Happy Holidays, everyone! This month we’re talking to Sarah Richey, an American and two-time expat living in Dublin since July 2023. Sarah and her husband Val sought out new roles here in Dublin after living for five years in Vienna, Austria. Ready for a more American, English-speaking lifestyle but not ready to return to the US, they chose here because,

“Dublin offered a good job, good schools, it’s safe, and it’s still in the EU while being English-speaking. It ticked all the boxes for us—other than the weather!”

Before Dublin, Sarah and Val pulled up stakes in Seattle in 2018 when their boys were just 8, 6, and 3.

“We always talked about living abroad, since before we were married, and we originally saw it as a temporary move to travel as much as possible with our kids. We both started looking for new jobs in 2017 and Val landed one first in Austria—one of the few European countries neither of us had been to!”

Moving to Austria was the adventure they were looking for. Over five years they took more than 35 trips across 18 countries.

“I was a magical time,” says Sarah, “but the kids were getting interested in different things and we were ready for a steadier pace. Life in Dublin feels less like a temporary expat adventure and more like a new normal as immigrants, hopefully with Irish citizenship someday.”

Working in any new country can be a big challenge for people, and even when new colleagues speak English it doesn’t mean the transition will be easy.

“The culture of every country is different,” said Sarah. “Just because we may speak the same language doesn’t mean we think the same way. I especially experienced this type of culture clash working in Vienna. Reading The Culture Map by Erin Meyer really changed the way I operated both professionally and personally. It made me think harder about who I’m addressing, how they may interpret information differently, and how can I adjust my approach.”

Once Sarah and her family were settled here in Dublin, she found a new role this past spring in her old industry: wine marketing and brand management.

“I’ve always had a career, and work is a big part of my identity. I tried all the traditional job search avenues here: LinkedIn, recruiters, networking, etc. But Ireland is very relationship-based and it’s often about who you know. One day, I happened to reach out to Cassidy Wines in search of my favorite Malbec and we got to chatting about my background working in wine in the US. A few months later, they called about an open role. A few months after that, I brought in Molly Shibley (AWCD Communications Chair) too!”

Favorite AWCD activities?	Hiking Sea swimming Tennis I wanted to try all these activities in Dublin but was nervous to do it alone – that’s what makes club events so great!
Best piece of expat advice you have for new members?	Say yes to everything. Push past your fears and get out of the house. One thing can lead to another, be open to anything.
What has AWCD brought to your life?	The club gave me a bit of focus and structure every week. I discovered the hiking group, coffee dates, etc. I’ve met lots of interesting women who’ve gone through similar life experiences.
What do you most miss about the US?!	Friends and family, Target, and customs-free shipping.

As someone who has lived away from the US for quite some time now, what has surprised you the most about living away from home?

“You realize that your relationships, as strong as they were, are hard to maintain. Especially when you leave for good. You may find you have to do the heavy lifting and that doesn’t feel fair but that’s the reality. Sometimes you must do the work to keep people in your life when you’re the one who moved away. And the people who do make the effort may not always be the people you’d expect!”

With all that Ireland has to offer, what has been the best thing you have seen so far since you moved here? “We really loved both our trips to Northern Ireland. We read a lot about the Troubles, and it was interesting to see living history up close. Giant’s Causeway and the northern coastline are gorgeous. And I’m a big fan of Derry Girls, too!”

We're always looking for interesting women of all backgrounds to interview. If you or a friend has an interesting story to share, please reach out to communications@awcd.net. Your story could inspire a recent transplant or connect you with a new friend in Dublin!

Liz Anderson is an American wife and mother living abroad for the second time. She writes about her experiences as an expat in Europe and Asia at anoceanaway.blog. She has called Dublin home since March 2024.

You may have noticed that the day after Christmas (December 26th) is called Boxing Day in the U.K. and St. Stephen’s Day in Ireland. Besides being Bank Holidays in their respective nations held on the same day, the two days have very different histories.

