How much do you really know about your neighbor - and what he or she does for a living? Readers of this week's Northern Express - The Ticker's sister publication - might be surprised to discover that northern Michigan is home to a growing number of retired and active foreign service pros, including diplomats, ambassadors and even CIA operatives.

Reporter Patrick Sullivan tracked down these fascinating community members to learn more about their colorful careers. U.S. Ambassador to Oman Greta C. Holtz talks about splitting her time between the Middle East and Old Mission Peninsula, which she calls "the most beautiful place on Earth." Married couple Jack Segal and Karen Puschel - who met at the U.S. State Department and went on to help negotiate nuclear nonproliferation during the Cold War and establish an American consulate in Yekaterina, Russia - now co-chair Traverse City's International Affairs Forum (IAF). Ted Curran, a former management officer at the State Department, also made a valuable contribution to the area with his wife, Marcia, when they helped establish the Michigan Land Use Institute.

Gordon Evans - another former high-ranking State Department official who helped launch the IAF in 1994 shortly after retiring to Interlochen with his wife Barbara - spent decades working in foreign aid around the globe, including in Pakistan, Ghana, Nigeria and India. Dearborn native and Deputy General Counsel for NOAA Jay Johnson, meanwhile, ended up in northern Michigan after passing the "summer cabin test" with his wife's family. They've been permanent residents now since 2005. More about all of these individuals' compelling stories can be found in this week's cover story, The Diplomat Next Door.

This week's Northern Express also includes an in-depth guide to downstate holiday shows and performances worth making a trip for this season, profiles of Interlochen's Hofbrau restaurant and the upcoming Great Macaroni and Cheese Bake-Off event on Old Mission Peninsula, a feature story on unique and creative community fundraisers – and much more! Check out the Northern Express online, or pick up a free copy at one of more than 600 distribution spots across 13 counties. And, stay connected throughout the week on Facebook.