While every Tom, Dick, and Patrick will tell you about what to do when traveling to Ireland and how they are actually 5% Irish themselves, not many people talk about what mistakes to avoid. If you are planning a trip to Ireland in the near future or maybe even think about moving there, you are on the right page. Here is my list of mistakes to avoid when traveling to Ireland - or how to avoid looking like a fecking eejit.
In my previous post about 10 Words You Need To Know As An Expat In Ireland, I already featured 10 words and phrases you should know when moving to Ireland. Even though Ireland is a predominantly English-speaking country, it sometimes feels like people here speak a different language due to slang and Irish phrases added into the mix. Have a look below if you feel like a feckin’ eejit when Irish people talk to you!
Being an expat is not always easy. You have to battle homesickness and culture shocks. Not to mention your family and friends, who - we know - love us and want what's best for you but keep asking when you are moving back because - let's face it - what is even the point of living abroad during a global pandemic? Yes, living abroad during a global pandemic is especially hard. When all things hit the fan, it is time to give yourself an expat pep-talk.
Ireland is also called the Emerald Island - with good reason. Ireland is famous for its weather - almost no week goes by without some sort of rain. Even though growing up in Germany I am no stranger to bad weather, I definitely realized I had something to learn when moving to Ireland - about the types of rain, the suitable outfit for each of these (a surprising amount still includes shorts and sneakers) and most of all - the attitude (‘Ah, sure look., we’ll be grand.’). Though I am not a meteorological expert, here are the 10 different types of rain that definitely do exist in Ireland.
How can I live in Ireland as an expat without writing a guide to Guinness? Exactly, I can’t. Guinness is the most famous Irish beer and I know quite a few people who are not the biggest fans of it. Speaking out of my own experience, however, I can say - it truly does taste better in Ireland. And since the Guinness Storehouse is one of the top things to do in Dublin, you should definitely book a tour and have a lovely pint of Guinness while you’re there.
Naturally, I would answer the question ‘Should I move abroad?’ with ‘Yes, absolutely, thank you very much!’ I have lived in the US, moved back to my home country Germany, moved abroad again, and have now been living in Ireland for almost three years. But is Ireland a great choice as an expat? There are many pros and cons regarding which country to move to and the answer will ultimately depend on what you want and what is realistic. Since I have moved to Ireland myself, the pros of this list have obviously outweighed the cons but I will try to give you a holistic view about what it is like to move to Ireland and what you should consider before making a decision.
For a year I have been working from my bedroom in an apartment in Dublin. I don't have many exciting things to report, because I have barely left the city due to the lockdown radius the Irish government implements during high lockdown stages. Being an expat during a global pandemic is hard. Here are some tips that helped me cope with >12 months of a global pandemic and several lockdowns.
I have been living the expat-life in Ireland for almost three years now. Ireland became a predominantly English-speaking country at the turn of the 19th century. However, it sometimes feels like people here speak an entirely different language. The Irish have managed to make English their own by using their very own slang words. This is actually called Hiberno-English (Hibernia is the Latin for Ireland). To unleash on all unfamiliar with the lingo, the Irish love to drop some actual Irish in between their sentences. So if you need to brush up on your Irish local skills. Below you find my favorite Irish slang words and expressions.
A global pandemic has been hitting the world for more than a year. Traveling - if possible at all - is a small nightmare with COVID tests, quarantines, and calls from local health authorities. Restaurants, shops, pubs, museums are still closed in many countries. The highlights of my day are the walk to the supermarket and a walk along the canal in my neighborhood. Over the past couple of months, I have lived through various degrees of lockdowns with a radius of 2 km, 5 km, curfews, and police controls. Don't get me wrong - I understand why all of this is necessary. But locked away in my shared apartment in Dublin is certainly not how I envisioned my life as an expat in Ireland.
