Stories and reflections from an American and Irish citizen living in France
leavingamerica.substack.com (https://leavingamerica.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)
Changes in culture and language can creep up on you slowly when you live outside your native land
After moving from the United States to Europe some seventeen years ago, a distance from day-to-day life in the U.S. has crept up. Some things that mark a growing gulf between what was then and what is now emerge over time—I’ll first notice them from the corner of my eye, only to see them come into focus as they reach some kind of critical mass. Changes in language usage is one of those things.
Current residents of the U.S. might wonder why I am so late in taking notice of them. Part of it of course has to do simply with living outside the U.S., visiting very rarely, and having distance from American English. Another part might have to do with not having owned a television while living in Ireland, which limited our exposure to American-produced popular media. So in making my observations I am probably confessing to being thoroughly out-of-touch culturally with the land of my birth … but what the hell.
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1 May 2026
The 45-Hour Rule: How Self-Employment in Europe Affects Early U.S. Social Security Benefits
It’s probably a common strategy: Take early retirement and start receiving U.S. Social Security benefits before age 67, move to Europe, and supplement your income with some self-employed side-hustle (for example, writing on Substack or getting monetised on youtube). It makes sense, but there’s a little something called the “45-hour rule” that could undermine your plans if you’re not careful and informed in advance.
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5 Dec 2025
My Irish driving licence exam
John Wilcockson recounts his experience taking the Irish driving test, highlighting the challenges and cultural nuances involved in obtaining a driver's license in Ireland.
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