Do you remember the precise moment you decided to commit to where you are living now? Or was it a temporary plan that became permanent over time? Niall O'Dowd can pinpoint the day in 1985 when he decided to stay in America - the best decision of his life - rather than return to Ireland. He shares his journey, and advice for young emigrants: "Go boldly, don't look back."
Hugo O'Doherty runs a new info service for people moving to Ireland, and says many people have been in touch to express shock at lack of maternity benefit and cost of third-level fees on returning "home". "Returning emigrants are not looking for the red-carpet treatment on their return to Ireland, just fairness and common sense," he writes.
Each week, Irish Times Abroad meets an Irish person working in an interesting job overseas. This week, Dr Anouska Kinahan from Dublin tells us about working as a protected areas advisor in Guyana, South America. "In Africa I would take my daughter to monitor antelope and teach her how to use a compass, so at four years of age, she had quite a different education to most." Want to share your experience? Email abroad@irishtimes.com with a little information about you and what you do.
Yvonne O'Connor traded in a gift shop job serving Hollywood's elite for a life on the road, clocking up 1.2 million kilometres travelling across America as a trucker with her husband. She shares her fascinating journey with us this week from Mexico, where they are currently travelling by motorbike and sidecar.
It is nine years since Lainey Broderick left Dublin for the Cayman Islands. On a recent visit, she walked the city viewing it through a tourist's eyes: "Ireland has moved forward in so many ways - same-sex marriage, repeal, a connecting Luas line... Yet taxi drivers still love Joe Duffy, Penneys is still my favourite shop, and I still love a cup of Barry's while watching Ireland AM. Maybe nothing really changes, day to day."
The problem with visiting Vienna is where to start. Its place in history? Classical music? Art? Architecture? According to Dubliner turned Austrian Joe Lowry, the city has it all. If you would like to share your local knowledge with readers planning a trip to the city where you live, we are looking for new contributors for the Welcome to My Place column. Email abroad@irishtimes.com for more information.
Are you living in a country where English is not the first language? Whether you are a near-fluent speaker, or a new learner, The Irish Times would like to hear about the challenges you have faced with the language barrier, and the opportunities that have opened up because of your efforts to learn a second (or third, fourth, fifth...) language. Click here to share your experience; a selection will be published next week for European Day of Languages.
You'll find plenty more stories by and about the Irish diaspora this week on irishtimes.com/abroad.
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