What's Next: Cheers, Thanks, Yep, Bye Bye Dublin
Photo by @maiden_moose
Well friends, our time in Ireland is coming to an end. Our flights are booked and we will be departing for the United States on August 30th. I could say it’s bittersweet, but it’s not for me. I have been dreading this day since the moment we moved to Dublin. Europe is home. Ireland is home. Dublin is home. We always knew we were going to be here for only two years, but it doesn’t make it any easier to say goodbye. I guess I was holding out hope that we would get to stay longer, but alas this chapter is coming to a close and it’s time to look ahead to what is next. I promise this post won’t be full of sap, but as Chris says, I’m “good at feeling” and so I’d rather share the whole gambit of thoughts that are running through my head than sugarcoating it all.
Watching Dublin beat Mayo in Gaelic Football at Croke Park Stadium
Lessons We’ve Learned / Growth We’ve Experienced
It’s no secret that I would never move back to the States if I had the option, but I have to think positively and reflect on what Ireland has taught us about living a higher quality of life. Chris and I have been mindful over the last two years about recognizing what we love about our life here, so that no matter where we end up, we can bring these principles with us and continue to live the kind of life that keeps us fulfilled and happy. We have grown a lot and hopefully for the better. Here is the list of things we have learned:
Mind the Environment
Not that we didn’t care about the environment before, but it seems that people over here tend to be more mindful about taking actual steps to be less harmful to the environment. Some specific habits we will bring back with us are always bringing reusable bags with us while we shop; walking, biking, or taking public transportation as much as possible; and cutting down on plastic wherever we can. One of the biggest things I am going to miss about living in Dublin is getting to walk everywhere. The US is mapped out so poorly that it forces people in most cities to have to drive anywhere they want to go, so we’re going to challenge ourselves to walk and bike as much as possible.
Eat & Make Quality Food
Ireland doesn’t have the greatest reputation when it comes to food and it’s time to turn that around because the food here is incredible. The seafood is the best we have ever had, the meat is all locally sourced, and the produce is exceptional. The restaurant scene in Dublin is on fire right now, but on most nights, we cook. We are very intentional about what goes into our bodies. We have a tiny fridge, which has taught us to buy less, use what we buy, and not be wasteful. There are way less preservatives in the food over here too and that is a good thing. There are way fewer options in the grocery stores, which I also appreciate. Who honestly needs to choose between 50 types of cereals? Or an item on the shelf that has a year-long expiration date? One of biggest lessons we have learned is that if we can’t find what we’re looking for, we make it ourselves. There is a big sense of accomplishment making meals from scratch and knowing every single ingredient that went into it.
When it comes to restaurants, like anywhere, we do have some fast food options here. You can’t go anywhere in the world without seeing a Burger King or Subway, I swear. However, one of the things we love about Dublin is all of the independently owned restaurants. There are so many small business owners running kitchens with incredible food. It gives this city character and charm and we love eating the great food and supporting local business. And it’s not just Dublin, it’s all the small towns in Ireland too. The United States is so backwards in this department. I’ll never forget going home for Christmas last year and being disgusted by the restaurant options in my home town. Literally every option was fast food or a chain restaurant. Of course in bigger cities, there are fantastic restaurants and chefs, but for the majority of Americans, the options are cheap, poor quality, and convenient. I wish this would change. People > corporations. For the time we will be spending back in our home town, we are looking to continue to cook and eat quality food. This will take some research to know where the food we are getting comes from, but it’s worth the time and effort.
Enjoy the Outdoors
Living next to the ocean and mountains has been one of the biggest benefits to living in Dublin. We have loved going for hikes with the pups and watching the waves in the Dublin Bay. No matter where we have traveled in Ireland, the beaches and hiking were plentiful and we have loved exploring the outdoors. One thing we hear over and over again from the Irish is how we have done and seen way more of Ireland than any of them. At first we were shocked, like how could they not have been to all these beautiful places? Especially when everything is so close on this tiny island? But we’re all guilty of this. For example, I have never been to Taylors Falls in Minnesota, a great hiking spot an hour’s drive from where we lived in Minneapolis. How is that possible? It goes to show that it doesn’t matter where you live, it’s easy to take your surroundings for granted. There are endless opportunities to enjoy the outdoors in the US and we can’t wait to incorporate some sort of activity every weekend when we move back.
Minimalism / Don’t be Wasteful
I mentioned this in my Irish Immersion post, but one of the things I have enjoyed about living in Ireland is that there is so much less advertising thrown in your face. There are no billboards, there are fewer commercials, there are less ads in general. Consumerism obviously exists, but there is way less temptation to buy things. How many of us in the States go to Target on a weekly basis with only a few things on our list and walk away with an entire cart full and $200 bill? WHY? It’s in your face and it’s convenient. How many days a week do you order something from Amazon? WHY? It’s convenient. It was a very hard adjustment when we moved to Ireland and there was no Target, no Amazon, no one-stop-shop, but guess what? I don’t miss it. We have had the same throw pillows on our couches for the last two years and IT’S OKAY. You don’t need to buy new ones for every season. You don’t need the knick knacks that literally have no meaning to you. It is so freeing to not buy junk. We buy and use what we need and that’s it. Instead of that weekly Target run, we spend our money on travel and food, which is way more enriching than anything. Now, I’m not naïve to think it isn’t going to be really hard to keep this going when we get back to the States. The convenience of it all is very hard to combat. Oh I’m bored? I’ll just hop in my car, drive the 10 minutes to Target, grab a Starbucks, and peruse the aisles and buy whatever I want, not need. No, no, no. It’s time to shift the mindset and use our time and money valuably. Hopefully our steps of only buying one car, enjoying the outdoors, walking and biking everywhere we can, and saying no to an Amazon Prime membership will help keep our minimalism going.
