Written for SA2Eire by a Member
As a young couple both on SA passports, immigrating didn’t seem like a possible reality for either of us. We both loved South Africa and had no gripes about it. Leaving was never a priority for us either. As Cape Town beach bums, we spent most of our weekends on Llandudno beach soaking up the sun. We would talk about our future together, and there was always a “what if.”
I had always wanted to experience working abroad for my career, but having a secure job in SA made it more comfortable to stay planted there.
The opportunity that changed everything
I had read about the critical skills list and came to realise my very specific job role was on it. I had been putting out feelers for international work, but I had always known that with only an SA passport, most job offers would not materialise. But then I got a job offer in Ireland. One I could not have passed up. I knew I had to grab the experience and opportunity with both hands or regret it.
It would be my first time ever setting foot in Ireland.
A kitchen wedding and a pillow fort honeymoon
We were engaged at the end of 2019 and planned to have our wedding in December 2020. With the job offer secured and knowing COVID was going to wreak havoc on most of 2020’s plans, we decided to get married in our kitchen before lockdown in South Africa. We got married just a month after our engagement.
We decided we would return to SA later and have a wedding with friends and family when life calmed down a little. We honeymooned in our lounge in a 5-star homebuilt pillow fort.
The long wait
With lockdown in place and my work visa in progress, life became uncertain. My start date in March 2020 no longer seemed viable. I was working remotely, but without knowing a set date for when we would be able to leave, everything felt up in the air.
We moved out of our home and in with family so we could start selling everything months before the move. Reducing your entire life down into two suitcases was daunting. I had many days of “what the hell are we doing?”
Touching down
We flew to Ireland on my birthday at the end of October 2020. With lockdown putting a pause on pretty much any celebration, I figured it would be a birthday I would never forget. It was a surreal feeling to know we were leaving SA.
But we had decided to experience Ireland while the opportunity was there, and decide for ourselves if this was where we wanted to raise a family one day and set down roots.
Quarantine Rapunzel
The 14 days of quarantine on arrival were trying. The two of us cooped up in a tiny hotel room in Smithfield. I worked every day from a small uncomfortable table in the corner, while my husband spent most days bored to tears watching repeat hurling matches on the hotel TV.
The most exciting part of the week was ordering beers to the hotel from Deliveroo. We lived off catered meals delivered to the room. The hotel staff would drop our order at the door, knock, and flee most times. Weird times to be alive.
We craved being able to walk, to do exercise, or just to breathe fresh air. I was grateful to have some new work colleagues who would deliver Ben & Jerry’s or cake to the hotel foyer for me as motivation to keep my sanity. I felt like quarantine Rapunzel trapped in her 4th floor hotel tower.
Flat hunting from a hotel room
We used the quarantine time to sort out sim cards, flat hunt, and buy a few things we needed online. We signed a lease in Dublin 2 without being able to view the flat due to quarantine rules (glad we didn’t get scammed!). On the day our quarantine ended, we moved into our apartment.
Rent is steep, but we are central and can walk to pretty much anywhere without needing public transport. Moving into a flat with most of the home stores closed was a challenge, especially when buying online had such delays. We made do with very little in the first few weeks of living in our new home.
Adjusting under lockdown
Adjusting to a new country is hard enough. Doing it under lockdown is a different challenge entirely. We want to travel. We want to rent a car and do road trips around our new country. We want to see further than Dublin. But we can’t. All we know is the 5km around us. For now.
Hopefully that changes soon.
The wins along the way
We were grateful that my husband found work a month after getting his stamp, even amid lockdown. We had our first Christmas away from family, which was hard. We celebrated our first wedding anniversary at a nearby park, eating cheese and bread under a pergola as it drizzled. We experienced our first snow. We explored nearby parks and monuments. I have taken endless photos.
The year has been full of firsts. Some good, some bad.
The unexpected gift: safety
I have walked 3km alone to work, returning after dark every night, and never felt safer. I see the same friendly faces most mornings and greet people along the way. I get offered umbrellas when it rains and I’ve forgotten mine. People are genuine and friendly.
Back in Cape Town, I lived 2km from work but would still drive. I tried walking a few days and had endless issues.
I love the freedom. And I feel like my anxiety is so much better since being here.
Missing the sun
One hundred days in and I miss the sun. I miss the beach. I miss the feeling of sunburn. It feels like someone turned the temperature of the sun down over here.
The weather is still better than I anticipated, however. I thought every day would be grey, gloomy and overcast, and that we would never get a clear sky. But on warm days when the sun does peek out and the skies do open up, it is truly beautiful.
Where we are now
We look forward to visiting SA sometime soon for our very delayed wedding celebrations. In the meantime, we are enjoying the adventure and all Ireland has to offer, even in level 5 lockdown.
Do we know if we want to call Ireland home forever? Not yet. One hundred days is not nearly enough time to judge that, especially when the majority of those days have been in lockdown. But what we do know is that we feel lucky and grateful for the opportunity to live and work in this beautiful country. And we are determined to enjoy it fully for as long as it makes us happy.
