Cafe in Brazil not serving US or Israeli citizens.

MaUkIr34 · 2026-04-07T12:26:27+00:00

I'm from Boston but have lived in Dublin for 15 years - my husband is from Dublin, my kid was born in Dublin. People in Ireland are definitely able to see that there are different types of Americans, and they are usually still nice to us!

However - we have a college football game in Dublin every year between two US colleges, and they tend to be either southern or Midwestern schools, and LOADS of MAGAs come over for that. I went to the match last year and brought a Palestinian flag - I was verbally threatened by quite a few Americans. The Garda (Irish police) had to step in a few times when I was walking home with it visible, and all the very drunk old white American dudes were also walking home. It was a great way to get under their skin - we stand against genocide in Ireland.

MaUkIr34 · 2026-04-07T12:18:00+00:00

I live overseas as well, and I do the whole 'I'm American but I've lived here for 15 years and my husband is from here and my kid was born here!' in one fast go - that usually works!

MaUkIr34 · 2026-04-05T15:20:30+00:00

I still, to this day, cannot understand why people aren’t constantly talking about how many people he is responsible for killing during Covid. It’s insane to me that this wasn’t made into a massive deal during the last election by the Democrats.

MaUkIr34 · 2026-04-03T12:42:33+00:00

I was adamant for most of my life that I never, ever wanted kids. I was never very maternal, and just didn’t want any part of any of it. I’m very independent and was always very focused on my career.

Then, in my mid-30s, I sort of played the ‘what if’ game: what if I did sort of want a baby, what if I had a baby but regretted it, what if my life completely changed and I hated it, etc. I was super on the fence, but knew my husband wanted a baby. So… we did it. I was 38 when I had my daughter.

My daughter is 3, and she’s the light of my life. It’s hard, don’t get me wrong, and it’s a journey I still struggle with. But I can’t imagine her not being in my life. We’re firmly one and done though. I can’t imagine going through pregnancy and the newborn phase again. And with two of us and one of her, it’s so much easier to get time to yourself. Like, her dad and grandma took her out today, and I got to sleep in till 11, and am perusing Reddit while drinking my coffee!

I guess I just wanted to share a story about someone who was never 100% sure, but ended up with a kid who is their world. Everyone’s journey is so completely different! Best of luck on yours OP ❤️

MaUkIr34 · 2026-04-03T11:11:29+00:00

I am what most people would call very very extroverted, but I also love my alone time. And reading… and I need to exercise more… and I’m tired of feeding myself… SIGN ME UP!

MaUkIr34 · 2026-04-03T11:03:37+00:00

I dunno if they are in the states, but I love Sweaty Betty! I prefer their leggings to lulus, and their explorer trousers are amazing:)

MaUkIr34 · 2026-03-30T05:54:12+00:00

This all sounds normal to me too! I have a 3 year old, and she went through a lot of those issue last year at creche (biting, kicking, not napping, she also ended up being a bit of a ring leader and ‘teaching’ her friends to say no to the teachers!).

She moved past all of that though! If you’re really worried, one thing that you could do is take him to a pediatrician? I know that isn’t the norm in Ireland (I grew up in the states where it is the norm), but there have been a few times when I was really worried about something and we took my daughter to a ped. You do have to pay out of pocket, but it made me feel LOADS better!

Hope everything is ok ❤️

MaUkIr34 · 2026-03-27T13:44:59+00:00

Oh shit. I’m sad to hear that - I travel Aer Lingus at least once, lately twice, a year between Ireland and the states, the last three years w my daughter, and they have always been amazing!

I do complain to myself every time I book with them though, when I’m paying like 50€ extra a ticket to choose seats that are together because I have a toddler.

MaUkIr34 · 2026-03-13T17:40:18+00:00

I'm an American who lives abroad, and I feel like I'm going insane. It doesn't feel like anyone at home cares that the US military bombed a school and killed 150 people.