In the U.K., a tradition began around the 1830's where the upper classes would literally “box up” small gifts for their servants, the poor, or even tradespeople. Christmases were so over-the-top in these wealthier households and servants often worked throughout the holiday. So, as a sort of thanks, small gifts would be given in different forms including money and leftovers from the Christmas feast.

Photo: almanac.com

In Ireland, there is a bit more depth to this day as December 26th recognizes two separate times in history. The more obvious one has to do with celebrating the life and martyrdom of St. Stephen—the first Christian martyr. Stephen was a Christian deacon in Jerusalem during the time directly following Jesus’ death. He defended the Christian faith to powerful Jewish rabbis, and as a result, was stoned to death in 36 CE.

Being a Catholic-centric country, this saint’s feast day became entwined with Celtic folklore. While it might not be printed on the calendar you bought from Eason's, the other name for this day in Ireland is Wren’s Day (or Lá an Dreoilín in Irish). There is no documented explanation for why exactly the wren came to be the centre of this day, but one story is that of the wren betraying the hiding place of St. Stephen while he hid among trees as the wren began flapping its wings drawing the attention of his persecutors. Another story tells about the wren pecking on the drum of a soldier that awoke the Vikings leading to an invasion and mass slaughter.

Photo: Independent.ie

Whatever the true reason, the wren has always been a revered symbol to the Celtic pagans as it was also attached to Samhain. The wren represented the end of the year as winter approached with the solstice and the robin represented the beginning of the year. Historically, on Wren’s Day local boys and men would dress in bright clothing calling themselves “Wren Boys.” Others dressed in suits made of straw and called themselves “Mummers.” These would then hunt for the scarce wren, cage it, and place the cage atop a pole. They would march through the towns asking for money to keep the wren alive. They would give a feather for good luck only to those who donated.

From the 20th century onwards, they used fake birds instead and still carried on the traditions. However, the practices altogether at present have now become as scarce as the wren itself and Irish people tend to opt for enjoying a pantomime on the last Bank Holiday of the year instead!

Gabby Dunne was born and raised in Las Vegas, NV, and never left the States before meeting her Irish husband on the Vegas Strip. She moved to Dublin a year later and has been here for 12 years. She has one son and two stepchildren, and she works in early intervention for neurodiverse children. Gabby joined the AWCD in 2023 and is 'finally reconnecting with [her] American side!'

The bonds between the Irish and Americans are well-known to be strong, but did you know that those bonds include an amazing act of generosity from a people who had already endured so much and had little to spare, and that their act of human kindness continues to resonate even today?

In 1847, only a few years after the Choctaw Indian Nation was forcibly relocated along the infamous “Trail of Tears” from Mississippi to Oklahoma, the tribe learned of the suffering of the Irish due to the scourge of famine. Somehow, these people who had so little raised a donation of $170 (equivalent to about $5,000 in today’s dollars) to send to people across an ocean who they would never see or know personally.

Their donation eventually made its way to Midleton, in County Cork. Decades later, the local populace learned of the gift and from where it had come, and the bonds began to strengthen.

Photo courtesy of weloveireland.ie

In 1990 members of the Choctaw Nation visited Ireland to participate in the “Famine Walk” in County Mayo, to reenact the 1848 walk of starving Irish to their landlord.

In 1992 a delegation from Ireland walked the “Trail of Tears” with Native Americans to raise funds for aid to Somalians. Also that year, a plaque commemorating the Choctaw gift was installed at Mansion House, official residence of the Lord Mayor of Dublin.

In 1995 Irish President Mary Robinson visited the Choctaw Nation.

In 2017, the sculpture “Kindred Spirits” was dedicated in Midleton.

In 2018, former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar visited the Choctaws and initiated a series of yearly scholarships for Choctaw students to study in Ireland.

In 2020 - the gift was beautifully returned, when Ireland took up a considerable donation for the Hopi and Navajo tribes who suffered acutely during the Covid-19 pandemic.

