Recently my husband came across an online article of an Irish island, Arranmore, that is looking for residents from America and Australia to move to their island. This farming and fishing community’s population has been slowing decreasing because residents are leaving to pursue other careers in more modern cities. They are hoping to interest those that are able to work remotely.
I have to admit, I was intrigued. And after seeing the pictures of the gorgeous landscape of the island, I started to daydream how different our day to day life would be but also what a great experience for us as a family it would be.
Any House Hunters International fans out there?
I am one of those individuals that has watched numerous episodes of House Hunters International, and thought about what it would be like to move to a different country and start a new life. I see so many couples and families at various stages of their lives just pick up and move abroad due to job opportunity, retirement, or just to fulfill a dream of living in a different country. Of course the show makes their decision look so easy, but I know the reality is, it wasn’t an overnight decision, and one they probably thought about very carefully before taking the leap of faith.
A New Lifstyle
There are places I have seen featured that would be a hard no for me, but most of the places have peaked my interest. We would definitely need to downsize from the house we currently live in if we were ever to make the move, but that doesn’t bother me. Our day to day life would probably drastically change. The places I have taken my four year old to on play dates (the trampoline park, the indoor bouncy house place, and bowling) that have provided endless amounts of fun would be replaced with more simple activities. Family time would probably feel differently, but in a good way. I would be pushed out of my comfort zone by having to navigate making new friends, building relationships, and making sure my kids were transitioning well. What an adventure it would be and how exciting would it be to see different cultures through the eyes of my kids.
Another reason I was interested in learning more about this island, is I have always been interested in how others live and what their day to day life is like outside the US. I actually follow several other moms that live in different countries on Instagram for this very reason, and I love seeing glimpses into what being a mom is like in Northern England, Split, Croatia, Queensland, Australia, and Edinburgh, Scotland. There is so much history in other parts of the world compared to the United States.
If it was just my husband and I, I have to honestly say, I think we would seriously consider making this move. Maybe not to Arranmore, Ireland, but maybe somewhere in Europe. However, we have two young girls in our lives now to think about, and both my husband and I are very fortunate to have both sets of our parents around too. And while the experience of living abroad would be priceless for our girls, we also think raising our girls in a place where their grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins are apart of their lives is just as much of a priceless experience too.
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