I have been pondering a move to Ireland for a while. We have been holding off because of some family related items. However shortly before the Brexit vote I applied for a job. I am looking to get moved before Article 50 is invoked ideally, or within the 2 year divorce proceedings when treaty rights are supposed to remain the same.
Our kids are all supportive. Our two adult children are not sure if they will join us or not. They definitely plan to visit. That led to discussions with the extended family.
Everybody on my side of the family has been supportive. Expressed concerns about logistics, but generally supportive.
My mother-in-law was supportive to me, but then asking lots of odd questions to my wife and expressing doubts when I am not around. Mother-In-Law discussed it with grandfather-in-law and uncle-in-law. What finally floored us is she said, "My dad, brother and I can not figure out why you would want to move to Ireland where they are always blowing each other up?"
She honestly thinks the Troubles are still ongoing. I am not sure how to approach her on the subject.
I am not sure reasoning with facts and figures will do it.
I'm not sure if you're being light-hearted or serious 🙂
However, I think it's pretty common for people to have misconceptions about a place they are unfamiliar with. The number of stereotypes I have dealt with in moving in both directions is staggering. US people (with an opinion) often portray America as the best, and only, place you could ever live. Many of this sort have never left their home state, let alone ventured 5000 miles east. Irish people (in Ireland) obviously get plenty of US media fed to them, so their opinions of America are formed by what they see/hear. Generally the media coverage is all the negative stuff.
I think you have to do your best to remain as polite as possible, and take whatever advice with a pinch of salt. If you're minds made up to move, don't let people influence it too much, if at all really. Families (in-laws) love to offer an opinion. You're not alone in that. My own in-laws have visions and opinions of Ireland from when they lived there 20+ years ago. I've given up trying to argue any 21st century facts with them.
I am really sorry you are having to deal with that. From our experience, the people that were the most negative about our move were the ones that were ill-informed, or as Liam mentioned the ones that never even left their own state.
When we first told our families that we wanted to move to Ireland, no one really said anything because they didnt think it would happen. My sister, who has never been outside of the US, couldn't understand why we would ever want to leave America. Her response to the news that we were actually moving was "well you are going to piss a lot of people off" and then "people dont leave the US, people come here." I had family members tell us "good luck finding nessie" - wrong country for one - because they had nothing else to say. A family member told us that while they have never been to Ireland, they had a friend who visited 20 years ago and was shocked because he stepped off the plane and saw police officers with AK-47s. My response was "you must be talking about Belfast as that was the height of The Troubles" and then proceeded to ask if they have been to any US airports lately. This family member has never even been on airplane. My father-in-law told me at our going away dinner that i was being selfish taking my husband and kids away from his family.
Long story short, from our experience, we found that it was easier for our family to be hurtful or not want to understand simply because they were going to miss us. Our reasons for moving didnt matter and any time we tried to educate them on the matter with facts, they were just pushed aside.
You have to do what is best for you! The amazing thing now is that pretty much everyone has access to Skype or Facetime, so it is so much easier to stay connected.
If moving to Ireland has been your dream, go for it!!! We were pretty put down in the weeks and days leading up to our move from our familymembers, but the moment we landed and got off the plane we knew we made the right decision and are happy because of it.
It has been interesting. I am not trying to be humorous. It is the way they are. My family has always been somewhat nomadic. I lived in 8 different places before I was a teenager. My wife's family has all lived within a 50 mile radius.