This interview appears in this week’s Cork Independent: “… we talk with Helen Becarra (nee Flynn) originally from Millstreet and now living, married, in the United States. After a J1 trip abroad, Helen fell in love with her neighbour Jon Becarra, who serves in the Marine Corps. She now lives in Huntington Beach in southern California – otherwise know as The OC. All in all a pretty decent deal, especially with the constant sunshine.
Name: Helen Becerra (Flynn)
Age: 26
Occupation: Graphic Designer & Marketing Manager
How long has it been since you emigrated from Ireland? Four years
Why did you decide to leave Cork? I went on a J1 summer and my next door neighbour ended up being my long distance boyfriend and then my husband. 🙂
What made you emigrate to the place you live in at the moment?
A marriage proposal. I think I would have tried hard to come back here even if I never met him, I fell in love with the place from day one.
What’s your favourite thing about your new home?
The weather is definitely number one! The convenience of everything would be next – whatever you want, groceries, pharmacy, alcohol etc is available all day and all night as long as you know where to go. I noticed this a lot when I visited my parents last summer and was faced with a mile long walk for a bar of chocolate! Anything you want is probably available within an hour drive radius – they have a saying here that California is a state where you can go to the snow, desert and beach all in one day.
What do you miss most about Cork?
I miss knowing everyone, the craic and mostly the Irish sense of humour. Americans have such a different brand of humour. And Hillbillies breast in a bun. Oh and Penneys!
What do you miss least about Cork?
The rain, the No 5 and No 8 bus on a “soft” day when the whole bus is steamed up and late. Also the price of drink and the bouncers, that’s about it.
….. read the full interview on CorkIndependent.com
You are a lovely couple and will have beautiful children. Good luck and God bless you both.
You picked the best place. California has it all..and here in San Francisco you can have very different seasons within the city, from fog by the beach to very hot and sunny in the Mission. Huntington Beach is beautiful too…Good luck in you married life together.