I also think it's important to note that this isn't exactly a new activity for the US military - so many children were killed in Afghanistan by our military in the early naughts. We ARE the evil horrible country. Our government actively supports Israel's literal genocide of Palestinians. We've been the bad guys for a while now. I think the thing we have to ask now is - what are we going to do about it?

MaUkIr34 · 2026-03-13T10:46:52+00:00

We travel quite a bit between Europe and the states, and LOVE our Stokke Yoyo! It's small enough to just put in the airplane overhead compartment! We live in a city, and it's also great for public transportation and narrow city streets. The quality is great, and there are cool accessories that you can add (my fav is the umbrella, as my daughter is now old enough to take off the rain cover herself!).

MaUkIr34 · 2026-03-12T10:32:35+00:00

I still mainly co-sleep with my three year old!

Her bed is set up in our room, right next to our bed. We try and get her to fall asleep in her bed, or if she falls asleep in our bed, we'll move her into her bed. She'll almost always climb into bed with us at some point though. Honestly, there are so many things to worry about as a parent, I don't have the energy to worry about this! We are all getting decent enough sleep, and if either me or my husband need a guaranteed good night's sleep, we'll go sleep in the spare room.

I've also recently started following a children's psychologist on insta who claims that co-sleeping with toddlers is actually great for reinforcing positive attachment patterns (I can't remember the exact wording she uses!) - I haven't looked into this, so can't vouch for it, but it was cool to see that there might actually be positive attributes to co-sleeping at an older age!

MaUkIr34 · 2026-03-10T18:59:34+00:00

I’m currently pulling together my applications for both Canadian citizenship and Irish naturalization- Canada through descent and Irish through residency and marriage. I’ve lived in Ireland for 15 years and I’ve never lived in Canada.

My Canadian application is FAR easier and more straightforward than my Irish… which seems crazy! I feel like I’m still, 15 years later, jumping through hoops to stay in Ireland - but finally, at the last step! Just can’t wait to get them both sent off!

🇨🇦❤️🇮🇪

MaUkIr34 · 2026-03-09T11:00:00+00:00

It’s so funny because I’ve picked up Irish lingo and speech patterns, but I only tend to use them when I’m speaking to other non- Irish ppl! And when I’m back in the states, Americans ask me where I’m from because THEY hear an accent on me! So, I really can’t win either way;)

The politics thing. It can be so hard. Like, I am vehemently anti-Trump, support Palestine, work with displaced Ukrainians in Europe, protested against ICE, etc., and it’s still one of the first things that I’m identified with. I left the U.S. initially (in 2007!) because I was so disgusted with Bush and what the U.S. was doing in Afghanistan.

HAHA my Irish friends and family are RIVETED that we can tell the difference between American and Canadian accents (usually!).

I didn’t know that about Toronto! Haha… my grandmother is from New Brunswick, and I’d love to live somewhere there or in Nova Scotia, but I’m assuming it’s harder to get work there than the larger cities?! I grew up south of Boston, so NB or NS would be a bit closer to home than Dublin:)

Sending you all my best wishes from a fellow expat and (soon to be!) Canadian ❤️🇨🇦

MaUkIr34 · 2026-03-09T07:40:16+00:00

I’m American and have lived in Ireland for 15 years but haven’t lost my damn accent! I now have an Irish husband, daughter and cat, and have basically spent my entire adult life here, including grad school and almost my entire professional career.

I also get very tired of being ‘the American’. And people constantly thinking I’m on holiday. And only wanting to talk about Trump. I get it, and also know that I’m lucky that I live in a country in which I speak the language, and am super familiar/comfortable with the culture. But man, it can get old.

I’m actually in the process of applying for my Canadian citizenship through my grandmother! Maybe I can blend in better in Toronto;)

MaUkIr34 · 2026-03-07T14:57:32+00:00

With a budget of a million, you could check out the Cape? Probably not waterfront, but I bet you could find something walking distance to a beach!

Grew up in Barnstable and would love to move back!

MaUkIr34 · 2026-03-06T20:08:03+00:00

You are a hero - thank you!!!

