emigrating - how did it work out for you?

goldencrisp62

Anyone ever forced or needed to emigrate for work?

How did you cope with homesickness and leaving behind your loved ones family, partner etc?

Do you regret it? Was it worth it?

I haven't had to yet, but may have to in the near future. USA most likely.

4zn76tysfajdxp

Emigrating is great craic. You meet new people, you're exposed to different cultures, you learn different languages etc.

People who complain about emigrating because they miss their "family" or "friends" are whingers.

theteal

Being brutally honest, 4 years ago when mrsTeal was offered a job on the edge of London I couldn't wait to pack in the job and get going. I'm still enjoying it and the only reason we're even thinking of going back would be if/when kids come along but that won't be at least for another year.

I'm only an hour from home so it barely counts as emigrating. I do miss the lads at home but there's always a WhatsApp chat going (seriously, everyday, talking sh!te!) plus everyone makes an effort to meet up when I do pay a visit back.

jacksie66

This post has been deleted.

anto9

I have been back and forth over many years .Currently in Asia ,and missing Ireland a small bit at least .If i went back to Ireland though i know i would miss what i have now .I guess i will never be 100% content ,but can make do with 75% .

MadsL

Love it, lost my job twice in 12 months whilst in Ireland and apparantly I am 86% more likely to be unemployed in Ireland than the US.

Then again - on my fourth country that I've lived and worked in so I'm getting good at it

Worked out fine. No homesickness. Make good money. Have nice things.

Sunnyisland

I am gone since 94, with a small but important stay back at home for 4 years in 2006, I go back regular enough, but do feel more relaxed and pressure of when leaving Dublin Airport.
I can't see myself ever returning to live full time back in Ireland, The weather just grates my cheese.

Jawgap

great would be my answer, although initially it was a wrench.

Left in late 1991 for the UK, this was pre-cheap Ryanair so getting home was a bit less easy.

By the time I moved back to Ireland in 2004 I'd lived / worked in the UK, US and Germany and become a naturalised US citizen!

Everyone has their own experience but initially when I went I spent time hanging out with the ex-pat community which I found was a mistake (others may disagree) as a lot were trying to recreate Ireland on foreign shores which just made me focus on what I was missing. So my advice would be, it's great to hang out with other Irish emigrants and be involved in 'Irish' activities, but be careful not to get drawn into sentimentality.

Also, whatever country you go to embrace at least some elements of their lifestyle - you never know you might just like it

Shenshen

I came to Ireland 13 years ago and it worked out great.

Emigrating had always be my plan, I'm not overly fond of my home country. My original plan was to work in Ireland for a while, and then move on the Canada, but - well, met someone, fell in love, turned all conventional and married and bought a house.
I can't say I miss my home country, I usually visit for a week every few years, just to remind me why I left. I love it here. Cheap taxes, great landscapes, never gets too hot or too cold, nice and relaxed place with not too many busybodies around.

rainbow kirby

Moved to the UK 2 years ago, no regrets at all. Better job opportunities and we have a pretty comfortable life here. We're sport mad so London is a great place to be

kupus

Shenshen wrote: »

I came to Ireland 13 years ago and it worked out great.

Emigrating had always be my plan, I'm not overly fond of my home country. My original plan was to work in Ireland for a while, and then move on the Canada, but - well, met someone, fell in love, turned all conventional and married and bought a house.
I can't say I miss my home country, I usually visit for a week every few years, just to remind me why I left. I love it here. Cheap taxes, great landscapes, never gets too hot or too cold, nice and relaxed place with not too many busybodies around.

Oh boy, you've stirred a hornets nest with that one. I know it's cheaper a lot of other people know it's cheaper but the reality of it is people in Ireland that have never worked abroad don't think that.

Shenshen

kupus wrote: »

Oh boy, you've stirred a hornets nest with that one. I know it's cheaper a lot of other people know it's cheaper but the reality of it is people in Ireland that have never worked abroad don't think that.

