David Monk

I'm a freelance writer and photographer based in Taipei, Taiwan. I'm An Expat from Athens, GA, currently living in Taiwan with my wife, enjoying the opportunity to explore the beauty, food, and history of Asia. I also the Taiwan and Hong Kong Regional Membership Coordinator for the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA).

I have a B.S. in Criminal Justice and various Paralegal and Insurance certifications and spent over 12 years in the insurance and rental car industry. I primarily worked in civil litigation/insurance defense for multiple carriers prior to moving abroad.

Leaving behind a stressful career in litigation has finally given me the ability to concentrate on freelance travel writing full-time. To date, I have visited over 40 countries. I enjoy the history, architecture, food, and especially the wine of other countries, all of which have led to some amazing photos and quite a wine collection.

My passion for wine is something she hopes to pursue again professionally at some point. Prior to leaving Athens, GA, I volunteered in the tasting room for Todd Taylor Wines in Clarksburg, California. My goal was to learn as much about winemaking as possible, hoping to produce my own wine one day. Currently, I enrolled in several formal wine education programs with hopes of sitting for the WSET Diploma within the next 2-3 years.

In addition to being the Asian Cuisine Topic Editor and Feature Writer on essayhelpontime, I write for several other publications, including:

• Official Blogger for essay-help.websrvcs.com
• International Travel Examiner, Culinary Travel Examiner, Worldwide Disney Theme Parks Examiner, Islands Travel, and Luxury Hotels for thebalibible.com
• Our Tasty Travels - Culinary travel and passion for wine
• Pooh's Travels - Disney blog devoted to trip reports and travel tips for all the Disney Theme Parks (primary focus is on the international Disneyland resorts)
• Chip & Co - Will be contributing international Disney Parks news and events announcement and trip reports
• Erin has written articles for sites like Starwood Hotels, Got Saga, Destinations Travel Magazine, Yahoo! Movies, Yahoo! News, and CNNGo. She has several published trips on Trazzler and had a number of travel photos featured on CNN International, both online and on TV.

My blog, Essay-Help, was recently named one of the top 50 culinary travel blogs by culinaryartscollege.org, one of the top 10 culinary travel blogs by GoOverseas!, and her travel photography recently won an honorable mention and a spot in the top 25 Readers' Choice Awards for Islands Magazine.

To connect with me online:

Facebook: david.monk.102361