Meet the Team — Live Better Abroad by International Living
Get to know the correspondents, editors, and expats sharing their stories from around the world.
At International Living, we have an expansive, trusted network of expats and experts based all around the world. They’re people just like you, folks who’ve made the leap, settled overseas, and are ready to share their real-world know-how so you can follow in their footsteps with more ease and confidence.
They’re the reliable resource you need — not just to get the facts, but to truly understand what those facts mean for your life overseas.
Here’s who you’ll hear from, what they cover, and where you can read more from them.
Our Correspondents
Bart Walters, Thailand Correspondent
Bart has spent 25 years living across Thailand — Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai, and beyond. He’s been a developer, professor, and novelist, and loves sharing the daily reality of Southeast Asia.
Bel Woodhouse, Mexico Correspondent
Bel left the Royal Australian Navy to roam the world in sandals, now based on Cozumel’s Caribbean coast. A lover of writing, photography, and wild adventures, she’s always exploring ruins, jungle rivers, and the ocean’s depths.
Cepee Tabibian, Spain Correspondent
Originally from Texas, Cepee reinvented her life in Spain at 35 and now calls Malaga home. She founded She Hit Refresh to help other women move abroad and wrote a visa guidebook featured in Forbes. When not in Spain, she’s house-swapping around the world.
Chip Stites, Italy Correspondent
After decades as a Certified Financial Planner, Chip and his wife Shonna made their move to Italy in 2017. Now they live la dolce vita near Rieti — enjoying ancient ruins, slow meals, and sharing how to turn a dream retirement into reality.
David Hammond, Uruguay Correspondent
A former boat captain and real estate agent from Washington State, David fell for Uruguay in 2006 and never looked back. He explores Latin America, trades notes with other travelers, and shares what expat life here is really like.
Jane Thompson Hasenmueller, Belize Correspondent
Jane is a former educator, lobbyist, and certified health coach who now splits her time between Placencia’s beaches and France’s cafés. She’s passionate about healthy living at any age and loves sharing what real life looks like along Belize’s laid-back coast.
Jessica Ramesch, Panama Editor
Jess has floated from the Caribbean to Europe but calls Panama’s beaches home. A University of Richmond alum and author of Escape to Panama, she hosted IL’s Panama 101 and loves showing what real life here costs (and why it’s worth it).
Jim Santos, Roving Correspondent
Jim, a writer and voice-over artist, hosted the International Living Podcast and has published 200+ articles about life abroad. He’s lived in Ecuador, updated IL’s Escape to Ecuador, and now samples roving retirement in Europe and beyond.
Keith Hockton, Southeast Asia Correspondent
Keith grew up in Southeast Asia and retired to Malaysia over 15 years ago. He’s a published author, podcast host, and co-founder of Entrepot Publishing, bringing local history, hidden spots, and everyday expat life to his stories.
Rebekah Bottone, Costa Rica Correspondent
Bekah fell for Costa Rica in 1997 and put down roots for good in 2010. Living on the Gold Coast with her twins, she shares the real Pura Vida lifestyle, plus insights on mindset, healing, and building a new life abroad.
Tuula Rampont, France Correspondent
A SoCal native turned Riviera local, Tuula moved to the South of France in 2010. She shares her love for la belle vie through blogging, travel writing, and guides, always showcasing good food, wine, and the little pleasures of French life.
Our Experts
You’ll mostly hear real-life dispatches from our correspondents on the ground, but from time to time, you’ll also hear from these trusted experts who share their insights, strategies, and big-picture guidance to help you live better abroad.
Jennifer Stevens, Executive Editor
Jen has guided IL’s editorial for 25+ years, uncovering places where you can live better for less. She’s traveled through 27 countries, launched IL’s Ultimate Travel Writer’s Program, and once taught English as a Peace Corps Volunteer on an East African island.
Ronan McMahon, Executive Director, Pangea & Editor, Real Estate Trend Alert
Ronan has spent two decades tracking and investing in real estate deals around the world. He owns properties globally and follows unstoppable trends to buy low, sell high, and show readers how to do the same.
Jeff D. Opdyke, Editor, Global Intelligence Letter
A global investor and veteran journalist, Jeff spent 17 years with The Wall Street Journal. He’s visited 77 countries and invested worldwide — now based outside Lisbon, he edits IL’s Global Intelligence Letter and writes daily about building wealth abroad.
Ted Baumann, Chief Global Diversification Expert
Ted is a long-time expat with deep international experience — from earning postgraduate degrees in South Africa to consulting for the UN and World Bank. Today, he helps readers secure their assets, grow wealth, and protect freedom abroad.
Dan Prescher, Senior Editor
Dan, a Nebraska native, sold everything to move to Ecuador for IL in 2001. Since then, he and his wife Suzan have lived across Latin America, bringing practical, lived-in expat perspective to thousands of readers.
Suzan Haskins, Go Overseas Editor
For more than a decade, Suzan has scouted the best “best-of-all-worlds” places to call home for IL readers. Along with Dan, she’s called Mexico, Ecuador, Panama, and Nicaragua home, always looking for that perfect blend of value, adventure, and community.