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AoIFe DReW meets eight Irish women who’ve set up new lives abroad to find out if the grass is, in fact, any greener.

Everyone’s life is a journey, but some people’s journeys take them very far away from where life began. Moving abroad is a leap of faith, and not always easy. Without family and

friends around, it can feel like you are starting

out life from scratch and without a compass. And yet, emigrating can prove to be a magical, enriching experience. Eight Irish women, living in all corners of the world, share their personal journeys: what they cherish about their new homes and what they miss about Ireland.

Sinead Hayes, San Francisco

April LindsayNew York

Portia O’Loughlin, Singapore

Julie Gaynor, Melbourne

Julie Casey, Hong Kong

Eithne Treanor, Dubai

Josephine O’Sullivan, Sweden

Nora Hickey, Paris

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SW EDENJosephine Sullivan, thirtysomething, lecturer in computer science at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), StockholmNoRDIc LIgHts In the early noughties, I was finishing my PhD studies in England when the opportunity of a two-year postdoc job in Stockholm came up. Fast-forward more than a decade later, and I’m still in Stockholm. ALL About bALANce I love that nature is an integral part of the city. You walk in a busy shopping street one moment, hop on a ferry, and then be in a forest picking wild berries. Society promotes a healthy work/life balance, and people competitively strive to achieve it. Sometimes this can be maddening, as hard work and ambition can be frowned upon. But it does make one try to work smarter, not harder. geNDeR equALIty I’m a woman in a male-dominated field, but it’s no big deal. Both legal and practical structures are in place to facilitate women having both a career and family. mIssINg tHe bANteR Besides the obvious – my nearest and dearest – I miss the Irish and their easy rapport with people. The more you are abroad, the more you realise that this is a special Irish quality. HIbeRNAtIoN Surviving the winter is a big challenge. If you find winter in Ireland tough then Stockholm may not be the place for you. However, the magical summers are the pay-off: lazy, long days with often surprisingly warm, bright weather and the beautiful archipelago to explore during your lengthy holidays.

MELBOUR NEJulie Gaynor, 35, trade marketing manager, MelbournetAkINg tHe pLuNge Making the decision to leave Ireland was difficult. I had a good life and felt guilty giving up my job when there was a recession on. DReAm job I landed a great job as a trade marketing manager of a wine and champagne distribution company. It is my dream job – wine brought to my desk at 4pm on a Friday. The Australians really do believe in working to live. Six months after moving, I saw a guy that I thought I knew – in Melbourne, you are constantly meeting people from home – and we swapped numbers. Two and a half years later, we are engaged to be married. gReAt outDooRs There is always so much going on, such as the F1 grand prix, the Australian

open and the Melbourne Cup. My favourite thing about living in Australia is the outdoor lifestyle, from boot camp on the beach, to beers on the balcony. WHAt I WouLD cHANge The time difference. You are on a totally different wavelength to back home. They want to talk to you in the morning when you are in the pub, and vice versa. So all the calls are organised

– you can’t just pick up the phone to your best mate and have a moan over a cuppa. The second hardest for me is

being away from my three nephews – I feel I’m missing out on them growing up; but I just hope that when they get to 18, they will come and live with their cool aunty in Melbourne.

PA RISNora Hickey M’Sichili, 38, director, Centre Culturel Irlandais and mum of one, ParisWHy tHe cIty oF LIgHt? I moved to Paris last September to take up the directorship of the Centre Culturel Irlandais (Irish Arts Centre), Ireland’s overseas cultural flagship. As well as being eager to promote the best of Irish arts

abroad, I was delighted to move to one of the world’s most beautiful and culturally diverse cities, to be immersed in a language I love, and to ensure my son grows up bilingual. La vie est beLLe Paris is designed with its citizens in mind, with great public parks dotted throughout the city. Needless to say, it is beautiful, and this value placed on the aesthetic trickles down to all aspects of life. French culture celebrates beauty. There is great attention to

detail, and so even the shopping experience is a pleasurable one, with interesting specialist shops surpassing soulless supermarkets and high street chain stores. I mIss … Well, Paris is

happily home now. But apart from obviously missing family and friends, I miss very specific things and places, like the cliff walk from Bray to Greystones with our customary hot chocolate in the Happy Pear on arrival, forest walks in Fermanagh, the stretch of beach from Kilcoole to Newcastle and Derek Dunne’s white pudding from Wicklow town. But then, the Centre Culturel Irlandais is like a little piece of Ireland in Paris, so I never feel too out of touch. ALLez, go! I’ve met so many people who’ve told me they’ve always wanted to live in Paris. So my advice is, just do it and you’ll regrette rien.

