I recently made a trip home to Las Vegas to see my son and family of origin. While there my nephew-in-law asked me what I found to be the biggest difference between Ireland and the US. The question took me aback and got me thinking. There are a number of reasons I wanted to move to the EU: better privacy protection, a chance to live in a different culture, the chance to get out of a country that was beginning to feel like the world’s biggest bully. But after living here for three years, what do I see as the major differences?
The US feels plastic, nothing seems to be real. Everything seems to big: cars, houses, grocery stores, roads, serving sizes. It’s the consumer mentality gone wild. On top of that a lack of recycling, maximum packaging, few family owned stores. Nothing that I want to really support with my hard earned cash.
It was good to see the family, the conversation was great craic, and the weather was nice but I don’t want to be there. It was good to come home to Ireland. Ireland really feels like home now.
Is é Éire mo bhaile = Ireland is my home
— Claude
galwayrambling 
This is why I am moving toward sustainable living, because of the unnecessary consumerism in the US. I don’t think I could live in Ireland, so I am going to have to carve out my own little paradise here in Colorado.
Your reply left me smiling as an Irish woman I loved my one and only visit to Colorado.
I am still surprised to discover on reading your blog that you still like it here, and I find it a huge compliment to us that you are doing so. Also congratulations on being able to speak as Gaelige.