2024 - Two students have just begun their year-long studies at the University of Cork, recipients of the scholarship for Choctaw native students.

Today, it’s just a lesson, how you don’t have to have that much, just a big heart, to build bonds and friendships through helping those around us in need.

Learn more: https://www.choctawnation.com/about/history/irish-connection/

The Irish Round

It’s customary for groups of Irish people meeting for drinks at the pub to engage in “rounds”. Usually, someone takes everyone’s orders, proceeds to the bar to get them, and then pays for all of them.

Once that person has done so, their round is complete.

There is no particular rule or order for who goes next during the first round, it just has to be someone other than the person who just went.

When everyone has bought a round once, the next round will go in the same order as was established during the first round.

Obviously, it is considered bad etiquette to bow out of the scene before you’ve bought a round (especially if you have accepted the rounds bought for you)! If you plan to exit early, you should do so immediately after you have bought your round (whatever round that may be).

Rounds can also be done as couples, where one person from the couple gets the round and it still counts as their one round.

So, if you find yourself out with a group of mostly Irish people, you probably won’t be let to simply buy your own drinks (and you should be prepared to cover everyone else’s—at least once!)

Yer what?

Sometimes, while speaking to an Irish person, they might say something that sounds like “Yer man” and/or “Yer one”. What they mean is “Your man” and “Your one”.

The “man” they are referring to is a man they don’t know.

The “one” they are referring to is a woman they don’t know.

It might be said while passing comment about a stranger in public. For example, “Yer one nearly fell off her seat there!” or “Yer man looks lost…” It might also be used while telling a story about an encounter with a stranger. For example, “I had to tell yer man to wait in the queue like everyone else!”

It is not meant rudely in any way. It is simply like saying, “That guy” or “That woman”.

Have a go at it the next time you’re out with an Irish person!

Gabby Dunne was born and raised in Las Vegas, NV, and never left the States before meeting her Irish husband on the Vegas Strip. She moved to Dublin a year later and has been here for 12 years. She has one son and two stepchildren, and she works in early intervention for neurodiverse children. Gabby joined the AWCD in 2023 and is 'finally reconnecting with [her] American side!'

This November we’re spotlighting Ratha Tep, AWCD member since 2014. Ratha is a native New Yorker, brought to Dublin by way of Zurich, Switzerland, for her husband Thomas’s teaching job at Trinity College Dublin.

As a first-time expat in Switzerland, moving to a country that does not speak English as its primary language can feel much different than moving to Ireland.

“It took a long time to acclimate to Zurich. Much longer than to Ireland. Eventually I met a great group of British friends in Switzerland, and we all had babies at the same time. It was a real bonding experience—navigating pregnancy and having our first babies while not speaking the native language. When you're an expat who doesn't speak the same language somewhere, it brings you closer to other expats who have the same language barrier.”

When Ratha first moved to Dublin, she was a mother of a young child and felt isolated. She reached out to AWCD to inquire about membership, and long-time member Noreen Griffin helped her feel welcome.

“Noreen offered to bring me to a Coffee ‘n Kids Morning. I ended up going often, and met friends and enjoyed the advice other women gave me. They helped me figure out my way around here. I love the club.”

Now a mother to two pre-teen girls, Claire and Sophie, Ratha has branched out in her work life while living here. In the fall of 2022 Ratha published her first children’s book, Wally the World’s Greatest Piano-Playing Wombat. She was inspired by the ups and downs of motherhood and eye-opening experiences of raising children. Wally “helps kids navigate the messy feelings of jealousy—especially during a time in their lives when they’re probably trying a lot of new things, whether it’s musical instruments or sports.”

No stranger to publishing, Ratha was an editor at Food & Wine magazine in New York City before moving to Zurich. When moving abroad, she pivoted to freelance writing, contributing many articles to The New York Times and Wall Street Journal as well as writing for corporations. Ratha hopes to publish her second children’s book soon.

