Nicola Beach is a second-generation expat, who grew up in the UK, the Netherlands and Thailand. Her eclectic career history includes forays into direct marketing, customer relations, then a switch to finance. Since 2004 she has been an expat spouse, (or to quote her husband an ‘expensive habit’). During this time she has dodged bullets in Lagos and stray cats in Istanbul, before getting cosy in Jozi (Johannesburg) and is currently living the highlife in Hong Kong. Along the way, this globetrotting Brit and Jill-of-all-trades has wrangled her 2 growing children and acquired a portfolio of strange and useful skills and languages, learned to work with precious metals and gems at jewellery school and moonlighted as a theatre critic. She writes about her family’s far-flung adventures at Expatorama or you can follow her on Facebook.  She was previously published in the Knocked up Abroad Again anthology.

Helene Benoit grew up in a bilingual/cultural family in Norway. She has been traveling the world since 2001, when her French oilman in blue coveralls whisked her away. While this is the first time any of her work is being published, she has been contemplating the social world around her through her cultural glasses, shaped by a masters degree in social anthropology. Her journey has taken her from a pre-Arabic Spring Tunisia, to an economically booming Brazil (where the family grew from 2 to 4), a stop in a disorganized Angola, followed by three long winters in Siberia, then 5 content years in the heart of consumer society, Texas, to finally find herself in Congo, the land of intermittent electricity and eternal summer. She’s starting to see the end of her expat story, and somewhere inside there’s a voice whispering: it’s too soon. Writing for Life on the Move has given her a taste for writing, so keep your eye out for more.

Born in the snowy Midwest, Robin is an ATCK who grew up enjoying the beaches and sunshine in the Bahamas. She has traveled for fun, and studied overseas in Canada, Brasíl, Austria, and South Africa. After teaching ESL in Japan and China, she is currently living in Korea and working with university students. You can follow her adventures on her blog Midwest Island Girl.

Growing up in rural Alberta, Diana was 14 before she saw the ocean for the first time – and was hooked. After obtaining her nursing degree, she spent six months backpacking Australia and New Zealand. She then explored working options and found herself in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia where she met and married her British husband. Life then took them to Japan, Turkey, Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand and finally Australia, which is now ‘home’. Along the way they experienced the highs and lows of raising third culture kids and are the proud parents of 3 amazing multicultural young adults. Her own experience with infant loss influenced her work in perinatal research. Diana is currently enrolled as a PhD candidate at the University of Sydney. Having published extensively in medical journals in the past 10 years, she is thrilled to be publishing from a more personal perspective.

Chantalle grew up on Canada’s east coast before heading west to start her teaching career. Her first foray into a world of globetrotting was as a teacher onboard Class Afloat – a high school on a tall ship. The experience was a lesson in travel’s unrivaled ability to teach and be a launchpad for growth and reflection. Enamored with the perspective shift that being in a foreign land allows for, Chantalle explored international teaching opportunities, landing in Abu Dhabi for a few years. She has since returned to Calgary, where she develops travel options for her high school students, and facilitates their exchange options abroad. You can find snapshots of her adventures by following her on Instagram @chant_b, and read her reflections on My life as a traveling teacher.

Margo Catts grew up in a homebody house in Los Angeles, reading stories from places she hadn’t seen and imagining life in all of them. After raising children from east to west in the U.S., she and her husband finally got onto the international circuit, traveling whenever possible and eventually moving to Saudi Arabia, and they are now eyeing an international retirement. She enjoys cycling, which makes her hungry, and cooking, which calls for more cycling, and enjoying both when she travels. Her first novel, Among the Lesser Gods, was published by Arcade Publishing in 2017. She currently lives in Houston, Texas, where she is at work on her second. Visit her website to learn more about the books and to follow her blog. You can also follow her author page on Facebook, and find her on Twitter and Instagram.    

Lucy Chow wants to live in a world where students can come up with the next start up Unicorn, because she is passionate about innovative businesses. As a Canadian expat, she has been fortunate to have lived in Shanghai, HongKong, New York and most recently Dubai. Unfortunately, out of all those countries, she only picked up the language of natives from New York. (She can do a broad New Yorker accent like nobody’s business!) Her contribution to Life on the Move is her first published piece in a book, but hopefully not the last! Follow her on Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Cecile Dash was born in The Netherlands, married a Canadian backpacker that she found in London and is a mom of three beautiful little monsters (oops meant to write children). Taking care of others is her second nature and when moving from The Netherlands to Congo this was something, she applied wherever she went. Falling in love with Congo and its people made it even harder to leave after 5 years. She currently lives in Dubai and the contrast is big #fromjungletodesert. Thinking her family was used to a hot climate after 5 years in Africa she nearly melted during her first Middle Eastern summer. She works as a part-time chauffeur driving her children all over Dubai, attends most of Dubai’s infamous ladies’ nights and frequents yoga sessions keep her zen. She has the intention of keeping a blog but never actually writes new stories for it. Cecile has two previously published stories in Knocked up Abroad Again and Once upon an Expat, two more stories are on the way and if she ever finds the courage, she will publish her first children’s book which has been ready for quite some time now….

