Since returning back to Dublin from Seattle a few weeks ago (and really for the whole time we’ve been here!) Jeff and I often talk about what we really love about living here and what we miss most from home. Some are trivial and some more serious, but here are some of the top ones we keep coming back to:

What we love about life in Dublin:

1. Work-life balance: Here in Ireland (as in the rest of Europe), there is much more emphasis placed on balancing your work with your life (whether that’s family, hobbies, or whatever). People don’t seem to take their job/career as the be-all-end-all of who they are, and rather can more easily separate work from the rest of life. Shorter hours at the office, less work on weekends, not being expected to work on holiday, and lots more vacation time — all of these make it much easier to disconnect from work and make our time here that much more special and able to be spent together as a family.

2. The social atmosphere: there is definitely a culture of having fun, going out, going to the pub to have a few “scoops” (drinks), and just enjoying life. Not to say that this isn’t true at home too, but it feels more prevalent here and more widespread. It definitely makes it easier to socialize with people from work (for Jeff) and to go out with friends (for me).

3. Living by the sea: this is maybe not across the boards for everyone living in Dublin, but for us, living a block from the sea has been really cool! Whether it’s watching the ships come into the harbor, playing on the beach, or noticing the different birds wading in the water at low tide, it’s been a unique experience we really enjoy.

4. Not as many choices: this might sound strange, but in some ways having fewer choices in certain areas feels freeing (especially for an indecisive person like me) 😄 Our neighborhood has one grocery store, and there’s only one or two pharmacists, cleaners, barbers, dentists, doctors, etc in the neighborhood, so it makes “choosing” each of these things a lot simpler. Plus,
you really start to get to know all the people in the local shops. The pharmacist, dry cleaning owner, and cafe waitress all know us and will always chat a bit with us when we come in.

5. Guns are illegal: this is a more serious one, but I really do appreciate the fact that guns are illegal here. Not even police carry them. Of course there are ways to obtain them illegally I’m sure, but there is so much less gun crime and it’s less scary not having to worry about the shooting epidemic as in the states.

6. Coffee/tea and scones: the custom of having a “cuppa” is quite strong here. Whether it’s sitting in a cafe with a friend for coffee/tea and a chat, or even at a toddler playgroup where they serve hot drinks to all the moms, or the fact that almost every park or any kind of visitor attraction has a cafe in it, there’s always time to indulge in this ritual. And along with the tea/coffee, scones with butter and jam are par for the course. I’ve come to appreciate taking the time to sit and drink/eat from real mugs/plates as opposed to always getting something to go.

7. History everywhere: whether walking around Dublin or touring the Irish countryside, there’s just so much history at every turn. Medieval castles, Stone Age archaeological ruins, pubs where James Joyce gained inspiration — it never ceases to amaze me how history and daily life sit side by side here.

And now onto what we really miss from home:

1. Family and friends: this is, of course, hands down the biggest part of home we miss! It’s definitely hard being so far away, and of course makes us appreciate everyone that much more!

2. Our favorite grocery stores: we really miss our grocery stores at home and the familiar products they have. The stores here have some of the same brands and types of food, but some things are totally different or not available.

3. Healthcare: this is a complicated one, and I appreciate certain aspects of the medical system here, but overall I do miss our healthcare back home. What’s good here is that you don’t actually need insurance for most basic things, but on the other hand, the care here somehow doesn’t feel as comprehensive. I think the actual quality, medically speaking, is comparable, but the facilities, wait times, and things like that feel outdated/inconvenient.

4. Customer service: for whatever reason, it feels like there is less emphasis here on customer service. Irish people are pretty easygoing and carefree, which is great in terms of social life, but kind of trickles over into not caring about customers too.

5. Appliances: we really miss American appliances, both the size and knowing how they work! Our fridge, oven, and washer here are all tiny, and we are still trying to figure out how our hot water tank and heater/thermostat work (our property manager didn’t seem to know or explain to us either).

6. Starbucks drive-thru: ok, I know this is contrary to what I wrote about loving the cafes and sitting to have a cup of coffee, but sometimes you just want a quick cup on the go. Especially with the two boys in tow, it’s sometimes a pain to get everyone out of the car and I miss just being able to drive thru sometimes!

7. The weather: who would ever think someone coming from Seattle would miss the weather there? Well, it turns out Dublin’s weather seems to be worse, especially in summer (or lack thereof). Don’t get me wrong, I love a good rainy day, but I miss that it doesn’t ever really get that warm here even on sunny days.

Ok, well that’s it for now! There are certainly pros and cons to each place, and we’ve been growing to appreciate and recognize what’s special about both Dublin and Seattle!