Caitríona Perry told Ryan Tubridy on The Late Late Show on Friday that it has been a "whirlwind" since it was announced she is leaving RTÉ to take up a new role with the BBC in Washington.
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Perry is due to depart RTÉ at the end of the month and will move to Washington for a new role with the BBC News Channel.
Speaking about her love for the US, Perry explained to Tubridy that when her term as RTÉ's Washington correspondent came to a close in 2017, part of her always felt she had more to do Stateside.
Perry said: "I just love the US and when my term as Washington correspondent was up, I kind of felt like I had a little bit more that I wanted to do there and that I was due to stay on a little longer.
"But I was lured back to do the Six One with my lovely friend Keelin Shanley, who is sadly no longer with us, and that was too good of an opportunity to give up.
"She and I had an absolutely fantastic time for a while and then she passed away, and then COVID hit. I had two kids in that time as well. So it's been a very busy five years, and I think all of those things - like when you have a close bereavement, when you have children and then the pandemic, it made me reevaluate what matters to me and my family. What's important to me, what do I want to do, what do I want to achieve? And what opportunities are out there while you still kind of have been at the vim and vigour to take advantage of them."
Perry also spoke about how her family are feeling about the move telling Tubridy that while it will be tough to say goodbye they are looking forward to a big adventure.
"It's bittersweet because people are excited for me and they know me and what I'm interested in and what's exciting professionally for me. And then they have their own feelings of obviously going to miss me.
"Particularly I think for the grandparents, like so many grandparents in Ireland. To watch their grandkids grow up over Zoom from Canada, Australia or wherever. And you know, the world is a small place and we have all these technologies, but we can't hug over Zoom.
"So you know, I think it's gonna be tough for people, but life is short and you have to make the most of it. And if adventures come your way, you have to grab them."
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