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.