Sophie Whitehouse spent her childhood in England, Tanzania, Kenya and the USA - but it's a link to Dun Laoghaire that's given her a shot at a World Cup dream.
The experienced goalkeeper recieved a first international call-up last week for the two friendlies against America on Saturday and Tuesday (both live on RTÉ2).
Whitehouse's mother Caroline Sergeant spent the first few years of her life in the Dublin coastal town. And although the family had a somewhat nomadic existence, the connection to the Emerald Isle was always strong.
"Her job made us move," says Sophie, currently playing at English Championship side Lewes FC.
"She worked in development in public health. Then, in the US, she worked with World Bank development fund. I'd one sister, a year and a bit older than me.
"It definitely shaped me, made me who I am. Growing up in East Africa is a little different from a more developed upbringing. I’d seen a lot of the world before I was even old enough to know what the world was.
"So I have an understanding of what different cultures are. Moving to the US was a complete culture shock, then you move to England. So you get a broader world view."
"The fabric of the club drives everything that they do."
Whitehouse is one of four keepers named for the trip to the States - Courtney Brosnan, Grace Moloney, and Megan Walsh are the others.
Her chances of making it on the plane for the World Cup and Australia this summer are, realistically, pretty remote at this point but she's desperate to make the most of any opportunity.
"My mom’s Irish and I feel like I was always looking forward to a moment like this," she said.
"I had been speaking to my coach when I was at Bristol and he was then trying to get on to Vera about [her eligibility].
"It's kind of been an ongoing process since then and that makes it all the more exciting that I’m actually here now. Everybody seems really nice and chatty and it has been easy to integrate even though I'm getting to know who everyone is."
Whitehouse has a bit of inside info on the world number one-ranked USA this week. She came across some big names when playing college football in the States with Columbia University.
The 27-year-old has also has spells at Bristol City, Birmingham City and Tottenham, where she got a close look at one of the game's biggest names.
"I played at college level with some of them, I trained with Alex Morgan at Tottenham," she added. "I just know the team because I would have grown up watching them.
"In terms of how they play, they’ve a very different game to European football. Because I’ve trained like that throughout university, I would understand it is a little more direct, physical and quick, a speedy game, so it will be interesting to see how we compete against that.
"Alex was coming back from having her baby and training really hard to get back from that. It shows she is a really focused individual, she was working extra hard. She would stay later top practise penalties and it was good to work with her at that time and she is really thriving again now."
In 2017 Lewes launched a groundbreaking initiative, Equality FC, which saw them introduce equal pay, budgets and resources for both their men's and women's teams. They are still the only club in the world to have such an initiative.
That commitment appeals to Whitehouse, who has experienced the benefits diversity and inclusivity throughout her whole life.
She said: "As soon as I realised I could be playing for them, I was really excited because of their club culture. And their background, being the only club in the world who pay their men and women equally.
"With my upbringing, I knew that was something I was really interested in and now being there, like you said the fabric of the club drives everything that they do.
"I grew up not really wearing shoes and just like running around. It made me fall in love with animals and nature because there's huge biodiversity in that part of the world and then I guess respect for other cultures. It was nice.
"I'm still quite similar. Some of the girls on my team make fun of me because I only really have two pairs of shoes. Even on this trip I was trying to think and they were like 'well, you need to have options' and I said 'well, I have only three pairs!'."
Watch USA v Republic of Ireland on Saturday from 7pm live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player and follow a live blog on RTÉ.ie/Sport and the RTÉ News app.
