Christmas Abroad: Love of travel brought Zoe from Westmeath to Melbourne

Zoe Nugent, from Drumraney in South Westmeath, will be spending her fourth Christmas in Australia this year. She currently works as a disability support worker, but is hoping to get into FIFO (fly-in, fly-out) mining.

Where in Australia do you live, and how did your move there come about?

I'm currently living outside of Melbourne. This has been my settled spot now for almost two and a half years. My move here came from a longing to break away from the mundane mindset which we fall into at home. Work, sleep, repeat.

I've always had such a love for travel, visiting Europe, Africa, America, and so forth, for holidays.

What were your first impressions of the country when you arrived?

Honestly, my first impression was, 'Damn, this place is hot!'

I loved what Australia had to offer and how vast it is. You can travel twelve hours in one direction and still not get to where you want, in comparison to home where we think an hour or so of a drive to Galway or Dublin is a huge effort.

There's so much to explore and that makes your days off more adventurous.

What are the best and worst things about living in Australia?

BEST: It would be hard to pinpoint one thing. I call this beautiful country my new home, though Ireland will always have a huge place in my heart. The people, the weather, beaches, endless amounts of adventure, huge opportunities to experience different fields of work which I never would have dreamed of doing in my lifetime and, of course, I met my beautiful partner Skye and we now have our handsome dog, Tanjiro.

WORST: The worst for me is being so far away from family. Nobody talks about the feeling of guilt when you live abroad while your family gets older.

You miss out on occasions big and small, all of their accomplishments, births, deaths, and everything in between. But the hardest thing is chasing your own dreams and life while missing everything that you called home.

What are your plans for Christmas Day this year?

Myself and my partner Skye are hosting family dinner at our house. We're combining both of our Christmas traditions into one - celebrating with my Aussie family, FaceTiming loved ones at home, enjoying the summer sun, and making memories and new traditions.

What are some of the things you will miss about Christmas in Ireland?

Spending time with my family, the hustle and bustle of the Irish Christmas dinner preparations, my Mam and Dad singing Christmas songs in the kitchen, and most of all having the cold weather to make it feel more like Christmas.

Is there any message you'd like to send to your friends or family reading this?

I have a large family and I'd like to wish a Merry Christmas to them all, especially my Granny (Pat), my Mam (Tricia), Dad (Roger), sister (Kacey) and brother (Lee).

Have a safe and Merry Christmas, and I hope to be home with Skye for Christmas 2025. I love and miss you all. xx