Can you tell, that I cannot wait to travel after COVID? There is one undeniable advantage of living in Europe - traveling to many different countries is incredibly easy! Hop on a two hour flight and you are in an entirely different country. Or get in your car and start driving. Things aren’t just comparably close, they are also comparably open. Thanks to the European Union you can drive from Portugal to Germany without showing your passport once. Growing up in Germany, we spent our summer vacations exclusively in Europe. However, there are still many places that I would love to visit - or visit again! Below is my travel bucket list - Europe Edition.
Unfortunately, not much traveling is happening these days and I don’t have any exciting vacation plans lined up. As the lockdown restrictions have lifted slightly, I will try to visit my family in Germany and maybe plan a little road trip through the motherland. That’s where I got the idea to write down my Great Germany Bucket List because after all, that’s where I grew up. So if you are ever around Europe, be sure to stop by!
Berlin, Berlin, you are every city’s queen - so goes a saying by German singer Nina Hagen. And a queen it surely is. Berlin is big, Berlin is wild and it would probably take a different bucket list for each of the neighborhoods. Even after having lived here, I can honestly say that I haven’t seen it all. After a while, you tend to stay in the area you live in, and checking out new places becomes more of an effort. So hands down, this is not a complete list - but it’s the list I personally have used when living in Berlin to keep exploring the city. So here it comes, my Ultimate Berlin bucket List!
Italy is one of the most beautiful countries to visit in Europe and quite popular on European Bucket Lists. Who wouldn’t get itchy feet when thinking about Cinque Terre, the canals of Venice, and don’t even get me started on Italian food. I love Italian food. Pizza, pasta, give me all the carbs, I feel no remorse and no reason to apologize. Here are some of my very own tips worth knowing before heading to Italy!
Once you have lived abroad and come back home to your country, you might start noticing some things you did not notice before you left. I find this a particularly odd experience, since when you live abroad, you tend to only miss the good things about your home country. Returning to Germany, I found there were some annoying things I did not notice before, but I also started to cherish some stuff that I used to take for granted.
Many people consider Berlin to be one of the most fascinating cities there are. Many young Germans think it is an exciting place you should have at least lived once in your life, with all its culture and many neighbourhoods. Many foreigners come to Berlin because it’s artsy, it’s cheap and you don’t need to speak any German in order to get along. I however, have struggled with this city and I think it will never be one of my favourite places to live. The city and I have a difficult relationship.
In my Ultimate Guide to Oktoberfest, you can find all the useful information you need when you visit Oktoberfest for the first time. In this post, I want to share my Oktoberfest Insider Tips with you, as it is that time of the year again!
Berlin has the reputation of being cheap. After all, the city’s slogan is ‘poor but sexy’. Given the city’s history, this is probably not surprising. Berlin was a divided city in the middle of East Germany - meaning part of Berlin belonged to West Germany, but you had to drive through East Germany to get there. Being surrounded by a big wall on all sides didn’t particularly make the city very attractive - thus it was cheap and attracted artists and all sorts of alternative folks. While this has definitely changed (today, Berlin is one of Europe’s hot spots), it is still comparably cheap and there are tons of things you can do for free.
Salzburg for most Germans I would say, is a nice Austrian city conveniently located right across the border so perfect for a good day trip. Before going there I was actually not aware that it was such a famous location for The Sound of Music, too (I was thinking more…Mozart). However, you can visit many of the movie locations fairly easy so I would definitely recommend to watch the movie and then go on a nice movie location hunt once you are there. The locations are absolutely stunning, too, so definitely worth a visit!
It's really been time for another travel diary and since I am basically in love with writing about London, I want to share my travel diary with you guys! After all, it has been a vacation I was really looking forward to. Not only because I really love London, but also because I got the chance to spend time with some of my favorite people!
Kate Rebel is an expat, travel and adventure blog sharing stories from abroad, my everyday life and the books my nose is currently stuck into. Feel free to reach out to me - I am always open for questions and comments!
