"You're doing what?" " You must be out of your fecking mind!" "I think you're very brave" ( sister in law) " You won't last pissing time" "Can I take your temperature?" These are the kind of reactions I'm getting when I tell people that we are leaving the Sunny South of France and moving back to the less sunnier climes of our native Ireland.
We've spent 11 very happy years in our adopted country after falling in love with it on a ski trip in early 2002. We've lived our 30's here in France, settled down, had the babies, bought the house in suburbia, made a lovely circle of French and expat friends and now we've decided to head north, back to the bosom of the family and to an Ireland where we haven't lived in for over 15 years. Yep, I know ... and as the weather brightens up here, I'm beginning to wonder if maybe they are right, are we stark raving mad after all?
Then, I step outside of my bubble and I know I've made the right decision. The French are just not like us. They don't get us and we don't get them. I just can't see us growing old here, I want our children to be Irish and I want to feel like a part of the fabric of society.
Englishman, David Mitchell , author of Cloud Atlas, has upped sticks and relocated to Clonakilty in Ireland, where we are heading. He totally resonated with me in a recent article in the Irish Examiner
"At this stage in life, you need a good environment in which to bring up your children. After a while you need to be able to communicate with other parents at school, the people around you. It sounds simple and obvious and straightforward but in many many tracts of the world, it's not normal, it's not normal to be reasonably friendly to strangers."
He says "Why would anyone not want to live in West Cork?"
Look, I know that nowhere is perfect and we might be running back to somewhere sunny and warm after 5 minutes of life in the old sod, but it's now or never with the children , aged 6 and 8 , so here we go.
The house is sold, the one way tickets have been bought and the countdown is on.
57 days to go in France........ YIKES!!!!!!
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Then, I step outside of my bubble and I know I've made the right decision. The French are just not like us. They don't get us and we don't get them. I just can't see us growing old here, I want our children to be Irish and I want to feel like a part of the fabric of society.
Englishman, David Mitchell , author of Cloud Atlas, has upped sticks and relocated to Clonakilty in Ireland, where we are heading. He totally resonated with me in a recent article in the Irish Examiner
"At this stage in life, you need a good environment in which to bring up your children. After a while you need to be able to communicate with other parents at school, the people around you. It sounds simple and obvious and straightforward but in many many tracts of the world, it's not normal, it's not normal to be reasonably friendly to strangers."
He says "Why would anyone not want to live in West Cork?"
Look, I know that nowhere is perfect and we might be running back to somewhere sunny and warm after 5 minutes of life in the old sod, but it's now or never with the children , aged 6 and 8 , so here we go.
The house is sold, the one way tickets have been bought and the countdown is on.
57 days to go in France........ YIKES!!!!!!
I'm happy for anyone who is moving to where they think they belong, home country or not. We (American me, Brit husband) roughed out 11 years in the West (Galway), sold our house after 5 years on the market(!) for less than we paid for it in 2001. Made many friends but Ireland was a financial, political, and weather disaster for us and We are much happier in France in spite of the cultural differences. Best of luck.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your good wishes. Where are you in France?
DeleteThe very best of luck to you all!
ReplyDeleteWe left France for Costa Rica and wonder why we didn't do it sooner!
We had French friends...but we're still in touch with visits, Skype and e mail so it's not a complete break.
We had great times there...but I wouldn't have wanted to grow old(er) there.
Thanks Helen. We need to get this out of our system, if nothing else!!!
DeleteIt will be a challenging move, but why stay somewhere you're not completely happy. I have a French husband, which makes things very different, because I have taken on a lot of the French perspective but since you're both Irish, I can understand that you want to go back to Ireland. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteCheers Aussie in France and Good Luck to you as well :-)
DeleteI wish you a good come back to your homecrountry Karen for you and your family,i would like myself pass one time of my life in Ireland, but not now, I think that the modern irish imigration has a new face nowadays, a very good contrasts of culture, but the good thing is that your family keep the identity in a counrtry where the personality is defined by apearence, and somethimes avery distorced concept of "what it is" strong personality, but my goal is put people in this envoiroment, and break this french blasé air, with a woman who keep this tipical irish caractheristics like the joy of life, the rebel position when she was bullyed because of this inner need to be accepeted when she does not fit in the normal french standards imposed to children, this naturally it's my blue ambition because run away of the role model that french woman prejects in the world ins't easy and i thank too your culture for that, i hope that you keep going on writing, you did a very inteligent and smart job here, good luck.
ReplyDeleteKaren, very best wishes to you and the family on the big move back. I appreciate the doubt factor and the relentless accusations of insanity/lunacy from native friends and family. Fair play to you for taking the leap anyway! I've been out of the country myself for just over 25 years now, having left Belfast for uni and general gobshitery at 18. While based mostly in London, I travelled all over the world (music industry), but always felt a move home would be on the cards eventually. Unfortunately, the travelling lifestyle cultivates a clingy attachment to sunshine and wandering (what my brother would call being spoilt)and thus, I've been somewhat of a diabolical ditherer about whether we should move to Ireland or resettle in SW France or NE Spain. Frankly there have been yo-yo's more decisive about their new direction. But a fortnight ago we finally decided (I think "Feck it!" was the opening gambit) Ireland it is, crap weather be damned!. We're heading to Wexford where my best friend lives and we already know many people. It's neutral territory as my other half is from Manchester (with maternal Irish grandparents), so we will both be outsiders to a degree. It will be a real treat to be a car ride away from everyone (North and South), instead of a plane ride. You miss the easiness of your own friends and the shared humour. Keep us all posted on your progress; the blog's always a great read. •Go n-éirí an bóthar leat!
ReplyDeleteDeirdre
Hi Deirdre, thanks for the feedback and good wishes. Let's keep in touch and see how we 'weather' the move back. As I sit here in my bikini as it's too hot for clothes, the doubts sure are creeping in!!!
DeleteGood Luck, níl aon tinteán mar do thinteán féin, at the end of the day!!
Hello,
ReplyDeleteI am trying to follow in your footsteps ; leaving south france for west ireland. Do you know of a van rental company that would allow me to take a van france/ireland, without having to bring it back? None of the online sites seem to be able to confirm this, and I'm stumped!! Thanks.
mtcmolloy@gmail.com