FRom top Julie Gaynor, Melbourne; Josephine Sullivan, Sweden; Nora Hickey M’Sichili,

Paris

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NEW YOR KApril Lindsay, 41, artist, New York I [HeARt] NeW yoRk In January 2010, I reconnected, through Facebook, with a childhood sweetheart, who I hadn’t seen in 20 years. We spent two years in a long distance relationship before I moved to NYC in December 2011. It wasn’t necessarily a big risk. My job in Ireland had been cut back to a three-day week and there were little prospects for me. I’m from Nenagh, Co Tipperary, but I’ve lived in Sydney, London and Dublin, so the possibility of living in New York was exciting. What was daunting was whether or not the relationship would work out. We are both independent souls, but we are happy and got engaged last year. tHe HIgHs There is energy in this city that I have not felt anywhere else. It could burn you out, but I have a strong meditation practice that balances it out! The funny thing is, since moving to New York, my day starts so much earlier and ends so much earlier than before. I get up at 5am and am in bed by 9.30pm. Really. I moved to the city that never sleeps to be in bed by 9.30pm. I am an artist, and it’s exhilarating to be part of the art community  and to have so many galleries, events, disciplines and opportunities available on my doorstep. tHe LoWs Taxes, the weather, and the health system. But then again, I would say that if I was living at home too. tHe LAND I would never say that I get homesick, but my paintings are all very much an abstract representation of the Irish landscape. Even living in this crowded city, I am painting bog scenes, and frosty fields. So I am missing some very fundamental, subconscious connection to the landscape and the earth. WoRD to tHe WIse Have a lot of money saved up. Have a network of people over here already who know the city. Have a good base for eating well. I know many people who have put on a lot of weight after moving here. And prepare not to be easily offended by random comments from very rushed and impatient commuters.

SINGA POR EPortia O’Loghlen, 31, enjoying pregnancy and a break from work, SingaporeoRIeNtAL LIvINg After living in China for a couple of years, my husband’s job afforded us the opportunity to move to Singapore and we decided it would be a great opportunity for me to take some time off to start a family. cosmopoLItAN Singapore is a cosmopolitan city with sunshine every day. It’s such a hub for travelling to paradise islands in South East Asia. One short drive and speedboat later, and you can find yourself on a paradise island off Malaysia enjoying the

beach. cuLINARy DeLIgHts The food in Singapore caters for most nationalities. When we lived in China and visited home, we vacuum packed Superquinn sausages and froze them. They were much more appealing than the sea urchins and live frogs on offer from our local supermarket. comFoRt The city is safe, with little crime, and there are strict laws here to protect that culture. Owning a car in Singapore is a luxury, but thankfully cab prices are very cheap, as is the underground. beINg pRegNANt IN sINgApoRe Aside from the heat, being pregnant in Singapore so far is very easy. As this is my first, I can’t compare to home, but having the time off from work coupled with the five-star healthcare on offer, it’s nice to enjoy

being pregnant. The healthcare is amongst the world’s most renowned. However, health insurance is a must, as costs are extremely high without it. I mIss … family and friends so much. When you’re away, it’s heartbreaking to miss events such as weddings, births and christenings, and funerals of loved ones. We have lots of nieces and nephews that we miss dearly, but FaceTime allows us to chat to them once a week. ReD tApe It’s worthwhile coming over for a couple of weeks first to find a job, a home or register with schools if applicable. Finding a job is not easy and visa restrictions apply. Another point to note is the cost. Low taxes

on income, but high taxes on goods and services can work out as a bit of a surprise. 

SA N FR A NCISCOSinead Hayes, 43, project manager in an investment firm, San FranciscoLove stoRy I moved to San Francisco with the intention of spending six months on my way home after a yearlong stay in Australia, but I ended up staying. I work in the investment industry, and there is plenty of finance work in San Francisco. I met my husband Niall (also from Ireland) here and he is in the videogame industry. We now have two children, Victor, four, and Dylan, three. DIveRsIty RuLes San Francisco is beautiful, and it’s diverse, incorporating lots of different cultures and beliefs. The city is full of top-class restaurants, so if you are a foodie, it’s heaven. The climate is perfect – never too hot or cold, and it only rains during winter. There are so many things to do within a short drive: wine tasting in Sonoma/Napa, ski/casino in Tahoe, hike in national parks and beaches, mountain bike in Marin or sail on the bay. Historically, the Silicon Valley has been the epicentre of the tech universe, but in the last 20 years, many large tech, web and biotech companies have set up in San Francisco. It’s at the forefront of a lot of innovation, and it’s palpable in local coffee shops and eateries. DoWNsIDe If

FRom top April Lindsay, New York; Portia O’Loughlin, Singapore.

