Ireland Forum

AmericanLass
Joined 2017
Posts: 3

6 years ago

Relocating from California

6 years ago

Hello, I have enjoyed reading the posts and responses on this site. I noted that several members are retired. We are a young family nonetheless the feedback is very helpful and insightful. Although my husband and I are in our early 50's we have a young family, 22 month old, five year old, six year old, fourteen year old and nineteen year old. The older two are biological and younger three are an adopted sibling set. Our children are, in part, our motivation for moving. We live in an area of California with a very high cost of living. We are a dual income family and the stress level as a result is high. Like many I had ancestors that left Ireland in the late 1800's. Certainly we may have romanticized the idea of returning to the home our ancestors originated from. I want to make sure not to allow this to cloud our judgement as I understand it is irrelevant to all but us. Our reasons for deciding to give it a try are as follows: Significant equity in our home, good head start on retirement savings, and a strong ability to secure work. My husband is a board certified and experienced doctor. He is on the "Critical Skills" list. He has registered with the Irish Medical Council and has an agency offering him positions. We have not yet narrowed down an area as this will depend on job offers. We do love Wicklow County, Greystones, and other areas within commuting distance of Dublin. We are seeking to become a single income family allowing me to actually raise our younger children. Our daughter would like to finish high school in Ireland and attend medical school (which is a $250,000 endeavor in the States). She will be a permanent resident and on her way to being an EU citizen by the time she completes undergrad. This means medical school is tuition free. This will have a positive impact on our savings particularly as older parents with very young children. Our older daughter is early in her nursing career. and this appears to also be in high demand in most of Ireland. We love the fairness of the tax system and social benefits for those in need, the cost of homes, even in Dublin, compared to our area, We are happy that my husband has a skill that is needed and that we can contribute.

I am nervous about my children being outsiders. I am nervous about being homesick for all of the conveniences of home. I am nervous about making a financial mistake and just a little scared in general. We have learned most schools in urban areas have a wait list. This is a concept unfamiliar to Americans insofar as our public school system operates. We are prepared to invest in private school if necessary. We are seeking a slower, family centered life, urban with walking ability to services and schools (ideally). We have lived in the North West region of the USA and find the weather to be very similar to Ireland and very tolerable. We understand we can always return "home" if things go awry however this becomes more and more difficult with jobs, starting over, and children. Any suggestions or advice for a family with young children would be welcome.

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Contribute
Help others in Ireland by answering questions about the challenges and adventures of living in Ireland.