After more than 14 years outside the US, life looks so much different than when she left in 2010. “I eventually want to move back to the US, but I don't know when. Ireland—and especially my neighborhood Sandymount—is a great place to raise kids. It feels both very international and like a little village at the same time.”

Favorite AWCD activities?	-Weekly tennis lessons -Coffee ‘n Kids mornings -Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie Morning
Where do you still want to visit?	Rome, Athens, and the Greek Islands
Best piece of expat advice you have for new members?	Just put yourself out there. Join all the activities, whether with AWCD or your kids’ school or whatever you like to do.
Most surprising life change in Dublin?	The Irish are soooo nice. People go out of their way to be kind.
What one word best describes AWCD?	Community.

Liz Anderson is an American wife and mother living abroad for the second time. She writes about her experiences as an expat in Europe and Asia at anoceanaway.blog. She has called Dublin home since March 2024.

Séasúr Sona buíochais!

…or “Happy Season of Thanks” if you don’t have Google Translate handy!

Halloween is behind us - thanks to Gabby Dunne and Ashleigh Rizzo for giving us a fun opportunity to dress up and be a bit silly at our Halloween party at the Sandymount Community Centre.

I hope all our Canadian members enjoyed their Thanksgiving Day last month. Now it’s time for the rest of us to gear up for turkey and the trimmings! And the PIE!

BTW, Canadians, feel free to double-dip and enjoy a second round of Thanksgiving with the US version - sharing is what it’s all about!

As always, there’s lots on the AWCD calendar. I won’t steal that thunder. You will have to check it all out for yourself on the website and Wild Apricot, but I will remind you of our next daytime General Meeting at The Harcourt Hotel on November 14.  Special Guest Speaker Lorraine Hall, a councillor from Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, with buckets of other political-role experiences, will be on hand to give us some insights into Irish politics. Pretty timely, considering that the Irish elections are coming up pronto! And thanks to Program Co-Chair Deb Mandel for getting this one on the books!

At the meeting we will also have our usual door prize, plus our Philanthropy duo, Amber Liggett and Jenny Lavin are having a raffle of some nifty prizes to benefit our selected charity, Dogs Trust Ireland - so bring some extra cash for your chance to scoop a prize.

Our FAWCO duo, Margie O'Rourke and Carol Lovelett, will be on hand with their flowerpot to collect your spare coins for Awesome Blossoms, the FAWCO target project. 'Tis the season for giving!

Coming up, even before the GM, on Nov. 7th there’s an evening New Members’ Social - thank you Lori Garife for securing the venue! We have quite a few new members - hurray! - so let’s all join in to welcome them into the AWCD Community.

Looking just a little further out, have you registered yet for the Annual Holiday Luncheon at Clontarf Castle? Queen of Special Events, Else O’Neill, has scored not only a fabulous venue, but a fabulous price and extras like a welcome drink to get us in the Holiday mood!

A bit of business to close this one out…we had the votes needed to approve the updated Constitution, but, as promised, there is a comparison between original and revised now available. You can find it on the AWCD website by clicking on Members Home. Down under Quick Links, click on Forms and Documents and voilá! Or you can click here.

Thank you to all who participated in the revision, to those who voted, and to those who sent feedback. Together, we are an amazing community!

See you around,

Andrea

Andrea Worker
AWCD President, 2023-25

Hello everyone! And welcome to our inaugural member spotlight in the monthly eNotes.

For the first spotlight we’re meeting Ashleigh Rizzo, VP of Activities for AWCD. 

Ashleigh is a two-year veteran of Dublin, arriving in late August 2022 with her husband Jordan and dog, Fitz. Ashleigh and Jordan arrived on a three-year assignment with Circle K, his employer.

As a critical care nurse in her hometown of Pensacola, FL, Ashleigh thought she could work anywhere at home or abroad. But fate had other plans, she said.

“I got the feeling that nursing might not work out for me for financial reasons, so I just asked Jordan at dinner, ‘should I not try to work here?’ And he said no. I totally lost it and started crying. Immediately the fear of ‘what am I going to do now?’ really hit me. But as it happened, the next week was the first meeting of the year for AWCD, and there was such a buzz at the meeting, and I met all these friendly people. And afterwards six of us went to get lunch, and that felt so normal, and I was like ‘OK, I can do this.’