Born in Ottawa to a Canadian Diplomatic Father. She spent her childhood moving from Canada, China, Mexico, The Philippines, and Venezuela. After a childhood of non stop moving, it made total sense to then work at Foreign Affairs as an Advisor on a UN file. After years of diplomatic adulating, it was time for a change. She and her husband moved to Vancouver, where they worked in the chaos of the Olympic games, and were just a couple weeks’ shy of having an Olympic baby, no one won the office baby watch pool. Like any good adult who has never grown roots, the family had to pack again and move back to Toronto, Ontario with a stint in Montreal in between, where Kendra helped create the Growing Journal as well as started the blog Diplomatic Kid, chronicling the funny stories of growing up and working in Foreign Affairs, and the reality of many Diplomatic Kids, not knowing what or where home is. You can follow her on Instagram and Facebook.

Shannon Day is co-author of the book Martinis & Motherhood: Tales of Wonder, Woe, & WTF?!, a collection of funny and heartwarming stories (plus easy-to-make martinis) for moms. Shannon lives in the Toronto area with her British husband and their three daughters. Her writing can be found at several online sites including BLUNTmoms. Connect with Shannon on Facebook and Twitter.

Stephanie Lorraine Duncan is an elementary school teacher, a freelance writer and a mother of 3 living in Toronto, Canada. Before her little ones took over her life, she travelled extensively to every corner of the globe, living and teaching in England, Thailand and Australia. She refuses to give up her love of traveling so nowadays she can be found jet setting with three young children in tow (yes, she’s that woman at the airport!). Stephanie fell in love with the people and culture of Thailand when she lived there, and it is these fond memories which are chronicled in this book. She hopes to one day return with her family to the country that stole her heart and taught her how to find her inner peace.
Stephanie’s stories have been published in Huffington Post Canada, ScaryMommy, CafeMom and in Vitalize Magazine. Her blog, Surviving Life Daily, is a realistic and humorous take on how to survive frantic daily life. You can follow Stephanie Lorraine Duncan on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Lizzie Harwood penned Xamnesia: Everything I Forgot in My Search for an Unreal Life and Triumph: Collected Stories (both International Amazon bestsellers) and appeared in Once Upon an Expat. She also writes for Inspirelle Paris and helps organize the Stockholm Writers Festival. See more at lizzieharwood.com.

Marcey Louise Heschel is a Canadian mental health therapist, writer, mother and wife. Through her husband’s career in oil and gas she has had the opportunity to live and work abroad in both Texas and Malaysia. Although currently repatriated into Canada, she looks forward to her family’s next overseas adventure. Marcey spends her days as a stay at home mother and runs a private in person and online therapy practice, Mojo Counselling, on evenings and weekends. Her passions include helping others help themselves, half marathon running and shipwreck diving. If she could be found in her element it would either be diving tropical reefs near a white sand beach or snowed in and cuddled up sipping a fine red wine in a Northern Canadian log cabin. She believes that authenticity and vulnerability are two of the most admirable human characteristics and she seeks to bring that message to others through her lifestyle, work and her writing. Marcey has been published in Once Upon an Expat and Knocked up Abroad Again. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and English as well as a Master’s degree in Counselling. She is currently pursuing registration as a Psychologist and believes that her education and travels have created a professional niche for her in working with and understanding people of varying cultures and ethnicities. Find Marcey on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and her Website.

Born and raised in Austria, Sandra Glueck-Taglieber met her other half right after graduating from University and accompanied her boyfriend and later husband to his postings in the United Arab Emirates, Croatia and Canada. After heading the marketing for the cargo division of the national airline based in Abu Dhabi, founding a local subsidiary of an Austrian head-hunting company in Zagreb, and starting her portable career in “storytelling” in Montreal, Sandra now is a proud mom/preneur who loves to draft and shape concepts and to match words and pictures to bring across ideas. She also is a co-founder of VIE LESA, a non-profit association for Expat Partners in Vienna, who helps them to re-build their lives and careers and speaks up for Dual Careers in Austria.

