Episode 5
This week, ‘This Crowded House’ presenter Brendan Courtney meets two more young adults who are struggling to figure out how to move on with their lives and out of their parents’ homes. They have, however, two very different stories and two very different ideas of what growing up and moving out looks like!
First up is 29-year-old Tanita Burke who, after several years of travelling and seeing the world, has found herself back in her hometown of Arklow, Co. Wicklow living with Mum Kelly and little sister Saffy. After over a year at home, Tanita is at a bit of a crossroads – with her 30th birthday looming she’s struggling to decide if she’s supposed to conform and ‘settle down’ at home in Ireland, or does she pander to those itchy feet and take off again?
It’s a dilemma that has faced many young Irish adults – at what point do you have to ‘grow up’, and, more to the point, what should that idea of ‘growing up’ look like?!
For carefree Tanita, she really is torn on what she should do. With Brendan and the team encouraging her to keep an open mind, she considers what life might look like if she did put down roots versus taking off again. Having attended Irish dance classes for 17 years, the entrepreneurial side of Tanita has spotted an opportunity for opening an Irish Dance school. She feels, perhaps if she got this up and running it might be enough to keep her in Ireland. When she meets another fellow traveller who did make that leap, Tanita sees the real opportunity in the future she wants…. however the lure of a one-way ticket is always hovering in the background, causing Tanita to constantly flip-flop with her dilemma.
While she struggles with her fight or flight decisions, Brendan shows her a very real option where she could live, whilst financial planner Eoin McGee tries to help her to get a handle on her finances… ‘tries’ being the operative word for carefree Tanita!
Being an adult in Ireland these days means different things to different people – is Tanita ready to fit that stereotypical mould? But with work promotions on the horizon and real housing options she could move into, will her curiosity to settle down take hold? Or will she fly the nest with her backpack once again?
Meanwhile in the midlands, 21-year-old Emanuel Konimyan from Athlone in Co. Westmeath has big dreams when it comes to flying the nest – he wants to buy his own home. However, there’s one little problem… he cannot get a mortgage. In fact, the banks have told him to get a bigger salary…. or get a wife! While he knows his wage is an issue, he’s stayed focused on his goal for the past 2 years and is not far off a deposit needed to buy something modest in the midlands, with over €11,000 in savings.
However, Emanuel has one bigger dream that might trump buying a house. Since he was young, he has had dreams of becoming a pilot. As Brendan and the team try help Emanuel to explore his options to move out, financial planner Eoin McGee is blown away by Emanuel’s ability to save. However, he does pose a question – would Emanuel not explore if his dream career is real or a pipedream first, rather than being solely focused on having to buy his own home, particularly when Emanuel is so young at just 21?
Brendan struggles with a similar dilemma around Emanuel’s age– Emanuel is so young at 21 and the current property crisis seems to have him believing he needs to buy to have achieved something. But part of Brendan would love to see Emanuel just move in with friends and rent and having a good time while he has youth on his side!
As Emanuel tries to get a handle on whether his dream career is achievable, life of course can throw curveballs- the dream of becoming a pilot becomes much more complicated than expected and Emanuel also ends up having to explore his employment options in detail that he certainly didn’t expect. Ultimately Emanuel has a choice, will he decide to fly before he buys, will he decide to just enjoy his early 20s and houseshare, or could life end up making him rethink all his dreams?