wakes: Getting to Know Your City At All Times

I am a reluctant morning person. I’m probably at my “best” early in the day, but I like my sleep. My city is the same. While Dublin looks lovely in the morning, it is often up late, and frequently in … Continue reading

Posted in Dublin Life, Home & A Sense of Place, Immigration & Emigration, International Moving, Irish Life & Society, Modern Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

The Privilege of Immigration: The Honor of ‘Elsewhere’

Earlier this month I went back to the United States for both work and family reasons.  On that trip I was reacquainted with a guilty pleasure available exclusively to immigrants.  When asked where I lived, I must admit that I … Continue reading

Posted in Home & A Sense of Place, Immigration & Emigration, International Moving, Irish Life & Society, Modern Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

We Come Bearing Gifts: Immigrant Contributions to Society

When I wrote about  an incident of racial profiling that my wife and I suffered in Dublin, much of the feedback from Irish locals was along the lines of “Well of course we dislike ‘them’ (immigrants).   They’re taking all the … Continue reading

Posted in Dublin Life, Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Home & A Sense of Place, Immigration & Emigration, International Moving, Irish Economy, Irish Life & Society, Modern Life, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments