Living here vs USA, 2015

[omaghjoe]

Joining or being involved with the local GAA team is hardly hanging on for dear life, especially for someone who spends time on a GAA Board run from Ireland

thats not what I meant - sorry if it came across that way - theres a few heads in there who only have irish friends, sing irish songs eat irish food and drink irish beer

Where do they get the Irish food from? Do you mean Kerrs Pinks, back bacon, pork sausages and proper turnips?

We've a dedicated Irish grocery shop near us in Queens. Provincial papers, Weetabix/Flahavan's porridge, bacon, sausages, toiletries, batch loaves, etc. etc. even Donegal Catch!  They'll have shelves packed with all the Easter Eggs from home shortly.

And most of the regular supermarkets and convenience stores in the area carry a small range of Irish stuff like Brennan's bread, biscuits, sauces, tins of beans/peas, Miwadi/Robinsons, crisps, Mars bars etc. Although the conveniece stores should be treated with extreme caution - even their American stuff can stay on the shelves a year or two past the sell-by date! My American wife even gets Kerrygold butter at Costco!

I wasnt gave a dig iceman

Ye have it all J70, except the Kerrs pinks from the Laggan . Tho wud the Brennans bread not be fierce stale? Have to say bread in America is another thing thats shite and expensive. Kerrygold being fairly widespread is a life saver.
Tho at the same living here and seeing all the crappy processed food there is, has made me realise how much of the same shite with a different wrapper on it i used to eat in Ireland.

[omaghjoe]

Anyone on here from the LA region? Need to go to San Dimas in a couple of weeks. Is there anywhere around there nice to stay? Nice area, close to restaurants/bars etc. Doesn't have to be be in San Dimas, don't know the area at all not sure if the neighboring places are better or not.

Never been in San Dimas although i am sure its gonna be an excellent adventure . There is a waterpark there but its not called Waterloo like in the film.
Dont really know the area that well but there is nothing that really springs to mind. Pasadena is about the closest looking place of interest but its not that close and your practically in downtown LA by that point anyway. Your slap bang in the middle of Suburbia unfortunately and it goes on for miles and miles...

[Tony Baloney]

Anyone on here from the LA region? Need to go to San Dimas in a couple of weeks. Is there anywhere around there nice to stay? Nice area, close to restaurants/bars etc. Doesn't have to be be in San Dimas, don't know the area at all not sure if the neighboring places are better or not.

Never been in San Dimas although i am sure its gonna be an excellent adventure . There is a waterpark there but its not called Waterloo like in the film.
Dont really know the area that well but there is nothing that really springs to mind. Pasadena is about the closest looking place of interest but its not that close and your practically in downtown LA by that point anyway. Your slap bang in the middle of Suburbia unfortunately and it goes on for miles and miles...

Definitely sure to have a bodacious time.

[armaghniac]

I think I prefer the Russian system where they scoop the snow up and put it on a conveyor that feeds it into the back of the lorry. They're going to have to start doing the same back east, this business of throwing it all into the side of the road isn't going to be good enough.

Not quite as slick as the Russians, but getting it out of the road all the same
https://youtu.be/Tz1XCGanasY

[gawa316]

Anyone on here from the LA region? Need to go to San Dimas in a couple of weeks. Is there anywhere around there nice to stay? Nice area, close to restaurants/bars etc. Doesn't have to be be in San Dimas, don't know the area at all not sure if the neighboring places are better or not.

Never been in San Dimas although i am sure its gonna be an excellent adventure . There is a waterpark there but its not called Waterloo like in the film.
Dont really know the area that well but there is nothing that really springs to mind. Pasadena is about the closest looking place of interest but its not that close and your practically in downtown LA by that point anyway. Your slap bang in the middle of Suburbia unfortunately and it goes on for miles and miles...

Yeah just went ahead and booked the hotel in San Dimas. There's a brew pub next to it so I'll go get some wings, a few jars and watch the Warriors game.

[cicfada]

Only noticed this thread now. I lived in Florida from 1994 to 2006. I met herself ( from Cork ) there, got married and had three Yankee boys before we moved back to Ireland ( Cork). I always had a curiosity in moving home which was increased to a strong desire when the boys were born. It was hard going there when they were young, admittedly they were all close in age when we moved back....6 months, 2 & 3. It was bloody expensive in terms of childcare with the boys and education would have been a huge issue then had we stayed there. The choice would have been fairly poor and if we went private would have been seriously expensive. I worked in an Irish pub( by night) and in an engineering company by day when I lived there . With the engineering firm, I had no holidays for the first year and was then going to receive a weeks ( yes 1 week!) holidays in the second year. Had I stayed with them I would have had to wait for 5 years to receive 2 weeks holidays a year and that would be it then. I hated that aspect of American life to be honest. Also we did miss the family network with the boys when raising them there. The heat was savage also but we had a lovely pool, hot tub and the beach was only 15 mins drive away. A hurricane hit us in October 2005 and a month later, herself was offered a transfer back to Ireland with the company so we were really  lucky. They paid for everything and we also were able to sell the house in Florida at the last possible minute in May 2006. We went back there for a holiday last March (for the first time since) and I did wonder how I would feel in terms of regrets etc. I can't say I felt anything much, sure my friends have a lovely lifestyle but I have no hole in my life like I had when I lived there. Materially we could have been better off but I don't regret moving back, we have a holiday home in Kerry and the boys are deeply involved in sport as am I. My wife has  a good job as well myself so again we're lucky. We are all healthy so that's something to be thankful for and I can't complain about life. I did wonder last year what I would have ended up doing had I stayed but hey I'll have enough time in later years to wonder about  that further. At least the boys and myself have our American passports so there's a lot to be said for that. I do hate a lot of aspects of Irish life, politicians, taxes, begrudgery etc but there are so many positive aspects too. All in all I'm happy here.......hey Fl/Mayo when are you coming back for good??😉😉

[FL/MAYO]

Only noticed this thread now. I lived in Florida from 1994 to 2006. I met herself ( from Cork ) there, got married and had three Yankee boys before we moved back to Ireland ( Cork). I always had a curiosity in moving home which was increased to a strong desire when the boys were born. It was hard going there when they were young, admittedly they were all close in age when we moved back....6 months, 2 & 3. It was bloody expensive in terms of childcare with the boys and education would have been a huge issue then had we stayed there. The choice would have been fairly poor and if we went private would have been seriously expensive. I worked in an Irish pub( by night) and in an engineering company by day when I lived there . With the engineering firm, I had no holidays for the first year and was then going to receive a weeks ( yes 1 week!) holidays in the second year. Had I stayed with them I would have had to wait for 5 years to receive 2 weeks holidays a year and that would be it then. I hated that aspect of American life to be honest. Also we did miss the family network with the boys when raising them there. The heat was savage also but we had a lovely pool, hot tub and the beach was only 15 mins drive away. A hurricane hit us in October 2005 and a month later, herself was offered a transfer back to Ireland with the company so we were really  lucky. They paid for everything and we also were able to sell the house in Florida at the last possible minute in May 2006. We went back there for a holiday last March (for the first time since) and I did wonder how I would feel in terms of regrets etc. I can't say I felt anything much, sure my friends have a lovely lifestyle but I have no hole in my life like I had when I lived there. Materially we could have been better off but I don't regret moving back, we have a holiday home in Kerry and the boys are deeply involved in sport as am I. My wife has  a good job as well myself so again we're lucky. We are all healthy so that's something to be thankful for and I can't complain about life. I did wonder last year what I would have ended up doing had I stayed but hey I'll have enough time in later years to wonder about  that further. At least the boys and myself have our American passports so there's a lot to be said for that. I do hate a lot of aspects of Irish life, politicians, taxes, begrudgery etc but there are so many positive aspects too. All in all I'm happy here.......hey Fl/Mayo when are you coming back for good??😉😉

Cic, that was reassuring to read. Countdown to the summer of 2018 is in full swing, you know its getting close when you are putting off purchasing stuff because you wont need them in a couple of years. Hopefully the kids will start school in Ireland in Sept. 2018. Another couple (mutual friends) are moving back this summer so they will be our guinea pigs :-) Hopefully they will point out all the pitfalls. The one big worry I have is that I have lived so long over here I have forgotten how the Irish system works, I will be as green when I move to Ireland as I was when I set foot in NYC back in the 80's....and that was green!! I'm glad to hear that you all made the right decision

[Muck Savage]

I left college in 1996 and went straight into work. Decided in 1999 that I wasn't going to settle into a 9-5 routine and said 'I'm off to Australia'. Got the paperwork sorted out and handed in my notice. I was surprised when they came back to me with a chance to go to the US to work for the company there in CA (Tech company). So I thought why not go there for a while. Went out West in 2000 for '3 years' and had a ball of a time. Football at the weekends, Sun every day and a bit of money, I was like a bullock in fresh grass!
I soon met the Mrs, got married and decided in 2007 to move back home, the Mrs is European also. Luckily the company I worked for took care of the move, so went on a shopping spree and loaded up the container with everything from new pots & pans to a tractor lawnmower (spent an evening out the front of the apartment cutting a 3m x 3m lawn to try make it look used).
Once we landed back we couldn't get a bit of luck. Container was 2 months late, bought a gaff at the peak and the whole economy tanked. The wife settled in pretty well and we had our 1st (nightmare pregnancy). We got to go to her folks ever 6 weeks or so thanks to Michael O'Leary and I was lucky that even though the economy tanked I always had a job however I just couldn't settle. I got use to the sun, things being so easy to access and I just did't know the system in Ireland (hospitals, tax etc.). Still loved meeting up with the family/friends and had overdose of GAA matches, went to one every weekend I could. As my wife was not from Ireland we use to go to a different area around Ireland most weekends (and get a GAA match in ). You just don't realize how beautiful the country is until you spend time going around.
In late 2009 I got a job offer which meant I would have to head back to the US. I jumped pretty quick on it and we moved Dec 2009, wife was 6 months pregnant with our 2nd. Been here since then with two kids in school and playing sports so they have their own little roots put down. Life now is work and kids with little time to think of anything else. We have gone back each summer since 2009 but that gets expensive for 4 seats, car etc. There's lots I miss about home, family, GAA, pints and music. I would love to have my young lad play football/hurling/rugby and the little one do Irish dancing.  On the flip side there are a huge amount of opportunities here for the kids, lots of dangers as well but thats what parenting is I guess. I'm glad I moved back home and got it out of my system otherwise I would have been wondering what if.
Only advice I'd give is its really about doing whats right for you. When we moved back to Ireland we moved back to be closer to family but when we came back to CA we moved with our own family. I have peace of mind that I did the right thing for them.

[Beffs]

Only advice I'd give is its really about doing whats right for you. When we moved back to Ireland we moved back to be closer to family but when we came back to CA we moved with our own family. I have peace of mind that I did the right thing for them.

Great post.

The last paragraph is interesting. I think it is at the heart of whether or not you really settle if you move away. Some people settle into their new life straight away. Some people are always hankering after home, no matter how great their lifestyle, or their job is in the US. I think that being married or single can be a really big factor.

If you are single, your family and your friends back at home are your main emotional ties in your life. It can be hard to settle down in a new country and be really at peace with it, if you are thousands of miles away from your loved ones. But if you you marry and have kids while you are away, (or you bring them with you when you go,) they are the main focus of your life now. They are your new "loved ones", so it's easier to make do without having your birth family around.

It doesn't mean that you miss them any less. It just means that you have your own family now, so you aren't hankering so badly to stay connected to another one back in Ireland. Obviously, its not going to be that way for everyone, but its something I have observed amongs my own group of family and friends who have lived away for long periods of time.

[omaghjoe]

Signatures

Your singing things all the time here and multiple times for one thing, pain in the arse.

And if your actually read everything you signed your life would be devoted solely to reading documents

[The Iceman]

It's all about tradeoffs and what is right for your own family. Weather is great, a big house is great, opportunities for the kids are great but if none of that is worth anything to you if you can't share it with your parents, or siblings or in-laws then it doesn't matter how many days of sunshine you get a year.
Right now we're focused on leaving the West Coast and heading back east. We will lose the weather but we can have the same house and we'll regain the community and family interactions that we feel are more important.  The goal would be to get back to Ireland after that - not because of a hankering to go home but just because I think our kids deserve their Irish family for a while and vice versa..

the life of an ex-pat is certainly not an easyone. You're not fully settled in your new country and you don't fully fit in (because of your life experiences and outlook shift) in your home country. 

[omaghjoe]

It's all about tradeoffs and what is right for your own family. Weather is great, a big house is great, opportunities for the kids are great but if none of that is worth anything to you if you can't share it with your parents, or siblings or in-laws then it doesn't matter how many days of sunshine you get a year.
Right now we're focused on leaving the West Coast and heading back east. We will lose the weather but we can have the same house and we'll regain the community and family interactions that we feel are more important.  The goal would be to get back to Ireland after that - not because of a hankering to go home but just because I think our kids deserve their Irish family for a while and vice versa..

the life of an ex-pat is certainly not an easyone. You're not fully settled in your new country and you don't fully fit in (because of your life experiences and outlook shift) in your home country.

Furio....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70PvXTkqg4g

[J70]

Joining or being involved with the local GAA team is hardly hanging on for dear life, especially for someone who spends time on a GAA Board run from Ireland

thats not what I meant - sorry if it came across that way - theres a few heads in there who only have irish friends, sing irish songs eat irish food and drink irish beer

Where do they get the Irish food from? Do you mean Kerrs Pinks, back bacon, pork sausages and proper turnips?

We've a dedicated Irish grocery shop near us in Queens. Provincial papers, Weetabix/Flahavan's porridge, bacon, sausages, toiletries, batch loaves, etc. etc. even Donegal Catch!  They'll have shelves packed with all the Easter Eggs from home shortly.

And most of the regular supermarkets and convenience stores in the area carry a small range of Irish stuff like Brennan's bread, biscuits, sauces, tins of beans/peas, Miwadi/Robinsons, crisps, Mars bars etc. Although the conveniece stores should be treated with extreme caution - even their American stuff can stay on the shelves a year or two past the sell-by date! My American wife even gets Kerrygold butter at Costco!

I wasnt gave a dig iceman

Ye have it all J70, except the Kerrs pinks from the Laggan . Tho wud the Brennans bread not be fierce stale? Have to say bread in America is another thing thats shite and expensive. Kerrygold being fairly widespread is a life saver.
Tho at the same living here and seeing all the crappy processed food there is, has made me realise how much of the same shite with a different wrapper on it i used to eat in Ireland.

The bread is always refrigerated and usually good for a week or two. As with any bread, you'd wonder what preservatives they're putting in them these days to keep them fresh. It never lasted that long back in my youth, although that was mostly local stuff from Gallagher's in Ardara or wherever.

I'd kill for a few Kerrs Pinks! You never get those nice, peeling, floury spuds over here like you do at home!

[The Iceman]

It's all about tradeoffs and what is right for your own family. Weather is great, a big house is great, opportunities for the kids are great but if none of that is worth anything to you if you can't share it with your parents, or siblings or in-laws then it doesn't matter how many days of sunshine you get a year.
Right now we're focused on leaving the West Coast and heading back east. We will lose the weather but we can have the same house and we'll regain the community and family interactions that we feel are more important.  The goal would be to get back to Ireland after that - not because of a hankering to go home but just because I think our kids deserve their Irish family for a while and vice versa..

the life of an ex-pat is certainly not an easyone. You're not fully settled in your new country and you don't fully fit in (because of your life experiences and outlook shift) in your home country.

Furio....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70PvXTkqg4g

I don't regret leaving Joe - I've done things, been places and had experiences I never would have even dreamed of had i stayed. Before I left i don't think my Mother had ever been on a plane - she's been over here now I think 10 times in 8 years so my family has also grown from me moving.  But you know yourself you're forever dislodged. Our problem is we haven't settled at all out West. Seattle people are rare to say the least.

[J70]

It's all about tradeoffs and what is right for your own family. Weather is great, a big house is great, opportunities for the kids are great but if none of that is worth anything to you if you can't share it with your parents, or siblings or in-laws then it doesn't matter how many days of sunshine you get a year.
Right now we're focused on leaving the West Coast and heading back east. We will lose the weather but we can have the same house and we'll regain the community and family interactions that we feel are more important.  The goal would be to get back to Ireland after that - not because of a hankering to go home but just because I think our kids deserve their Irish family for a while and vice versa..

the life of an ex-pat is certainly not an easyone. You're not fully settled in your new country and you don't fully fit in (because of your life experiences and outlook shift) in your home country.

Furio....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70PvXTkqg4g

I don't regret leaving Joe - I've done things, been places and had experiences I never would have even dreamed of had i stayed. Before I left i don't think my Mother had ever been on a plane - she's been over here now I think 10 times in 8 years so my family has also grown from me moving.  But you know yourself you're forever dislodged. Our problem is we haven't settled at all out West. Seattle people are rare to say the least.

"Rare"?

How?