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I could, I would move San Francisco to the east coast. That way, it would be nearer Ireland and I could go home more often. We mIss … Our families and friends. We definitely miss that our children don’t get to see their grandparents or cousins as much as we would like. ADvIce Rent and property prices are high, and the market is competitive. You also need to choose carefully, as some neighbourhoods are much foggier than others – there are lots of microclimates. Start practising your hill starts, as San Fran is a very hilly city and it can be pretty scary at times.

HONG KONGJulie Casey, 35, mum of twotAkINg tHe LeAp We wanted a change and my husband wanted to advance his career, but it was looking unlikely with the uncertain economic climate in Ireland. Our children were in crèche full time and I wanted the opportunity to be at home with them. AttRActIve LIFestyLe There were a variety of reasons why Hong Kong was attractive to us: I have a sister living here; there is no language barrier; and there were job opportunities. The climate also helped

– we spend about seven months of the year swimming in the sunshine and dining al fresco. Also, I now work from home when the kids are at school, so I have a great work/life balance. DIveRsIty We now have friends from so many parts of the world. Ruby, seven, and Jenny, four, are the only Irish girls in their classes. They are growing up with a great understanding of different cultures and beliefs. They’re learning Mandarin and love the language. poLLutIoN pRobLems For us, the major drawback of living in Hong Kong is the air quality. Pollution is a big concern. Some days are better than others and we seem to cope better now, but I dread to think long term what it is doing to our lungs and overall health, especially that of our children. We mIss … our families – the children’s cousins, aunties and uncles and especially their nanas and papas. We miss our friends. We miss fresh, clean air. We miss green grass

– real grass! ADvIce For anyone with young children, primary education is expensive, and places are limited. It can be a daunting task to navigate the landscape of primary school enrolment policies, fees, debentures, etc. However, there are lots of support networks, such as Facebook forum “Hong

Kong Moms” (all expat mums living here, who ask questions, share their experiences and offer advice).

DUBAIEithne Treanor, fiftysomething, managing director of E Treanor Media, DubaiADveNtuRe I used to spend summers in America when I was studying at Trinity College, and fell in love with Chicago and based myself in the mid-west for ten years. I completed another

degree in broadcast communication at Columbia College, and eventually relocated back to Europe in 1989, where I landed a series of great jobs with leading international broadcasters. optImIsm 2007 was a busy year for me – I packed my bags, sold my London home and moved to Dubai with no job, but lots of optimism and hope for a new career focus. My move was partly as a result of many Middle Eastern energy conferences in 2006 and 2007. vA-vA-voom I love the energy, the enthusiasm, the optimism and the no-nonsense approach to getting things done in Dubai. In my role as media consultant to many of the business stars of the UAE, I often get privileged insight into what’s going on. I have never been married, I’m in my fifties, and don’t have children. I have a great group of Irish friends around the world. In my “spare” time, I’ve become an actress; this year, I starred in Dancing at Lughnasa under the watchful direction of Irishman Pádraig Downey at the Danú Theatre in Dubai. NumbeR oNe FAN The Arab hospitality is as joyous as that of the Irish, and you’re made to feel welcome. I still enjoy going back to Ireland to visit, but for now, Dubai

is my home – inshallah. uRgeNcy There’s been a great sense of urgency to grow and develop, and not everything runs at

a parallel pace. One change I would like to see would be longer residency provision for expatriates. Residency visas are currently a three-year maximum, and then one must renew, and while there are usually no issues around this, a longer-term commitment from the Dubai government would be welcome. tIps Come with an open heart and a strong work ethic, and take an interest in the local people and the environment. It’s a fun place to be – the social life is buzzing and it’s a warm and embracing community among the international expatriates.

FRom top Sinead Hayes, San Francisco; Julie Casey, Hong Kong;

Eithne Treanor, Dubai

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