I know - people here really take it personal when you suggest that they are not in fact the victims of the most vicious tax regime ever in existence on this planet or any other.

Thanks for highlighting it to make sure nobody in this thread will miss that bit!

Egginacup

Found that friends and family visited me more when I was living abroad.

Owning a lovely 2 bed apartment in the centre of Amsterdam has its drawbacks. You find friends from home you never knew you had :P

Lived in the States for a few years. NYC. It's fine. I missed my brother and my mum. But Christmasses coming home were a big deal. Met up with loads of college mates who too were far flung.

Don't think I could cope with be in Oz/NZ or West Coast of US. That to me is just too far away from Ireland/mainland europe which is my spiritual homeland.

bnt

I had to emigrate for work in 1999 ... and I'm still in Dublin today.

pickarooney

Grand. The climate, food, work/life ratio, education, health, sports, facilities are all much better here. I occasionally miss the people, that's about it.

Egginacup

Shenshen wrote: »

I came to Ireland 13 years ago and it worked out great.

Emigrating had always be my plan, I'm not overly fond of my home country. My original plan was to work in Ireland for a while, and then move on the Canada, but - well, met someone, fell in love, turned all conventional and married and bought a house.
I can't say I miss my home country, I usually visit for a week every few years, just to remind me why I left. I love it here. Cheap taxes, great landscapes, never gets too hot or too cold, nice and relaxed place with not too many busybodies around.

Incidentally, what is your home country?

IrishAlice

Shenshen wrote: »

I came to Ireland 13 years ago and it worked out great.

Emigrating had always be my plan, I'm not overly fond of my home country. My original plan was to work in Ireland for a while, and then move on the Canada, but - well, met someone, fell in love, turned all conventional and married and bought a house.
I can't say I miss my home country, I usually visit for a week every few years, just to remind me why I left. I love it here. Cheap taxes, great landscapes, never gets too hot or too cold, nice and relaxed place with not too many busybodies around.

It's so nice to read about someone coming to Ireland and for it to be so positive! I spend a lot of time thinking about how much I'd love to leave and forget to be thankful for the great things about this country.

Shenshen

Egginacup wrote: »

Incidentally, what is your home country?

Germany.

Egginacup

Shenshen wrote: »

Germany.

Hmm.....I lived in Germany for 2 years and can't say I liked it that much. Just the debauchery of Karnevaal.

rainbow kirby

My best mate from college is living in Karlsruhe now and loves it. He loves motorbikes, hiking and beer though and that seems to fit in well there.

crockholm

I never wanted to leave,so when the post comes in about people missing their friends and family as "whingers" I felt it was a cheap shot.Spent 6 years abroad,got married to a furriner and had little furriner babies.There are absolutely amazing things to be seen outside of Ireland and it can certainly bring you on as a person,professionally or privately.There is no shame in being a home bird-the vast majority of people want to stay in or around their own locality.

Moved to London breifly about 7 years ago, never really wanted to go but I did. Lasted less than a year before moving back. Hated it and was torture for the time I was there and that's with coming home about once a month. Being close to family and friends is far too big a deal for me and I just disliked not being in Ireland full stop. Will never leave again except for a holiday.

fatknacker

The worst part is having Facebook and seeing some people at home jizzing themselves over all things Irish. Or things that are not inheritently Irish.

Omg, a flat bottle of 7up! Only Irish people understand what this means!!

Sheep walks into a bar. Only in Ireland!!!

Sun sets over a lake with a mountain. Sure, where would ta get it??

Scipio_Hib

goldencrisp62 wrote: »

Anyone ever forced or needed to emigrate for work?

How did you cope with homesickness and leaving behind your loved ones family, partner etc?

Do you regret it? Was it worth it?

I haven't had to yet, but may have to in the near future. USA most likely.

Went to the UK - came back - went again - came back again in May.

It's worked out well......so far. London was as far as I got both time and it was great the first time around - but a bit of a drag the last time - probably because I was older and was going for work rather than work / play.

