Shannon Frandsen has lived on three different continents and knows well the struggles and pleasures of life abroad.

Her travel adventures kicked off when winning an essay contest took her on a pilgrimage in Spain. A few months later, with a passion for traveling confirmed, she returned to her home country to work as a travel consultant in Boston. But talking about seeing the world wasn’t enough.

She packed up her life (which fit into one suitcase), flew to Japan, and waited to see what would happen. A series of strange and wonderful events brought her to Scotland and then to Holland, where she met the man of her dreams. One wedding and one baby later, Shannon and her new family made a sudden move to India, just to keep things interesting.

Shannon now lives in Mumbai with her husband and their two-year old Danish-American daughter. She makes regular contributions to newsletters and websites about expat life in Mumbai.

Marcos Mallada graduated in journalism at the Complutense University of Madrid and started his international experience in Rome, where he studied for one year at La Sapienza University. He spent another year in Edinburgh, where he tried to improve his English while he was making around one million coffees and being way too cold. He returned to Madrid looking for the sun and worked as an editor, writing about almost anything you can imagine: politics, immigration issues, football, road transport, sports sponsorship, economics, crime, basketball, music… After a short stay in Milano as a translator, he arrived in Shanghai four years ago. It was supposed to be a one-year internship in international trade, but he still doesn.t know what to answer when his relatives in Spain ask when are you going to come back? In the Chinese city, which he swears is more Mediterranean than Naples and Athens together, he works as a freelance trader and writer. He has also published a guide of the city for the Spanish Instituto Cervantes.

Born and raised overseas, Vivian Grace James relocated to Canada in 2007 in order to pursue post-secondary studies at the University of British Columbia (UBC). She currently lives in Vancouver with her husband, son, and two dogs, and is studying at both UBC and Oregon State University.

Because Vivian grew up overseas in diverse places such as Asia and the Middle East, Vancouver holds a curious fascination for her with its blend of cultures and traditions. She fell in love with the city from afar, and now never tires of exploring its unique features and attractions together with her family.

The rest of the time Vivian can be found pouring over her books, papers, and laptop, busily engaged in writing or studying. Among her interests is the archaeology of the ancient Near East, and she is a member of the Archaeological Institute of America. Vivian has been involved in off-season archaeological digs. She is also interested in literature, philosophy, religion, and natural medicine, as well as being deeply committed to green initiatives, sustainability, and natural living.

Nowhere are these ideals more strongly pursued than in Vancouver and Vivian endeavors to uphold these values by purchasing local and organic food, implementing strategies for green living (including recycling), and joining the local community in promoting natural and sustainable living.

Jesse Green relocated to Japan with his ex-pat parents (who continue to make their home in Japan having lived here for nearly 30 years) when he was a small child, before moving back to the U.S. as a teenager. He returned to Tokyo in 2001 and has lived in the city ever since. A marketing and public relations consultant, he is married to his beautiful wife Rebecca who is an environmental energy consultant in Yokohama (a coastal city just south of Tokyo). Tokyo is a truly amazing city with so much to offer, no matter what your interests are, he says. And with constant development and increasing internationalization, Tokyo’s face is sure to continue to change for the better. Its difficult imagining living elsewhere with so many conveniences, sporting events, and incredible gastronomic experiences. It is simply a wonderful place to live.

Erik Hamre was born and raised in Copenhagen, Denmark where he lived until he graduated from Copenhagen University with a Bachelors Degree in Economics. After graduating, he set out for adventure, seeking warmer climates than his native country through backpacking and traveling around South East Asia. In the process of exploring everything the region has to offer, he discovered Thailand and was enthralled by its unique culture, friendly people and organized chaos. After returning home and finding the Danish winter much too long and cold he returned to Thailand in 2007, making Bangkok his home.

Erik has worked as a teacher, SEO consultant and freelance travel writer in Bangkok and is currently pursuing his Masters Degree in Business Administration at Ramkhamhaeng University, Thailand’s largest educational institution.

Out of the classroom Erik enjoys diving in Thailand’s crystal clear blue waters, hitting the Muay Thai boxing pads and spending a night out with friends in the popular Ekamai clubs.

Born and bred in Singapore, Caryn Yeo has been calling Hong Kong home for more than six years. A full-time journalist, she spends her most of her waking hours in the pressure cooker of a newsroom or holed up with her other half in their cozy closet-sized apartment. Whatever spare time she has, she relaxes by experiencing all the different facets of life in Hong Kong: getting a million-dollar view of the city’s skyline from the Star Ferry, taking in the cool evening breeze while riding the trams that trundle along Hong Kong Island, tucking into delicious local dishes at noisy roadside eateries, and browsing for kitschy trinkets at the bustling, vibrant night markets. She constantly marvels at Hong Kong’s ever-present buzz of humanity, the infectious energy of its people, and most of all, at how everything works without reason (and without apparent clarity) in this dynamo of a city.