Amanda grew up in small town Ontario and often dreamed of exploring the world. She made her dream a reality in 2010 when she left Canada to teach English in South Korea for a year. From then, she was hooked and wanted to explore as much as the world as possible. In 2013 she moved her life again overseas but this time to Germany where she has been ever since. She recently began writing about her experiences living away in her blog and can be found on Instagram sharing many of her travel photos and life.

Nina’s topsy turvy expat life is a veritable treasure chest of hilarious, startling and at times terrifying anecdotes. From beach-side parties with diamond merchants, arms dealers and aid workers in Angola, to studies at an ultra-conservative mosque in Syria, and bureaucratic ridiculousness in Switzerland, Nina’s expat life has been quite an adventure. Now based in Santiago de Chile, Nina is chronicling her journeys on her popular blog, The Expater. In addition to a slice of her latino life, The Expater offers tips and interviews with experts on beauty, travel, well being, parenting and all things expat lifestyle. Follow her on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and check out her most recent project, The International Women’s Club, a new digital platform connecting and inspiring women globally.

Born in the heart of Canada, Ashly Jeandel grew up in the small town of Erickson, Manitoba. After a year-long backpacking trip around the world she decided to settle in the small French village of Ventron, tucked away in the rolling mountains in Eastern France. When working as an au pair she met her future husband and they decided to put down roots in the small French ski village. She is now married, has two children and runs her own successful business as an English consultant and teacher. Ashly has been previously published in Once Upon an Expat and enjoys writing and traveling in her free time.

Mondi Gale is a widow, mother, and writer. In 2015 she tragically lost the love of her life in their home country of South Africa. She survived by travelling with her newborn daughter, who had been on more than 30 flights by the age of three, and by finding solace in the written word. Her late husband, Costa, had wanted so much more for his family and, to honour his memory, his desire for a safer home, and their combined love of travel, she decided that she wanted a better life for herself and their beautiful daughter. So in 2018, Mondi Gale moved halfway across the world with her daughter and mother to Canada. Determined to find the beauty in the world again she found a new home near the mountains in Alberta where she continues to write. Her hope is that in sharing her journey she can inspire and encourage other women to have courage and realize the magnitude of their inner strength. Become a part of Mondi’s story at here or follow her on Instagram and remember that no matter what happens in life you can make your own happiness.

Erica is a mom of two who was a full-time commercial banker in her former life. Struggling daily with the task of keeping the ‘mom guilt’ at bay when her kids were young, Erica and her family didn’t hesitate when the opportunity presented itself to move overseas and start a new adventure together. For the next five years they lived in the south of France, enjoying family time, experiencing the culture, learning the language, and realizing that road to happiness can be the very same one you thought you were lost on. Erica has since repatriated to Florida and is in the process of finding her new road to happiness. Let the adventures continue… no matter where you find them.

Jasmine grew up a second-generation Canadian on the Western part of Canada in Edmonton, Alberta. She studied Italian and Pharmacy at the University of Alberta and thoroughly enjoyed her community pharmacy practice after graduating in 2013. She was a practicing pharmacist for just more than one year prior to packing her bags for Italy where she now resides. Jasmine founded her award-winning lifestyle blog Questa Dolce Vita in 2014 and has been featured in Italian newspapers Corriere della Sera and BergamoPost. In addition to blogging, she has been an English consultant to marketing and sales teams in the cosmetics and cosmetics packaging industry, an Italian-English translator, and a freelance travel writer specializing in Italian destinations, food, and culture. She is passionate about reading, writing, food, wine, travel, and cats.

Lasairiona McMaster grew up dreaming of an exciting life abroad and after graduating from Queens University, Belfast, that is exactly what she did – with her then-boyfriend, now husband of almost ten years. Having recently repatriated to Northern Ireland after a decade abroad spanned over two countries (seven and a half years in America and eighteen months in India), she now finds herself ‘home’, with itchy feet and dreams of her next expatriation. With a penchant for both travelling, and writing, she started a blog during her first relocation to Houston, Texas and, since repatriating to Northern Ireland, has decided to do as everyone has been telling her to do for years, and finally pen a book (or two) and get published while she tries to adjust to the people and place she left ten years ago, where nothing looks the same as it did when she left. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

Akajiulonna Patricia Ndefo, born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, is a wife and mom of three third culture children. Having bid goodbye (for now) to geosciences, Akaji or Patricia to her family and friends, has over the years made a home in The Netherlands, France, Canada and now in the USA. While on the move she dabbled into global HR, some banking and even modelling for Adoniaa Beauty Inc. However, in all these career changes, writing has been a constant, now her second published writing while embracing expatriate living. Her first was featured in the anthology Once Upon An Expat. Patricia enjoys reading, writing, watching soccer, playing board games and hanging out with her lady friends.

