Misfits Abroad began as a series of newspaper columns published in southeast Arizona. Martine Robinson Beachboard has enjoyed a career spanning journalism, public relations, and teaching mass communication. She has been honored by Arizona Press Club, Arizona Press Women, and Penney-Missouri Newspaper Awards competition. She is a certified instructor of English as a Secondary Language. She lived in Europe for twelve years and has visited more than 40 countries. Everywhere she goes, surprising situations work their way into her life and into her writing. Some of her essays are witty or ironic; others are tender or nostalgic.