Nathalie Moyano moved to Foxford, Co Mayo from Dublin in March this year and is now enjoying the fruits of working remotely with a more relaxed pace of life.
Having lived in Dublin since 2002, Nathalie features in our More To Life campaign after she made the move to the West.
Like many other movers, she doesn’t intend on going back to her previous life in the east.
Born in France, Nathalie moved to Ireland in 2002 and spent years commuting from Wicklow to the city centre. She moved to Co Mayo on the first day of lockdown and found herself surrounded by woodlands, beautiful riverside walks and stunning gardens at a time when many people were confined to city apartments with no access to open spaces.
She now lives and works in the converted stables of Coolcronan House, formerly the home of the Earl of Limerick, on the banks of the river Moy.
I wasn’t set on any location but the west appealed to me. Remote working has offered so many opportunities.
She says: “I quit my corporate job and decided to set up as a sole trader providing language services. I also work part time as a contractor on the basis that going to Dublin for meetings is an exception, rather than a regular thing.
“I wasn’t set on any location but the west appealed to me as it isn’t too far from Dublin for airports. My first introduction to Ireland was through Galway so I had always thought I would move west at some point but I thought it would have to be after I retire.
“Remote working has offered so many opportunities,” says the founder of Moytilingual, a company that provides language and consulting services.
Nathalie feels lucky to have been able to spend lockdown in such an idyllic setting.
She says: “I feel guilty as lockdown for us as has been very privileged. Workwise it is all online meetings but I worked in IT for 15 years so it’s nothing strange for me. I feel lucky to be here. It’s not for everyone but for me, being close to nature is closer to my values.
“I come from the Mediterranean — from the south of France and my parents are from the south of Spain but I really don’t mind the weather. My parents say that all the greenery reminds them of rural Spain where they are from.”
Nathalie has always wanted to live close to nature and says she “couldn’t go back to an enclosed space”. Having made a conscious effort to achieve a better work/life balance, she says being able to walk out the door and see horses and beautiful gardens is “blissful”
Watch Nathalie’s story, the second video in our campaign below and follow our journey across all social channels by using #MoreToLife.