Slow Down
While Dubliners are the fastest walkers in the entire world, their lives are lived fully and slowly. Americans have a reputation for slaving themselves to their work and grinding themselves into the ground. Who wants to live life like that? Work hard, but relax. Go for a pint with your friends, put your phones away, and enjoy each other’s company. Go to the park and read a book. Go have tea with your Grandma. Americans are always “so busy”. First of all, no you’re not. And if you are, quit it, and slow down before life passes by you. Invest in relationships and those that care for you. And also don’t forget to take care of yourself.
Be Kind
I have said it before and I’ll say it a million times over, the Irish are some of the nicest people on Earth. They are the best conversationalists around, incredibly welcoming hosts, and will help you out in a pinch without expecting anything in return. I think we could all learn to be a little more kind and witty like the Irish.
Enjoying beach views down by the stacks.
What We Are Looking Forward To
Contrary to what you might think by this point, there are a few things I’m looking forward to about moving back to the States. Of course it will be great to be closer to friends and family, but frankly, my relationships have gotten stronger since moving away because it has forced us to all make more of an effort. I am excited, however, to get back and see our nieces. They grow so fast!
First and foremost, it will be great to work again. I look forward to putting my energy towards something rewarding and making my own money again. It was very hard in the beginning to not work and with time, I adjusted and have figured out how to enjoy my days. However, it is a weird imbalance in our marriage, in my opinion, and I look forward to having self-worth that goes beyond household chores.
Second, after moving around from Chanhassen to Minneapolis to Chanhassen to Dublin, Chris and I are ready to put down roots somewhere. We look forward to living somewhere longer than two years for once. The two-year timeframe is a tricky one. Basically as soon as you really feel at home, settled, and part of a community, it’s time to leave. That’s really though. Further, after renting in Minneapolis and Dublin, we can’t wait to buy a house and make a home ours. I literally already have every room designed in my head. Plus, it will be great to have a yard for the pups to run around.
Third, it will be nice to have a clothes dryer again, not so much for the convenience because I actually don’t mind air drying our things, but more so to help get rid of the dog hair that inevitably gets everywhere. On that note too, one of my first big purchases will be a cordless vacuum and roomba.
Fourth and last, Chipotle. #duh
I would like to note that these are the things I’m looking forward to. Chris is much more excited to go back than I am and is ready for the change. His list of things is much longer than mine, but I think if he could say one thing he’s extremely excited for, it’s to get back to his men’s hockey league.
Great views of Dublin Bay from the Blue Light Pub up in the mountains
The Plan
The next six months are going to be some challenging ones full of change and hard work. We will be spending the rest of our summer enjoying Dublin for all its worth. We have a Dublin Bucket List and have been ticking items off left and right. I also have a lot of blog posts that I am working on, including an “off the beaten path” one for Dublin, which I am very excited about. We will host Chris’ parents into the beginning of August and enjoy a trip to Berlin with them. The rest of August will be dedicated to getting ready for the move.
The pups will be flying with Swedish Airlines this time around. They will first fly to Copenhagen and then to Chicago. They even have EU passports for their journey, which is the cutest thing in the entire world. They will fly out a few days before us, so as to not stress them out while our place gets packed up and cleared out. I will be a big stress ball while they are en route, so the best part about landing back in MSP on August 30th will be seeing Hugo and Victor.
Once we get back, we will live with my parents in Chanhassen, Minnesota while we repatriate and reacclimate. Believe it or not, culture shock for returning expats is a real thing. As much as Chris and I love Minneapolis and Minnesota, we are looking to settle down elsewhere. We don’t want these last two years to have gone by and then return right back to where we left off. This world is full of great places and opportunities and we have grown so much, so why not keep the adventure going? We have a shortlist of places we will be scoping out this Fall, so TBD on where we will be calling home for the next few years. It keeps the excitement alive!
Photo by @maiden_moose
To Dublin 1, thank you for letting us call you home for the last two years. We have thoroughly enjoyed living by the river, watching all the growth down in the Docks, and being in a quieter part of the city. I will miss living in the same building as someone from Sweden, another from Spain, another from Germany. [I will not miss our neighbor who locked Chris out on the balcony in the freezing cold.] And I will definitely miss the Sheriff Street crowd — the kids in their wetsuits jumping into the canal, the grey on grey sweatsuits that we like to call the “neighborhood uniform”, and the Dublin 1 moms who are always pushing a stroller with a wee wain in it and screaming the raspiest scream at the top of their lungs at a toddler who has run too far ahead. Our neighborhood is a complete juxtaposition of business men in suits and those who live in one of the toughest parts in town. And I will miss it.
To everyone that we have met in Ireland, thank you for making our time here wonderful. Particularly Stephen and Michael, Ellie and Duck, Glenda and Fred, and Tom and Gareth, thank you for taking us Americans in and welcoming us into your lives. We will especially miss you. To those expats that I have met on Instagram, some I got to meet in person and others I didn’t, thank you always for the laughs and emotional support — you don’t quite understand how it is to be an expat unless you live it, so thank you for being there along this ride.
To everyone who visited us while we were here, thank you! It meant the world to us have you all come and see our home here. We loved getting to experience Dublin with you. We will never forget the great craic had and memories made!
While this may be the end of the road for us here now, Dublin will always have a part of us and will always be home. We look forward to what’s next, but we’ll always be back to visit. And who knows, maybe living in Europe will be in our future once again.
Until next time…
Sláinte! xo,