Good to be back - family stayed here for the second stint, so Ryanair's profits will be taking a hit!

5rtytry56

@FatKnacker post of the day.
They wax lyrical about the most mundane banal pointless sh|t.

Herpes Cineplex

Shenshen wrote: »

I know - people here really take it personal when you suggest that they are not in fact the victims of the most vicious tax regime ever in existence on this planet or any other.

No, but they are the victims who were forced to bail out the German bankers, their risky lending and stopped them from taking the hit. And I say that as someone who lives not too far from the EU hive of villainy in Brussels.

the evasion_kid

Jawgap wrote: »

great would be my answer, although initially it was a wrench.

Left in late 1991 for the UK, this was pre-cheap Ryanair so getting home was a bit less easy.

By the time I moved back to Ireland in 2004 I'd lived / worked in the UK, US and Germany and become a naturalised US citizen!

Everyone has their own experience but initially when I went I spent time hanging out with the ex-pat community which I found was a mistake (others may disagree) as a lot were trying to recreate Ireland on foreign shores which just made me focus on what I was missing. So my advice would be, it's great to hang out with other Irish emigrants and be involved in 'Irish' activities, but be careful not to get drawn into sentimentality.

Also, whatever country you go to embrace at least some elements of their lifestyle - you never know you might just like it

Lived in the Bronx for four years and moved around other various us cities,a couple of years in Toronto too....biggest lesson I learned?..stay away from your own kind.

razorblunt

Been in the UK six years, buying a gaff this year. Will move back at some stage but not just yet.

Jamsiek

I've never been a home bird really.
I went to university in Dundee and worked in Glasgow for 3 years and then in England.
I was back in Ireland for a while but I had developed an interest in travelling so I could never see myself limited to one place.
I'm in Vancouver, Canada now and I'm really settled here, my family visited me here and they loved the place too.

I think a good way to combat home sickness is to avoid thinking about home and focus on the positive things about your new place.
I kind of see myself as having 2 lives, one here and another in Ireland when I go visit.
I have no wish to move back TBH.

ToddyDoody

Never emigrated. The dole suited me just fine thanks

petrolcan

Left in '91. Cried on my first day gone. Had a word with myself and haven't looked back since.

miezekatze

I came to Ireland just over 10 years ago. I thought I'd only stay a year or two.  I've no plans of ever moving back now, like it a lot better here.

I miss my family sometimes, but not really my home country as such. I visit them two or three times a year anyway. Don't have many friends left over there at this point though which is a pity.

ISOP

in London a few years now, hard at first, now I can't ever see myself going back, there's nothing there, Ireland is a very negative place in general with hardly any job opportunities

ArnoldJRimmer

Emigrated 6 years ago, and on my second country now. Being honest, I was delighted to leave at the time as things just weren't going my way in Ireland, both professionally and in my personal life. I now look back at emigrating as the best decision I ever made. And at the moment, have no plans to return

As was mentioned by a poster already, I don't miss the weather, the taxes and the negativity (at times. Despite what some people claim, Irish people aren't constantly whingeing). Of course I miss family and friends, but I'm lucky enough to be in a position to visit home twice a year, and get plenty of visitors stateside

Wompa1

Left Ireland almost 4 years ago. I think I'll probably stay away for another 3 or 4 years and then move back. I'm in the US. You can make a lot of money and there's endless opportunities for me and my fiancé but it's a harsh environment. I'm pretty sure if I stay here for 10+ years, I'll drop dead before I'm 50.

Living over here has changed my perspective on things hugely! I'm a much more liberal person now.

My current plan is to marry and have my kids here and move to Ireland to raise them. I'd love to buy a place somewhere like Clare or Mayo and live by the water but that might not be feasible since there's damn all jobs there. I may try to stay with my current employers until then and hope they allow me to work remotely from Ireland.

