FAQ - Living Abroad in Ireland
Living abroad I get asked a lot of the same questions. I have narrowed the mains ones here because some of y’all might be wondering these too so I thought “Why not make this a blog post that I can shamelessly plug on the Instagram I am trying to grow?” Here you have it – the answers to the top repetitive questions I am asked as an expat! And just to be clear, I never mind when people ask me these questions because I am interested to find out why/how/when/ people moved abroad too.
Why/when did you move abroad?
I moved abroad in 2014 to pursue my master’s degree in Dublin.
Why did you choose Ireland?
I chose Ireland because the majority of the master’s programs offered here were only 1 year compared to 2 to 3 years at home. For the cost of my degree and the cost of living for the year, it was cheaper than doing a master’s degree at home. Also, for the discipline that I did my degree in it made the most sense for me to live in Ireland.
Are you Irish? Do you have family here?
I am Irish in the way a lot of American people claim to be Irish. It is in there mixed with a number of other European nationalities. But as the Irish like to point out, if your grandparent or parent isn’t Irish, you aren’t Irish. So, the follow up answer to that question is no I am not Irish, and no, I do not have any biological family here.
Do you love Ireland?
Um, duh. Are there things I don’t like about? Also, duh. But I love it enough to put up with the homesickness from time to time, the stress (and cost) of visas, and high taxes.
Do you go home a lot?
Unfortunately, no. My parents live in the greater Nashville area so it takes at least 2 flights to get home which isn’t always the most affordable or easy option. However, there are now direct flights from London to Nashville so hopefully this will allow me to go home more often. You can catch me sobbing going through security at BNA every single time I start my trip back to Dublin!
What do you think of Donald Trump?
You know that scene in The Golden Girls when Blanche says “Eat dirt and die, trash”? That’s what I think of Donald Trump.
Are you going to stay here forever?
Look, there is a difference between being an immigrant and an expat. At this point in time, it looks like I am here for the long haul, but that could always change. I think the expectation with an expat is that they will eventually go home. I refer to myself as an accidental expat. I moved here to study for a year and then I planned to go back to America, and that is obviously not what happened. Will I go home one day? I’m not sure. For all I know I could end up moving to Australia or Germany! I never thought I would live anywhere but America and that didn’t happen so the short answer is, I’m not sure! I am loving my time in Ireland for now and will enjoy it for as long as I am either allowed (visas and permits are no joke, people) or as long as I choose.
I know I can harp on a bit about being an expat but that is part of this blog. I wish that I had something like this to read before I moved to Ireland because it would have made all the difference to me. Moving abroad (especially alone) is an amazing opportunity but it can also be daunting. Part of why I want to share my expat experience is for anyone who might be considering moving/studying abroad or for someone who is all set to move but is still nervous. I hope my advice and let’s call them ‘musings’ along the way can either convince you to do it (you won’t regret it!) or help you feel more secure in your decision to go. Enough rambling for today anyway!
*all images original to Alexandra Furbee
Author’s Note: This post was originally published on my old blog in May 2018.