Moving from the United States to Ireland has been a whirlwind. I know that phrase is overused, but a tornado feels too dramatic—yet symbolically similar. We went from chatting about the idea of moving in February, to telling our family in March, listing and selling our house in June (full-price offer within 24 hours), and moving in July. We sold almost everything we owned and came with just a couple of suitcases each to start a new adventure in Ireland. Who would have known the hardest part of immigrating would be getting the paperwork sorted for my dog? I ended up staying an extra week to deal with it, but it all worked out in the end.

The first few weeks felt like an extended holiday, exploring and adventuring around our local area. Learning to drive on the opposite side of the street and car, with a manual transmission using my left hand, was a challenge. At first, I thought, “No way, not happening!” But I quickly changed my mind after seeing the limited availability of automatics. With a few practice rounds in our rental car, we decided to buy the same type because it had all the safety features to help me navigate the narrow country roads, which you share with tractors pulling all sorts of things.

Stephen found an amazing job at a beautiful retreat property that serves farm-to-table food. It’s such a great place for him to showcase his culinary experience and talents. The property and garden are unreal.

We’re still out exploring on weekends or afternoons after school. School has been great so far but definitely different from public school in Florida. It’s much smaller, with both 5th and 6th classes combined, but we live in a small community. I also have to mention how much of a rockstar my daughter is. She just rolls with our plans, knowing we’re semi-winging it, and she’s here for the adventure. I am so proud of her adaptability and kindness.

The reason we rushed everything—other than the fact that we’re not getting any younger—was that we wanted to arrive before the school year started and experience the best weather to ease our way into winter. Coming from Florida, I knew it was going to be a huge change. The weather has been amazing, but as we approach the end of September, it’s definitely shifting. Winter is coming. BUT... FALL is here, and the leaves are changing. Coming from Florida, we didn’t have seasons, so seeing the leaves change color is beautiful. I’ve never experienced fall like this before.

I plan to make a follow-up post with some of the interesting things I’ve learned so far living in Ireland—big and small. There are so many! I also plan to share some of our day trip adventures, so if you come to Ireland, you may want to visit these places too. And please let me know when you’re here to book your couples or family session with me! The beautiful locations for photography are endless.

Here are some images I’ve taken, and I’ll have a select few available for prints if you’re interested.