TLDR—As of Today, we’ve lived in Ireland for seven years. We’re living a good, healthy, happy life here.
The Big Milestones
In August 2017, we arrived in Dublin, Ireland, to live here for a few years and travel Europe. Starting off in temporary housing for a few months. Our first post was a week later -Week One in Dublin- Not many months later, after moving into a rental and getting the kids enrolled in school, Michelle and I had fallen in love with Ireland. We made a choice to stay long-term and call Ireland home. On October 24th, 2022, we planted some roots, finalized buying a house, and moved in. As of March 21, 2024, all four kids have lived in Ireland longer than they lived in the United States. On June 21, 2024, at the Dublin Convention Center, Michelle and I became official Irish Citizens.
Biggest Impacts to Our Happiness
We Moved here for me to work for Microsoft – which dictated where we lived. I had to be able to commute to the Microsoft Ireland campus in Sandyford without a car. Luck being on our side almost always in life meant Microsoft helped us choose to live in one of the more affluent areas of Dublin. The next biggest thing we fell into happened after being here for a year. When we arrived, Michelle applied to a bunch of schools near Microsoft. The kids ended up a Queen of Angles for the first year. At the start of the Second school year here, what I think is the most significant impact on Michelle’s happiness happened.
The Kids had two first days of school. After dropping the kids off at Queen of Angels, Michelle received a call from one of the other schools she had applied for a year ago—Stepaside Educate Together National School—and the kids switched schools. The school was much closer to home, making drops and collections far simpler, no religion, no uniforms; my coworkers call it he hippy school. It also introduced Michelle to her people. Michelle Joined the school Parents’ committee and made some of her now closest friends. She took on a role managing the after-school programs, which turned into a part-time job. – We found our tribe and our community through the school, through the kids.
Years later, the school location further steered our choice of house. We bought a house about 500 meters walk from the kids’ school and close to the school and the kids’ friends. With a trampoline, always an open kitchen, bottomless internet, four kids, and a small pool in the back garden, we’re “the house” on the block where all of the kids’ friends come to hang out.
Happy Anniversary
I could add more here, but then it would become a clip show, and I’ve never been a fan of clip shows. The goal was to draw a line and celebrate seven years. I am going to end with some pictures of a card filler – We’ve made friends and extended our family, as have the kids. We’re happy here – Happy anniversary.
