Tag Archives: nationality

Patriot Games: Watching the Olympics in a New Country

For the last month or so, watching the Olympics and thinking more and more about life in a new country, I’ve found myself contemplating loyalty to country and differences between patriotism and nationalism. When you grow up in America watching … Continue reading

Posted in Dublin Life, Home & A Sense of Place, Irish Life & Society, Modern Life | Tagged , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

The First Year

The first year living overseas is both an exciting and a challenging time.  Life is filled with almost daily “aha” and “aw shit” moments. Dealing with these moments is both the best and the worst thing about living in another … Continue reading

Posted in Friends & Family, Home & A Sense of Place, Immigration & Emigration, International Moving, Modern Life | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Calling The Euro Home

In the lead up to this week when Ireland votes on the Austerity package, I’ve given a lot of thought to the things that hold the EU together, and it occurs to me that, as much as Ireland is in … Continue reading

Posted in Bureaucracy, Dublin Life, Friends & Family, Home & A Sense of Place, Irish Life & Society, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Love of City Not Country – Dublin vs. Ireland

Ever since the controversial Five Things I Hate About Dublin, Ireland post, numerous well meaning (I’m sure) people have asked me why we don’t just leave.  The simple answer is, Dublin.  The post, I now realize, was misnamed.  Most of … Continue reading

Posted in Bureaucracy, Dublin Life, Home & A Sense of Place, Immigration & Emigration, Irish Life & Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Who, What, and Where Will Be Next

It strikes me that the reason most people emigrate from the country they’ve always called home is to find a “better life”.  Granted there are as many ways to define better life as there are people emigrating. Often that means … Continue reading

Posted in Home & A Sense of Place, Immigration & Emigration, Irish History, Irish Life & Society, Modern Life | Tagged , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

What Binds Us Together

Even before we moved to Ireland, one of my constant refrains has been that the Irish seem to be universally friendly and welcoming.  I knew there would come a day when that feeling would be tested.  And earlier this week … Continue reading

Posted in Dublin Life, Home & A Sense of Place, Immigration & Emigration, Irish History, Irish Life & Society, Modern Life, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

A Better Life

Well, this week’s post was going to be a service piece about organizing an international move.  But after I read a recent blog post by “internationally known author, consultant, and futurist” Ian Morrison, that plan went into the bin.  I … Continue reading

Posted in Immigration & Emigration, Modern Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Modern Immigration

Having looked at what have been the most common reasons how and why people migrate/emigrate, I now have to ask, are those reasons still valid today? In today’s world, where we are all (or most of us anyway) citizens of … Continue reading

Posted in Immigration & Emigration, Modern Life | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Suddenly Ethnic

When we left the United States there were no tears on takeoff, and no sudden feeling of not belonging.  But, during our first few days in Dublin, something wonderful did happen. No, it wasn’t an “Oh my God, it’s full … Continue reading

Posted in Dublin Life, Home & A Sense of Place | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments