Reflecting on a Year in Ireland This St. Patrick’s Day

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! In honor of the upcoming holiday, we thought it would be nice for our resident American, Marketing Assistant Olivia, to reflect on her time living and working in Ireland.

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Many people wonder why I would leave the sunny West Coast of the United States behind for the rainier Irish climate. Moving from California where I was born and raised, I didn’t even own a proper raincoat when I first came to Cork! Nonetheless, after a year of living here, I hope to stick around as long as I can. I originally moved over to attend a Master’s Programme in Film & Screen Media at the University College Cork, during which I also began work here at Arema Connect in the Marketing Department. I thought I’d take this St. Patrick’s Day to share just a few of the reasons why I am thrilled to call Ireland my new home.  

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Transportation 

I know what you’re thinking. Yes, the buses may be a bit unpredictable here, but the ease of use paired with the walkability of the city makes for a trip to the shops or into town much less daunting than it is in my hometown. Back home, the bus and train systems are not so practical of an option for me and where I live. Plus, we just don’t have a concentrated City Centre like Cork, so you can’t exactly walk between all the places you may need to go. I find transportation much more environmentally friendly and economical here in Ireland. Whether on the day-to-day in Cork, or if I am visiting other parts of the country, there are multiple options for transportation available to me. 

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Work-Life Balance 

Being raised in California and attending university in Los Angeles, hustle culture was the way of life. It was only by leaving that environment that I realised I greatly appreciated balance. Here in Ireland, people work hard but also value time outside of work just as much. My experience working for Arema Connect has really highlighted this - my coworkers are involved in a variety of diverse hobbies and extracurricular activities outside of work, something I very much admire! That this is true of our staff is of course in part due to us being a contact centre, as our 24/7 operations not only benefit our clients, but also our staff. People who may be in school, parenting during the day, or pursuing other interests outside of work have the flexibility to work full-time at Arema Connect while also maintaining balance in their lives.

Sense of Community 

One of the reasons I loved my university experience so much was the built-in sense of community being on a campus entailed. When I came to Ireland, I was amazed to meet so many people who knew all of their neighbors, who would call on one another for help or just for a chat. I lived in my childhood home for over 15 years, and I can’t say I know the names of all my neighbors. Yet from what I’ve witnessed, the sense of community is so much stronger here. One example of this: during the Cork Marathon, I heard that people were letting runners into their homes to use their restrooms, bringing water out to them, and overall just checking in on one another. This really exemplified for me how much community is a part of the culture here. 

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These are merely a few of the reasons why I consider myself lucky to be able to live and work here in Ireland. From the positive work environment at Arema Connect, to the wonderful people I’ve met here, I can’t imagine living anywhere else. Wishing everyone a very happy St. Patrick’s Day!

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