Who We Are

About Talesmag

Who We Are: Tales from a Small Planet, Inc. (Tales) is a 501(c)(3) organization with a volunteer Board and a small team of volunteer editors and social media and marketing specialists. Most of our volunteers are part of the U.S. Foreign Service community.

What We Do: Tales collects and publishes honest, unbiased information, in the form of post reports, school reports, and personal essays from volunteer contributors, about "what it's really like to live there" in hundreds of cities and countries around the world.

By honestly sharing both the joys and challenges of living in another culture, we help others around the world choose a new post, know what to expect, prepare wisely, and -- perhaps most importantly -- know that they aren’t alone when they find themselves struggling to adapt. Our aim is to support international workers and family members as they prepare for and live in a country abroad.

How We Are Unique: Unlike some other sites aimed at expats, Tales receives no support from real estate companies or organizations with an interest in convincing readers to choose a particular place to live. Our team is firmly committed to sharing honest information, both positive and negative, on a wide range of aspects, such as the treatment of LGBT expats, the availability of special-needs services at local schools, and the unique opportunities that can make a difficult posting worthwhile.

“Expats” are often stereotyped as living privileged lives, and that is certainly true in some cases. However, Tales also covers war zones and hardship posts, ranging from Haiti to Iraq, Afghanistan and even to Antarctic research bases. The information we share helps workers, volunteers, and family members make informed choices about where to serve and how to prepare. This reduces the risk of broken assignments and premature departures, which can lead not only to significant financial costs but also to personal costs such as depression and family breakup.

How You Can Engage: Tales is a user-generated site! That means we are only as fantastic as the content we receive from our fabulous users! Opportunities for engagement include:

• Submit Real Post Reports
• Submit Real School Reports
• Submit Tales from Around the World
• Sign -Up for Our Bi-Weekly Newsletter
• Follow us on Facebook
• Follow us on Instagram
• Follow us on Twitter

We also greatly appreciate both content and monetary contributions from our readers. We hope to continue expanding our reach to many more international employees, volunteers and family members, who will share their diverse viewpoints with us and use our city reports, school reviews and personal essays to make good decisions, avoid personal and professional disasters, and serve more effectively in our interconnected, globalized world.