Although there is growing interest in qualitative longitudinal research as a way of taking
time seriously (ADAM, 2000), this approach still holds many challenges for the social researcher. In
this article we use a reflexive approach, drawing on a Goffmanian analysis of self-presentation, to
consider our separate but related experience of re-interviewing Polish migrants over intervals of
several years. In each case, the repeat interviews were not part of the original research design and
were undertaken years later for a range of different reasons. After briefly presenting case studies
from our individual interviews, we critically reflect upon some opportunities and challenges of
researching change through time. We first consider the ways in which repeat interviews may
challenge earlier analyses and findings. We then explore some of the ethical considerations
involved in unplanned repeat interviews. Next, we reflect upon dilemmas about self-revelation,
particularly in contexts of social media and on-line technologies. Finally, we discuss what we have
learned from our different experiences and what implications there are for this kind of ad hoc
longitudinal research in migration studies