About Me
“I’m from the Midwest… we were told it’s not polite to talk about yourself.”
~Don Draper, Mad Men….
Actually, I’m David Peluchette, an American who’s spent much of his adult life abroad. I was born and spent most of my childhood in the state of Connecticut, the true Yankee state right in the heart of New England.
Although, I did spend three of my childhood years in the state of New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment (and Breaking Bad).
After graduating from high school, I moved out to Los Angeles, California, where I spent several years going to university, working and experiencing life on my own in the big city.
I began living abroad in the late 1990s, mostly in Europe. Ukraine became home for roughly two decades, both in Donetsk and Kyiv. Later came Georgia (the country, not state) and Albania, with plenty of experiences that seemed considerably funnier once they were over.
So, as you can see I do enjoy traveling, experiencing different cultures and learning new languages.
I also like hiking and going on long walks (did the 550 mile Camino de Santiago, not once but twice!), cooking, eating, reading, writing (duh!), SEO Voodoo and building niche websites with WordPress, but most of all, I like learning new things and meeting interesting people like you.
Publishing and Writing
I’m the publisher behind Expats Planet, where I write about life abroad and the assumptions that travel with us. The publication reaches readers through its website and Substack, alongside an extensive Medium archive.
My stories often feature an unfamiliar restaurant bill or a local custom that makes perfect sense to everyone else in the room. I’ve had plenty of opportunities to be the confused person in that room. Fortunately, it has proved useful professionally.
My earlier work includes contributions to the Kyiv Post, where I also worked as a proofreader. I’ve written commissioned articles about WordPress, as well as publishing across my own websites. Selected Work brings those different parts of my career together.
Running Independent Publications
Publishing has also meant managing WordPress websites and taking responsibility for what appears on them. My experience includes editing, search-focused content, and working with advertising and affiliate monetization, including Mediavine.
That has given me practical experience of publishing as a business. An article can find a large audience, while the publication around it still needs attention. I’ve experienced both sides of that relationship.
English-Language Teaching and Assessment
Before independent publishing became my main focus, I taught English in Ukraine and worked as an oral examiner for IELTS and Cambridge English examinations through the British Council in Kyiv. Those were earlier roles, and remain an important part of my professional experience.
Have a publication or project you’d like to discuss? Send me a message.