ExpatExchange got some ink from the New York Times on Wednesday, in an article about Making a Move Abroad, and Working There, Too:

This is a great article, as it covers a trend that is unlikely to change: people will need to work later into life. I think those that are able are likely to find a way to enjoy it, too – if you don’t have a choice, why let it ruin your life? Retiring abroad is adventurous and offers great opportunities – international experiences – that can’t be had at home. It won’t always be fun and games, but what is? So many people don’t have a choice, or they want to move overseas, and they are finding fun, rewarding lives abroad.

Italy’s talent is once again moving abroad, according to a recent article on Yahoo!. These expats have turned to other nations to find a better environment for their respective industries:

Wow! Did someone just call California pro-business? Hopefully he means the environment among fellow entrepreneurs, because he sure can’t mean the tax environment. Wonder how the taxes in Italy compare to the taxes in California? Are the taxes in Italy so repressive that they’re more business friendly than California?

An expat couple in Seoul, South Korea, teachers both, found their way into the world of entrepreneurship… and in more ways than one. This has to rank as one of my favorite expat stories. You start off as a teacher in a new country, and then…

Style and fresh-brewed beer for expats… what could be better? There is an accompanying video that is one in a series that focuses on the lives of expats.

Here is a recent Expat Dream vs. Reality Report from Italy. The implicatioin of how a visa can impact the future of an expatriate can be vastly underestimated, as this insightful report describes:

What is the name of the city or town that you are reporting on?

Cingoli, Italy

Describe how you “dreamed” expat life would be before you moved overseas. Please provide as much detail as possible.

I dreamed of living in Italy for many years, running my own B&B. I dreamed of sitting around a large table with many friends and neighbors, eating wonderful Italian dishes. I dreamed of exploring the countryside, other towns, even other countries nearby.

How has your expat experience met the expectations you dreamed about before you moved abroad?

Almost everything I dreamed of came to fruition, with one important exception. I lived on the side of a mountain, overlooking the Le Marche valley all the way to the Adriatic Sea. I sat for hours at friends’ dinner tables, talking endlessly.

How has your expat experience NOT met the expectations you dreamed about before you moved abroad?

The only problem, and it was a big one, was our visas. We needed work visas to open a B&B, and the consulate in the U.S. told us it would be no problem to convert our visas into work visas. But when we had the renovation completed, we were not allowed to convert the visa. We were told to go back to the U.S. and start the visa process anew. We were not willing to spend another year just doing that, so we sold the property, got a good price and now we are in Mexico, just weeks from opening our B&B. (Love it here, too.) No one asked for my advice, but if they did I would tell them to just let life in a foreign country take you where it should. Let the little things, such as visa problems, or standing in line at government offices for hours, roll off your back.

Take the time to fill out our Dream vs. Reality Report. Other people who are thinking of moving across the globe need to know what your journey is like!

Expats have a lot of reasons for moving overseas. For some, there could be no better reason than their love of beer. Not about drinking it, but making it. A recent article Coloradoan.com highlights the fact that some wannabe craft brewers are hopping the pond to places like Scotland to learn the brewing trade:

In the article, it was interesting to read about the number of breweries gearing up to open over the course of the next few years. How many expats or former expats will be a part of those operations? Something tells me it will be a significant percentage!

It appears that people who want or have to live abroad are still looking to India as an adoptive country, as is described in this NYTimes.com article Expats Flock to India Seeking Jobs, Excitement:

Mr. Mehwald is part of a growing number of expats flocking to India in the last few years eager to tap into the opportunities the country has to offer, witness its rich transformation and sample a way of life often very different from their native countries. Foreigners, of course, have flocked to India for centuries, as colonizers, missionaries, volunteers and escapees from persecution in other countries. This new wave is made up mostly of well-educated migrants from wealthier, more developed countries, leaving behind slow economies in search of job prospects and opportunities they can’t find at home.

As described in the article, the large number of people that want to move there has resulted in tighter regulations for those seeking an employment visa.

It has taken decades for the country to reach the point where it is today. While foreign employment used to be frowned upon, the liberalization of such policies have enabled the kind of economic environment that sounds quite similar to what Western democracies have enjoyed for a long time. What is reported even sounds like “the boom” of late 90′s:

“There’s really been a sense of limitless horizons. There’s very little to restrain you. People’s ambitions are set very high and rightly so,” said Rodrigo Davies, 29, who moved to Mumbai two years ago to work as GQ’s online editor after seven years as a journalist in London.

“In terms of opportunities, London is always innovating. But the number of businesses, publications opening there is a fraction of what’s opening here. A lot of companies here are going digital straight away.”

It will be interesting to see how India can capitalize of the wealth of IT talent they have created over the course of the last decade.

Expat women and the entrepreneurial spirit. What goes better together? Whether they are young ladies looking for something fun and exciting, or an expat spouse looking for something to do, it just makes sense.

Four expat women in Shanghai, foodies all, came to the same conclusion and were recently profiled in an article on WSJ.com.

She’s one of four expat foodies behind Pantry — a tiny storefront off West Nanjing Road, one of Shanghai’s busiest shopping streets. The shop is bringing hard-to-find treats to homesick Westerners and, they hope, a new audience of Chinese eaters. All of them discovered an entrepreneurial bent once they arrived in Shanghai.

“Baking isn’t my passion. Cookies are,” said Lexie Comstock, a 23-year-old American who sells chocolate-chip, oatmeal-raisin and other varieties from her shop, Strictly Cookies. “I think they are the absolute best dessert and should be part of everyone’s life.”

She arrived in Shanghai in August 2010 and opened the store two months later. “In America,” she said, “people are realistic, yes, but also pessimistic. Here, we have a more reckless attitude.”

Hats off to these expat ladies for personifying entrepreneurial drive and showing real grit in a foreign land. Entrepreneurs are known for throwing caution to the wind and taking substantial risks to realize their dreams, but doing what they’ve done in Shanghai is a great story. They deserve all the publicity they get!