Excerpts from expat life in Scotland
Our Expat Espresso interviews continue into the new year! Today we catch up with Eamon in Aberdeen, Scotland.
Where do you currently live and how did you come to be there?
I graduated from University College Cork in 1991 and moved to Aberdeen to work in the oil industry. Engineering has also taken me to Vietnam, London, Egypt, Norway and America.
What does ‘home’ mean to you?
Home means a mixture of Ireland and Scotland to me. I live in Scotland so it’s my home, but I love to go home to Ireland as often as I can.
Do you have a few words of advice on coping with the first six months of a move?
A lot of people immediately try totally new things in a new place, but to make long lasting friends it’s worth doing things you know you’ll love. I’m happiest out of doors, and Aberdeen is a gateway to the coast and mountains, so I learnt to ski on the Scottish slopes. I also started sailing here and I continued my interest in hiking and mountaineering. Now, post-children, I don’t really have time for these active getaways but most of my outdoorsy buddies also have young children so we’re all in the same boat (but not sailing).
Is there something that you wish you’d known before moving?
I wish I’d truly known how international a city Aberdeen is, there are SO many expats here that in some respects it’s relatively easy to meet people who are in the same situation so I needn’t have worried about making a new circle of friends. But the down side of this is the transience of the city – good friends are just back from working in China and Croatia and others are considering a move to Gambia – it’s exciting but you have to let people go.
Your best moment to date?
Getting married – our reception was at Banchory Lodge Hotel, Aberdeenshire on the banks of the River Dee. I love Scotland as it’s beautiful in a raw way rather than a ‘pretty’ way, so having our wedding bubbles with the river powering past was spot on for me.
I also love having my two baby boys. They run us ragged but already they’re great little travellers and I’m looking forward to having adventures with them.
Eamon spent his formative years on a farm in Kerry, Ireland. He now works in Aberdeen, Scotland as a Subsea Engineer and is married to his Scottish wife Janice and they have two sons together Samuel, aged 2 and Joseph, aged 10 months.
