Episode 16: Mark Saunders Talks About Living in Mexico and That Wall

Ever thought about chucking it all and moving far away, to a new city, a new state, or even a new country? Mark Saunders and his wife, Arlene, did just that. After many years working in the tech industry in Portland, Oregon, they made the decision to move to Mexico. They put their home on the market, packed up their aging Audi, and headed south, way south to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Mark wrote about their adventure in his funny and very touching book, Nobody Knows the Spanish I Speak. We’re hearing a lot about Mexico these days, mostly from Americans who may have vacationed there, but never actually lived there. Mark and Arlene spent more than 10 years south of the border. They are now back in Oregon, having returned to be near Mark’s aging father. But they still have friends in Mexico, and get back occasionally to visit and reconnect. Mark talks with Woman Around Town’s Editor Charlene Giannetti about being part of the expat community in Mexico, connecting with the locals, and how everyone there really feels about that wall.  

About Charlene Giannetti (690 Articles)
Charlene Giannetti, editor of Woman Around Town, is the recipient of seven awards from the New York Press Club for articles that have appeared on the website. A graduate of Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Charlene began her career working for a newspaper in Pennsylvania, then wrote for several publications in Washington covering environment and energy policy. In New York, she was an editor at Business Week magazine and her articles have appeared in many newspapers and magazines. She is the author of 13 non-fiction books, eight for parents of young adolescents written with Margaret Sagarese, including "The Roller-Coaster Years," "Cliques," and "Boy Crazy." She and Margaret have been keynote speakers at many events and have appeared on the Today Show, CBS Morning, FOX News, CNN, MSNBC, NPR, and many others. Her last book, "The Plantations of Virginia," written with Jai Williams, was published by Globe Pequot Press in February, 2017. Her podcast, WAT-CAST, interviewing men and women making news, is available on Soundcloud and on iTunes. She is one of the producers for the film "Life After You," focusing on the opioid/heroin crisis that had its premiere at WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival, where it won two awards. The film is now available to view on Amazon Prime, YouTube, and other services. Charlene and her husband live in Manhattan.