Hi! I’m Michelle and I am a believer in leaps of faith.
Last year, my husband and I moved from California to Cork, Ireland. It’s been an incredible adventure. But our story starts long before that.
We tied the knot in our early 20s and started our marriage in our home state of Texas. Pretty soon we traded hot, humid and delightfully weird Austin for sunny southern California.
Along the way I felt a need to be less tied to a traditional schedule and office and more open to possibility. I left my career in nonprofit management and leapt into my own freelance writing business and launched an Etsy shop selling digital designs. The freedom I found has been life changing.
So, how did we end up in Ireland?
One day my husband came home from work and said “Wanna move to the other side of the world to a country you’ve never been to?”
And, I said yes!
Ok, so maybe it didn’t happen exactly like that… but pretty darn close.
Now we are loving our life on the emerald isle. We’ve spent the past year exploring Ireland, traveling around Europe, and hosting friends and family as they experience Ireland for themselves.
Fun facts about me…
- My first time on a plane was an 8-hour flight from Texas to Hawaii for my wedding. Somehow, never having flown before, a destination wedding on the beach seemed like a great idea. 15 years later, I still say both the wedding and the marriage are a success.
- My dad LOVES caves. We stopped at one on every childhood road trip and vacation. I know a lot about stalagmites and stalactites.
- On every trip, I always insist we climb to the top of something. If there is a tower, hill, mountain, or ridiculous set of stairs, I want to go up. My degree in Psychology suggests this is related to the amount of time I have spent in caves… but mostly I just enjoy the views and sense of accomplishment.
- The item I forget most often when packing is a hairbrush. I’ve bought emergency replacements in airports, convenience stores, grocery stores and bodegas. They are the least exciting souvenirs.
- The worst part of traveling with me is that I am NOT a morning person. It does not matter what time I get up, I am seriously grouchy for the first hour (or more).
Fun facts about Rodger…
- Growing up as an Army brat gave him a nomadic sprite and sense of adventure. I always had a bit of wanderlust, but he taught me to get out of my comfort zone and gave me a love of travel.
- The longest he has ever lived in one place is 6 years (when we lived in California). I lived my entire life in one house until I left for college, so I was… unprepared… for that.
- The item he forgets to pack most often is his passport. No, I’m not kidding.
- The worst part of travelling with him is that he gets hangery. I always have an energy bar on hand, just in case.
Fun facts about Peanut…
- He’s a 15-year old Chihuahua and a grumpy old man.
- We got him when he was 6 weeks old, so he’s been my buddy for a long, long time.
- He weights almost 5 pounds (about 2 kilos).
- He hates getting wet or dirty. When we go hiking, he insist on being carried over mud puddles. He refuses to go outside when it’s raining, which is a problem since we live in Ireland.
- He has been sailing and paddle boarding, ridden in a dingy and on trains, gone on cross-country road trips, flown from California to Ireland (with an overnight stay in Germany), and still goes on 3-mile hikes through the forest near our home. He has earned his Adventure Pup title.
Fun facts about Wonder and Wanders…
- Short and sweet: Expat Life + Travel Adventures + Travel Tips
- Expat Life: Living Abroad is still a pretty new adventure for us. Follow along as we navigate life in a different culture and wade through all the details and paperwork it takes to live overseas.
- Travel Adventures / Where we’ve been: Pack your virtual bags and come along as we check out bits of Europe, the USA and beyond. We also do tons of road trips around Ireland and share specific info to help you make the most of your time here.
- Travel Tips: From what to pack to how to survive reentry day, we’ve got you covered. We’ve learned lots about airports, hotels, and how to travel together and still love your spouse. Learn from our success and our epic fails.
Disclaimer:
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