Julia Skinner
- I bought a house in Cork, Ireland, but I still live in the US for part of the year.
- My Irish husband lives in the house full time, and I go back and forth between Atlanta and Cork.
- It's a bit complicated, but I'm glad I have time to figure out all the logistics of moving abroad.
Years ago, I had a dream (yes, really) telling me to head to West Cork, Ireland. On that whim, I booked a vacation and ended up meeting folks who've become lifelong friends and feeling more at home than I had in years.
Next thing I knew, I met a nice Irishman — who's now my husband — and started looking at houses in the area.
I quickly needed to figure out the best way to live between two continents because, for the foreseeable future at least, I'm still in Atlanta part-time. I'd need time to figure out the logistics of things like filing taxes, getting healthcare, moving my pets, and transitioning my US-based work.
The prospect of splitting the year between two countries is exciting, but it's also been a bit overwhelming.
My living situation is a puzzle that's still coming together
Now that I own a home in Cork and my husband lives there full-time, my life is full of lots of shifting pieces and moving parts.
I've had to be really, really particular about which pieces and belongings I want to take to Ireland because shipping things overseas isn't cheap.
Most of my beloved possessions are antiques or family heirlooms, which presents added challenges because I can't just swing down to Dunnes in Cork to purchase a replacement.
Julia Skinner
On a smaller scale, I've also had to find someone to tend my garden in Atlanta when I'm away — particularly since I have a nosy neighbor who calls in code violations on people's yards for fun.
Luckily, my husband does a wonderful job caring for our home in Ireland, which saves me so many headaches. Each time I return, the house is nice, cozy, and well-maintained.
My work life is also shifting gears
As a self-employed food writer, I can pretty much work from anywhere.
Once I am in Ireland often enough to be on a visa, I should theoretically have no problem continuing to work as I do now. I'll just have to pay taxes in two places.
To prepare, however, I've been shifting how I work a little.
Since I'm bouncing between time zones, I've streamlined my writing coaching work so each group meets at times that work for both Western Europe and the East Coast.
Although I used to teach fermentation and other cooking lessons in person, I've moved my culinary classes fully online, allowing me to continue to teach and connect with my students wherever I am in the world.
I also maintain a separate office/art studio in each country as my own creative sanctuary. Having a dedicated creative space helps me produce my best work and keeps me focused.
Things may be a bit hectic now, but I actually love living between two countries
Julia Skinner
Life across two continents can be both complicated and exciting. But what makes it really fun is having two wonderful communities of people who love and support me wherever I am.
Splitting myself in two isn't always convenient, but I've been very grateful for the opportunity to slowly transition into my new life with my husband.