Glynna Prentice

Glynna Prentice

Glynna Prentice, IL's Mexico editor, has always loved travel and life abroad. After touring the U.S. as a child, she took on Europe during college and returned to work as a field archaeologist in England, digging up Vikings, before graduate school. She later worked in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and in Madrid, Spain. After a decade back in New York, she got the travel itch again. For the last 12 years she’s been based in Mexico, most recently in Guanajuato, in the Colonial Highlands. From there, she has covered destinations throughout Latin America and Europe for International Living. Today she divides her time between Mexico and Spain. Glynna holds an AB from Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania, an MS in journalism from Columbia University in New York, and an MBA from the University of Chicago. Google+

A Common Theme Among Expats in Mexico

Daily Postcard
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One of my absolute favorite destinations in the world is Guanajuato, a city in Mexico’s Colonial Highlands. It’s a place where every interest is catered for: Every time I return I throw myself into the wealth of cultural activities it offers: concerts, exhibitions, theater, food festivals, book fairs… Even Guanajuato’s street scene is lively. Walk down to the Jardin (Garden) area any given night, and you’ll see strolling locals and expats, bustling outdoor cafes, student troubadours, and mariachi groups making music, and more.

Valencia: A City on the Mediterranean That You Can Afford

Daily Postcard
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I love Valencia, Spain's third-largest city. Many folks overlook its charms in favor of Madrid, Barcelona, and the Moorish cities of the south. But if I were to choose one location for full- or part-time living in Spain, I think my heart would be set on Valencia. For around $2,000 a month, including rent of a chic, centrally located apartment, I could embrace the arts, stroll the beaches, eat out often (and well), and I would be perfectly placed to explore the rest of Europe, too. Let me explain...

The Best of Coastal Living in Málaga, Spain

Beach Living
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Happily, the best of the “old” Málaga remains, as well. The sun still shines, there are miles of seaside, winter temperatures are balmy (days average 63 F in January), and sea breezes still blow off the Mediterranean, cooling the hot summer days. And Málaga is still cheerful and vibrant, oozing its trademark Andalusian charm. Best of all, it remains a very Spanish city, even in the prime tourist areas. So if you enjoy big-city life with laidback charm and a side of seashore, give Málaga a whirl. You can even get by in English.

Moving to Mexico? Where to Meet Other Expats

Daily Postcard
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When you’re moving to Mexico, it helps to get the scoop on your new home city from expats who live there. They’ve already figured out which plumber is most reliable, which carpenter does the best work, and which market has the best produce and prices. They may also become your first friends in your new home. But where do you find the expats? There are lots of ways to seek them out. For instance, a useful first step is to search online before you ever leave for Mexico.

Listening to Fado, the Soul of Lisbon, Portugal

Culture
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For a second there, I thought he had a crush on me. Then I realized that his entranced gaze was not for me—it was for his guitar and the music he was playing. I was in a fado club deep in the heart of Alfama, Lisbon’s oldest neighborhood. When I was first seated at the small table flanked by two empty chairs, I thought I’d gotten my reservation wrong. Was I only going to get a high-priced dinner? I sat resigned during the first course…a mood that changed to jubilation when the fado musicians walked in, straight to those empty chairs beside me.

Eat Like a Local at Spain’s Best Food Markets

Culture
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I'll admit it: I'm a sucker for traditional food markets. I seek out farmers' markets in the U.S. and traditional food markets when I'm abroad. Belize, Mexico, Peru, Ecuador... I've explored markets in all these countries, thrilled at the colors, the smells, and the variety of wares, many of them exotic local fruits, vegetables, and more. And, of course, I've explored many markets in Spain.

Comfortable, Cultured Living on Spain’s Mediterranean Coast

Culture
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Most North-American tourists to Spain visit Madrid, Barcelona, and perhaps Andalusia’s Moorish Triangle—Seville, Córdoba, and Granada. Relatively few get over to Valencia, the Mediterranean-port city that is Spain’s third-largest metropolis. And that’s a shame. Because Valencia has a lot to offer, as I recently had a chance to discover.

Life Abroad Is Not “for Couples Only”

Daily Postcard
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I’m single. And you wouldn’t believe all the questions I get about living abroad on my own. “How do you do it?” people ask, as though there was some secret formula. And, yes, “What’s the secret?” is another question I get. In part I get so many questions because so many singles are thinking of moving abroad. And to them I have one short, sweet piece of advice: Just do it.