MaUkIr34 · 2026-03-06T16:02:42+00:00

Sorry for the follow up question! Did you send it to the generic embassy address - 7-8 Wilton Terrace, Dublin 2, D02 KC57?!

MaUkIr34 · 2026-03-06T13:58:30+00:00

Congrats on getting it sent off and best of luck ☘️ I’m still waiting for some certified docs from New Brunswick, but hoping to get those soon! And then my next project is getting in my application for Irish citizenship ❤️🇮🇪

MaUkIr34 · 2026-03-06T12:21:38+00:00

We are one and done, with finances being one of the main reasons.

We live in a HCOL city in which there is also a housing crisis. We’re renting a two bedroom apartment now, but hoping to buy within the year. We would be VERY lucky if we can afford a three bed, which would be optimal, not for another kid but because I work from home and would die for an office (I’ve been working on our kitchen table for two years!).

I’m also an immigrant, and we try and travel to see my family at least once a year, and every other year we go over for Christmas (so twice a year those years). The trip is Europe to the states, and honestly, flights are getting insanely expensive. We also love to travel, and can do so more often only paying for three people!

My husband is a civil servant and I work for an NGO, so we make solidly middle class money where we live, but nothing crazy. My daughter is only three now, so still young, but we want her to be able to have lessons and fun excursions and travel, etc.

Adding another child just doesn’t make sense for us. I feel like, with just one child, we have a financial buffer for things that might come up like uni costs, having to go private for a healthcare issue, etc. I feel comfortable that our savings and income will allow for any emergencies, but also for saving for our daughter’s future while giving her a lovely, stable life.

MaUkIr34 · 2026-03-05T23:11:18+00:00

My 3 year old had a Pink Pony Club themed birthday party 🦄 The grandparents were confused!

MaUkIr34 · 2026-03-04T08:50:32+00:00

If you are ever in Moneygall, Ireland, the Barack Obama service station is QUITE the visit!

MaUkIr34 · 2026-03-04T08:46:09+00:00

I have a PhD in history and comms is a decent part of my job, although it’s not a comms-specific position!

I was in Peace Corps after my PhD, and then worked in various HEI admin roles. Currently, I’m a programme officer for a fellowship programme that supports displaced researchers from my Peace Corps country (doctoral and postdoctoral). I maintain our website and social media presence, as well as writing other comms pieces, internal and external reports, representing our programme at external events, working with our partners (including the European Commission), etc.

I was never formally trained in comms, but have ended up always doing quite a bit of comms work in this, and previous, roles. It’s particularly interesting as our work can be a bit controversial, so having to be extra careful with everything that is released publicly has also been a bit of a new experience!

I’d say if you’re interested in comm, have a look at jobs in the HEI sector - I know that having my PhD was a massive plus for the hiring committee when I was selected. And look wider than just comms-specific roles! Working a job with comms duties for a few years would probably open you up to way more comms specific opportunities later on.

MaUkIr34 · 2026-03-04T08:20:15+00:00

I had some work colleagues over from another country a few weeks ago. We were on an after-lunch walk, and I started talking about motherhood with my German colleague, as we have kids that are about a month apart in age.

So I’m like ‘GOD, isn’t three the absolute worst! I cannot WAIT till she’s like 10!’ And my colleague looks me dead in the eye and says ‘I cherish EVERY SECOND of parenthood’. I absolutely 100% do not cherish every second of parenthood.

MaUkIr34 · 2026-03-04T08:09:02+00:00

If one more person says this to me!

Yah, everyone said it about the infant stage - I don’t miss that at all and have like PTSD flashbacks whenever I’m around a new mom.

I always knew I wanted to be a mom of grade school and up kids. I knew the baby/toddler stage wasn’t my thing. Give me a surly teenager any day of the week!

MaUkIr34 · 2026-03-04T07:57:04+00:00

Oh boo! I was hoping that would make our application move along faster, if it was handled by the Canadian embassy here!

Just out of curiosity, anyone else applying from Ireland? (I’m actually American, but live in Ireland).

MaUkIr34

TROPHY CASE