As the VP of Activities, Ashleigh has made endless memories at events over the past two years. Her advice to newcomers is “just show up to something. Don’t be afraid you don’t know people; everyone is so warm and welcoming. You will forget your social anxiety as soon as you arrive.”

Favorite AWCD activities?	Halfway to St. Patrick's Day Gin & Cocktails Class Ornament & Cookie Swap
Favorite place you've visited so far?	Amsterdam! They have great museums, high-quality food, friendly people, and amazing history.
Best piece of expat advice you've received?	Give yourself six months to not like it--to be unhappy and unsettled.
Most surprising life change in Dublin?	A love of hiking!
What one word best describes AWCD?	Community. 100%

I asked Ashleigh what has surprised her most about being here, and she said “for me personally, I’m surprised I can be this far away from family. Family is always #1 in Filipino culture, and I have a confidence now that we can go anywhere and I will be ok.”

I’m sure many of you can relate to Ashleigh’s journey here. But even with several months of unease at first, the decision to extend their time here is already a big topic of conversation in the Rizzo household, and they’re leaning towards accepting another two years. “We really love the lifestyle here. And there are so many more places on our bucket list we must explore!”

As many of you know, Ashleigh and Jordan are expecting their first child in November, and Ashleigh will be stepping back from her Activities duties soon. If you or you and a friend would like to take over and manage the winter / spring events for AWCD, please reach out to activities@awcd.net for more information!

This is truly an excellent way to immerse yourself in Dublin life, open yourself up to new people and experiences, and help others assimilate into expat life.

If you or a friend in AWCD would like to be interviewed for our “Meet the Member” segment, please reach out to communications@awcd.net.

Liz Anderson is an American wife and mother living abroad for the second time. She writes about her experiences as an expat in Europe and Asia at anoceanaway.blog. She has called Dublin home since March 2024.

Samhain (pronounced sow-win) is an ancient Celtic pagan festival that marked the end of the harvest and the start of winter—the dark half of the year. Those who partook in the traditions and rituals believed that the barrier between the physical world and the spiritual world was broken during this time.

Communal bonfires were lit in order to burn sacrifices to the gods for protection against evil otherworldly spirits. Offerings were also left out in the villages for those spirits of deceased relatives believed to have returned for a visit.

The Celts dressed in disguise as monsters or animals so that fairies would not be tempted to kidnap them. Masks were a popular choice. This ancient tradition slowly evolved into the costumes we now adorn today for Halloween!

Another ritual used to repel evil spirits (and guide lost ones) was the carving of turnips. Before pumpkins became the symbol of Halloween, the Celts would carve the frightening faces into turnips from the harvest.

As these Pagan traditions eventually became attached to the Catholic church, they became more secularized and developed into the festivities we now partake in today. However, there are still people who recognize Samhain for the connection it has to the seasons and the spiritual world. In fact, there is a large Samhain festival, The Púca Festival, that takes place each year in Ireland’s Ancient East (Trim and Athboy)! It is on this year from Oct. 31st-Nov. 3rd.

So, if you’re wanting to connect with the true spirit of Samhain, you can check out the full festival program at https://pucafestival.com.

Learn more about Samhain:

• https://time.com/5434659/halloween-pagan-origins-in-samhain
• https://www.pagangrimoire.com/samhain-rituals-traditions
• https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/samhain
• https://www.irelandbeforeyoudie.com/samhain-symbols-history-meaning-facts

Gabby Dunne was born and raised in Las Vegas, NV, and never left the States before meeting her Irish husband on the Vegas Strip. She moved to Dublin a year later and has been here for 12 years. She has one son and two stepchildren, and she works in early intervention for neurodiverse children. Gabby joined the AWCD in 2023 and is 'finally reconnecting with [her] American side!'