How Moving To Ireland For Work Reshaped My Priorities And Led To Starting My Own Business.
Everyone I meet asks me why I chose to settle in Dublin, Ireland, instead of San Francisco, California, USA. Here’s my story.
I spent 30 minutes writing this.
Why I Moved From SF to Ireland
I had the chance to move from San Francisco to Ireland for a year within my company, Twilio. I used to work with colleagues and stakeholders here, which helped me move within my company.
Initial Surprises
When I arrived, I was surprised by some differences between Europe and the US. For example, there was no Uber, only expensive taxis, and no Costcos for bulk consumption. Over my first year, I became more familiar with European culture.
Time To Move Back To SF
My company wanted me to return to San Francisco as my year ended. But by then, it was 2020. The pandemic hit, remote working became common, and I was a new parent. My priorities began to shift.
Resonance With Ireland
Ireland has a strong family-oriented culture, and my definition of happiness changed from working 80 hours a week in Silicon Valley to spending quality time at work and with my family. The smaller time difference with India helped me be more in touch with my parents and extended family.
Also, I had always dreamed of starting my own company. My original plan was to move back from San Francisco to India. But now I had the chance to do that in Ireland. This visa permissions allowed me to enjoy Western comforts while having the flexibility to start my own business in Ireland.
Being in Ireland has allowed me to launch a revenue-generating business, strengthen my social circle more than ever, and cherish family time.
Background
From 2019 to 2024, I answered this question with 3 simple points. I treated it as a light, small-talk topic.
However, I realized that people ask this question to gain insights into my motivations and potential decisions regarding family and career. To refine my response, I followed 3 steps:
I voice-typed my initial answer.
I used ChatGPT (GenAI) to improve the grammar and readability.
I requested ChatGPT to identify any weaknesses in my reasoning.
I used ChatGPT GPT4 to differentiate which aspects sound implausible, which odd, and which might resonate well with the audience.
I voice-typed my revised response using that feedback to make it more appealing and satisfactory to others. I used Grammarly Pro to edit and improve readability.