Schuyler House is an avid world traveler, mother of three, and multi-faceted professional with a varied background in business and academia. Her work experiences span the United States, Japan, and Southeast Asia, and her love of travel, culture, and adventure fuels her great fondness of expatriate life. Born and raised in Singapore to an American expatriate family, Schuyler grew up in the ever-shifting world of overseas living and has cultivated a keen understanding of both the joys and trials facing expatriate families. After secondary school and university in the United States, Schuyler returned to living in Asia, eventually settling again in Singapore, where she currently resides with her family.

Maggie has been living in Buenos Aires as an English teacher and a freelance writer since 2009. She came to the city from Austin, Texas where she worked in the tumultuous world of state politics, to strengthen her Spanish and have a better understanding of the Latin American culture and politics in Argentina. She has traveled throughout the country, but remains rooted in the city with its vast cafes, milongas, and parrillas. Sitting at a corner cafe, sipping a café con leche and snacking on a medialuna (croissant), she enjoys watching the porteños stroll by in their colorful clothes, listening to their sing-song dialects, and reflecting on the journey these people have taken since their families immigrated from Europe not so many decades ago. She sips contentedly wondering what the future holds for them and their country, as she goes along with them.

Born in the UK, and raised amongst the lush New Forest scenery, Amanda Jackson has been inspired to write poetry, lyrics and scripts since a very young age.

Amanda first travelled to Auckland in 2002, initially for a holiday visiting family. Whilst here Amanda was offered a job which led to a residency visa. Amanda flew back to the UK in mid-2003 to sell her house and at this point, there was no turning back – the move became permanent. Within a year Amanda’s parents had also made the move to NZ, settling in Whangarei, a few hours north of Auckland.

Amanda has been in Auckland since relocating to New Zealand, living in various suburbs including Newmarket, Parnell and Mt. Eden, all of which have their own unique character and charm. Amanda now owns her own slice of heaven in Beach Haven on the North Shore which she shares with two gorgeous beagles, a beach and a native reserve.

Phoebe Jamieson relocated from Australia to Germany in 2008 with her husband and daughter. Becoming an expat in Berlin meant navigating the German immigration system, which is notoriously challenging, frustrating and ridged. However, the chance to live in this vibrant, fascinating and cultural melting pot far outweighed any obstacles encountered. Choosing Berlin was a logical choice: the lifestyle, the opportunity for travel and the chance for their daughter to be immersed in a new language and culture. The fact that Berlin is one of Europe’s most affordable capital cities has provided Phoebe with the chance to step out of her corporate life in advertising and focus on family, life and writing.Phoebe Jamieson relocated from Australia to Germany in 2008 with her husband and daughter. Becoming an expat in Berlin meant navigating the German immigration system, which is notoriously challenging, frustrating and ridged. However, the chance to live in this vibrant, fascinating and cultural melting pot far outweighed any obstacles encountered. Choosing Berlin was a logical choice: the lifestyle, the opportunity for travel and the chance for their daughter to be immersed in a new language and culture. The fact that Berlin is one of Europe’s most affordable capital cities has provided Phoebe with the chance to step out of her corporate life in advertising and focus on family, life and writing.

Phoebe Jamieson relocated from Australia to Germany in 2008 with her husband and daughter.

Rachel Jones was born in London and lived there until 2006 when she decided to move to Thailand to set up a bar/restaurant with her husband. She first came to Thailand in 2002 to work with elephants and immediately fell in love with the country. She continued to travel back and forth until she eventually took the decision to live there permanently.

After spending time in Bangkok, Rachel moved up to Chiang Mai where she now divides her time between working as a freelance writer and editor and running a bar/restaurant with her husband. In her free time Rachel runs an Asian elephant charity.

Gulnar Joshi is a professional writer and editor who has been editing magazines for over 15 years through various positions such as Copy Editor, Features Editor, Editor and Redesign Editor.

She loves travelling and has lived in many Indian cities including Mumbai, Chandigarh and Delhi. Gulnar has also lived and worked as an expat in Mexico (Queretaro), Germany (Munich/Wurzburg) and the Philippines (Makati).

Vicky Li Yip is an American who has been living in Beijing for three years and counting. She and her husband are expecting their first child at the end of 2009, which they are happy to deliver in their adopted new “home” city of Beijing. Vicky’s favorite place to take visitors is the Great Wall at Mutianyu, a preferred section of the wall given the thrilling toboggan ride that climbers can take back down to the base. She also loves the “real bits” of life that Beijing offers, like traditional local parks awash in colors during the spring, constant new restaurant discoveries that satisfy any food craving, and a close-knit community who can share this experience with her. Vicky has been involved in the expat community through her work at an international school, her writing for English-language publications, and her participation at an international church in the city.