I started out as a freelance translator from Switzerland, specializing in Italian-English translations (Italian is one of the official Swiss languages, in case you were wondering). 
I have been translating ever since I can remember. In high school I started translating documents here and there for extra money, which continued throughout college and grad school. It took me two jobs (and a Master's degree) to realize that, since translation was always my go-to for extra money, it probably made sense to try making a career out of it. This made even more sense when I realized that most, if not all, of my work could be performed over the web, so I could have a web-based job without knowing how to work on websites.
I spent the last 2 years in Taiwan (and the one before that in Shanghai) and my clients are in the United States, Europe, and China. Freelance translation has allowed me to earn a living while traveling around East Asia.
I am now in the US and I have set up a Freelance Translation Agency, Lugano Translations, run entirely with Freelancers. 
My expertise is in Freelancing, from both the perspective of the "hirer" as well as the "hiree". I also obviously have a passion for languages, both for work and just for pleasure.