Tag Archives: emigration

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

The World As We Know It: Local Experience & Global Impact

  In light of recent political events, and the global protests this past weekend, it occurs to me that we immigrants are in a unique position. Having lived for extended periods in at least two cultures we’re able to compare … Continue reading

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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

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

Immigrant Dreams: Fantasies of Prosperity, Happiness, and a Sense of Place

In light of the recent refugee crisis, many of us have had the migrant’s pursuit of happiness and a better life on our minds. But those of us privileged enough to choose emigration, rather than having it forced on us, … Continue reading

Posted in Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Expat Living, Irish Life & Society, Modern Life, Things to See in Ireland, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 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

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

Expat Or Immigrant: What’s In a Name

Recent articles in The Guardian the Wall Street Journal’s “Expat” blog have discussed the racial implications of certain migrants being called “expats”, while others are labeled “immigrants”. That got me thinking. And that’s always a dangerous thing….   Yes, “expat” … Continue reading

Posted in Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Expat Living | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 20 Comments