I can't wait to move home but I can only do it when it's right for all of us...the US is also doing very well economically at the moment. It's tough to leave money on the table.

4 years in. I have only had 1 visitor from Ireland and that was my mother...there's very few Irish around here but that doesn't both me too much. In the last year due to funerals, work etc. I've actually been back to Ireland 3 times and I'll be back again in a few weeks. But that was completely by chance. After this trip home. It's not likely that I'll get back in for at least a year, possibly more.

Nomis21

I was made unemployed about 8 years ago in UK. I went online and there was a job advertised in Co Monaghan for a bus driver so I phoned up and started work 2 days later driving a bus full of Irish commuters from Monaghan to Dublin for twice what a bus drivers wage in UK would be.

Then the Tiger developed an illness and there were very few commuters traveling. At 56 I became a perpetual student at FAS college, in between bouts of the dole and hitch-hiking around the country, (Without a Fridge).

My accidental emigration was the best move I ever made...

silvervixen84

Moved to London in 2010. Still love living here (even though it is really expensive). Am still in touch with my family and close friends back home, but have made great friends here too and have done loads of great things I wouldn't have done back in Cork.

Have no intention of going back anytime soon

Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker

Emigrated to Canada in 2009. Love it and won't be back any time soon.

JacquesDeLad

I've lived abroad for long periods but never really felt like an emigrant. It's too easy to access home to feel the kind of separation I'd associate with emigration. I think you're an emigrant if you haven't been home in 5 years or more and have no plans to come back anytime soon. A lot of people are just doing the equivalent of moving up to work in Dublin 30 years ago.

FortySeven

I miss the good roads, cheap, fast broadband, functioning healthcare system, online businesses and proper kebabs.

Moved to Ireland from the UK 15 years ago.

username2013

Moved to Toronto in 2009. Very tough at first as I did not know anyone and after 10 months unemployed at home was not exactly flush with spending money. But put the head down, grafted and was able to make a go of it out here.


Still here now and overall I love it. Married to a Canadian, kid due later on this year so not looking likely that I will go back. Miss home and family obviously at times, but I go back at least once or year which is way more than some folks can (i know people in the US there 10 years without been able to go home due to visa issues), so I consider myself lucky I'm able to go back that often. Rain at home would also piss me off if I went back to live, just too much rain!

biZrb

I moved to London over 5 and a half years ago. No intention of moving back any time soon as things are going well for me here. I do want to move back someday, whether that's in a few years time or when I'm 65 I have no idea.
Ireland will always be home but it's not somewhere I can live at the moment and that's fine.

Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker

username2013 wrote: »

Moved to Toronto in 2009. Very tough at first as I did not know anyone and after 10 months unemployed at home was not exactly flush with spending money. But put the head down, grafted and was able to make a go of it out here.

Still here now and overall I love it. Married to a Canadian, kid due later on this year so not looking likely that I will go back. Miss home and family obviously at times, but I go back at least once or year which is way more than some folks can (i know people in the US there 10 years without been able to go home due to visa issues), so I consider myself lucky I'm able to go back that often. Rain at home would also piss me off if I went back to live, just too much rain!

Apart from the struck through bit, you sir are essentially me

Exact same story here

Undertow

Emigrated to the far side of the world 5 years ago. Situation was forced upon me at the time, and its something I never thought I'd do, but I now look back on it as the best thing I ever did. Advice I got on boards helped me in a big way! I've accomplished things I only ever dreamt about, but never in a million years previously thought possible. Emigrating is a fantastic experience. Tough at the beginning but then got used to it and made an epic time of it.

Will be moving back closer to home (UK, more than likely) towards the end of the year. I think it just feels right to be a bit closer to family at this stage. Have no great desires to live back in Ireland, but just to be able to visit a couple of times a year would be awesome!

Dirty Dingus McGee

jacksie66 wrote: »

Great. Weather's better, cheap to run a car and the Kiwis aren't as resentful of your success as they are back home..

Why would you care if people from home are resentful of your success?