Like most writers, reading has been a passion of mine since I was a child. As a kid, inhaled books, often reading five or more at a time. By the end of the week when it was time to return to the library, I looked forward to stepping through those double doors the way most kids looked dreamed of finding presents under the Christmas tree. I loved everything I read, but most of all, I enjoyed delving head first into fantasy and adventure tales. My passion was so intense that at age 5 I got a head start on my writing career and crafted my first story. It wasn’t a particularly complex, but in many ways, it mirrored the person I would later become. The protagonist was a princess who had lost her beloved treasure. Determined to get it back, she went on a mission around the world searching for it. Back in the real world, as I journeyed through school, I put my literary dreams on hold. Instead, I turned my energy into helping other children who struggled with loving reading in the same way that I did. And in undergrad, I began working as a literacy coach at a local charter school. And though I loved the position I was in, I still felt as if something was missing. So, after I finished my degree, I transitioned into an EFL teacher and took off to search for my missing treasure abroad. That was three years ago. My journey began in Spain where I lived as an expat for 2.5 years. I then headed to Portugal. Next month, I will continue my quest into Turkey and beyond. During my time in Europe, I have found that life as an expatriate has put me in the privileged position of being both expert and novice. As is such, I find it easy to relate to my students because I understand concretely how it feels to be unable to communicate fluently. Concurrently, my time abroad has also provided me with ample writing material. In 2016, I channeled my energy into a position as a contributing writer for the now-defunct online expat collective expatpost.co. Two years later, I decided to take that work and expand it. Thus, my travel website travelingstrange.com was born. If you are curious about my skill set and want examples of what I can bring to your project, that is a good place to start. Also feel free to reference my portfolio candacefykeswrites.com to see examples of freelance projects that I have completed. Over time I’ve been fortunate to enhance my skills both as a writer and a teacher. As an EFL teacher, I have learned the importance of articulating myself as clearly and concisely as possible. Furthermore, as a teacher, the most vital aspect of my job is maintaining an advanced level of expertise in English grammar. In my profession, I do not have the luxury of relying on perceived knowledge. I must know all the grammatical rules thoroughly in order to effectively teach them. This, in turn, makes me more conscious and conscientiousness of my technique as a writer. In the end, each skillset and experience has expanded upon and sharpened the other—lea