Passionate about keeping life moving forward and knowing something about change and transitions, Gabriela founded EnRoute.Life – a learning and development coaching and consulting company from Palo Alto, CA to support people in transition in creating strategies for personal and professional development. She’s a Career Coach and Consultant at NetExpat – a global leader in expat partner assistance, where she specializes in helping her expat clients build portable careers and achieve their professional goals. Gabriela lived in Mexico and England before she met her husband. For the next fifteen years, they ventured thru Germany, Singapore, Spain and a few states in the US; successfully keeping their family in one piece thru 7 relocations and 11 homes. Wife, mom and writer. Her essays on life, changes, transitions and relocation can be found at NetExpat’s Expat Life Blogs and her website.

Shirley is an extremely positive and motivated person. She did not hesitate to quit her career as an optician, leave her Canadian home, and to say ‘yes’ to her husband and allow him to embark upon this opportunity abroad. No u-turns were possible and there have been no regrets!
Shirley lives in Dubai, one of the most futuristic, sparkling, sunny and sandy cities in the world, where camels and Ferraris share the roads.
Shirley and her 3 children are now as proud to celebrate UAE National Day as they are to represent Canada at the school International Day.
Between parental obligations, jogging, cooking, and many craft projects, Shirley finds time to write a blog on her experiences of living in Dubai and her journey as an expat.  You can follow her on Facebook: Shirley: oser la Vie à Dubai.

Melissa Reynolds is a wife, mother, writer and proud Canadian. She recently left her life in Canada to start a new adventure with her husband and four young children in London, UK. While embracing her new expat life, she still has trouble driving on the other side of the road and has yet to run into Adele to arrange a play date. Pre-children, Melissa was a magazine writer and editor and wrote for many publications and websites. When not shuttling her children around to different activities, Melissa is loving the travel that living in London offers, with the family having explored Amsterdam, Malta, Greece, the Canary Islands, Paris and Scotland already. She also loves reading anything that has words, Netflix, correcting spelling wherever she sees it, looking at artwork, summers back at the family Ontario cottage, going for long walks and the frequent London rain. This is Melissa’s first book publication, but you can follow Melissa and her brood’s adventures on her new blog.

Jen Robinson, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of teaching English as a second language at Ashford University. She currently lives with her husband and children in the UK. A native of the U.S.A., she enjoys traveling and is thrilled to be a temporary resident of England with dreams of seeing as many countries on that side of the globe as she can. Jen enjoys reading anything and everything, chatting with her children and husband, and learning the intricate nuances of interpersonal communication across the world. You can find Jen on Facebook, LinkedIn, and at Ashford University.

Kimberly grew up in St.Albert, Canada where she obtained her B.Ed from the University of Alberta. After teaching for just over a year, she and her husband decided to move to Calgary, Canada where she continued to work as a teacher. Over time she became very interested in the mental well-being of her students and completed a M.Ed in School Counselling. Kimberly then worked as a school counsellor for four years and had two children before moving to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She left Kuala Lumpur two and a half years later for Madrid, Spain where she currently resides. Since moving to Europe with her family, Kimberly has been working as a substitute teacher, travelling and learning Spanish. This is Kimberly’s second publication.

Catriona began her writing career with angsty adolescent poetry and music reviews for the student newspaper. In her 10 years as a an English teacher she taught angsty adolescents to be better writers.
Now she’s writing fiction, essays, and a memoir inspired by her expat life, and blogging at The Frustrated Nester.
She also recently launched as a freelance copy editor, proofreader and translator – find her services very soon at www.thewordbothy.com

With a lifelong love for helping children and a vision for making a difference in the lives of vulnerable families. Montreal native, Cheryl dreamed of working in African communities. When her Congolese husband got a job offer in Congo in 2004, they hardly hesitated. There was a decade of twists and turns, ups and downs, but finally, in June 2014 Mwana Villages opened its first Mwana Refuge, a holistic orphanage for vulnerable families and children in Congo. Cheryl currently serves as the Director of Operations for the Mwana Refuge and she and her husband Lambert serve on the Board of Directors, overseeing the strategic vision and growth of Mwana Villages.

Lisa Webb has been writing as Canadian Expat Mom for many years, across many continents. She’s the author of the series, The Kids Who Travel the World as well as editor and publisher of the Amazon Bestseller, Once Upon an Expat. Lisa is flexing her editing muscles again as she gathers stories from brave and adventurous women across the globe, publishing her second anthology, Life on the Move. Follow her adventures on Instagram and Facebook.