Melissa

United States
Login to see last activity

Badges (4)

Photos

View all

Give the gift of Workaway

Profile information

Travel information
I am currently
Travelling
Activities i am interested in:
I'm in Peru headed to Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile. I bought a motorcycle in Colombia and my plan is to drive through Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile.
Description
I'm a young professional and artist with an enthusiasm towards sustainability, altruism and fostering meaningful relationships with people. I am happiest when making things better for others and thrive on working towards goals that prompt tangible changes.

I'm an American originally from Miami, Florida and have most recently resided in Denver, Colorado. I work as a freelance photographer and videographer. I consider myself a jack of all trades and I enjoy rewarding work and cultural exchange. In my free time I love to discuss philosophy, go snowboarding, camping, immerse in nature, backpacking, live music, dancing, yoga, scuba diving, surfing, and meeting new people.

I moved to South America in September to learn Spanish. I have a few different experiences I'd like to attain like teaching English, volunteering with eco projects or construction, surfing, diving, and anything photography related (my website is DVLPD.net). As always with traveling, I'm looking to expand my world perspective.
Interests
Videography
Writing
Charity work
Yoga / Wellness
Nature
Hitchhiking
Farming
Culture
Outdoor activities
Sailing / Boating
Camping
DIY & crafts
Languages
Self development
Water sports
Sustainability
Pets
Gardening
Carpentry
Hiking

show more
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: Beginner
More details about my language interests
I want to become fluent in Spanish!
Find a language buddy
Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn
I'm interested in:
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Life at a Farmstay
Languages
Some knowledge of:
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Eco Projects
Animal Care
Able to teach about:
Helping around the house
Hospitality/Tourism
Art Projects
Helping with Computers/ Internet
Teaching
More details about your skills
Photography, Videography, Social Media Marketing, Web Design, Graphic Design, PADI Advanced & Open Water Certified (would like to get my Dive Masters), American Red Cross Lifeguard, CPR, & AED certified. Communication, customer service, and fun-haver!
Age
30
What else ...
Hi! A few of my passions are riding and working on motorcycles, cultural exchange, philosophy and dreaming, scuba diving, traveling, climbing (beginner), anything with water (scuba, swim, snorkel, waterfalls, sailing, boating...), being outside, helping others, photography, and meeting new people.
Some more information
- Smoker
- Driver's licence
- Allergies
  no
- Special dietary requirements
  no

Feedback

25 Apr 2023

Left by host (Help us with our project in ...) for Workawayer (Melissa)

Hola Melissa, esperamos que te encuentres bien en tu viaje en moto, fue un placer conocerte, gracias por tu ayuda aquí en nuestro proyecto, mucha suerte en tu viaje.

(Excellent )

22 Apr 2023

Left by Workawayer (Melissa) for host (Join us at our quaint, sunny ...)

One of my favorite Workaway's to date! I created some imagery of Sol's house and setup online profiles for him in exchange for staying a week in his beautiful & comfortable home. He rented me his surf board and showed me around town before he left.

I got to spend a few days with Sol on both ends of his surf trip and he has such a kind,… read more

(Excellent )

20 Mar 2023

Left by Workawayer (Melissa) for host (Help in a bioconstruction and ...)

Arnold & his family were very kind and hospitable. I was really excited to help contribute to the earth house with mud repairs and also to help with cleaning the dishes. I also took some photos and flew my drone to give them some new content. There was one other workawayer and I really enjoyed working with her. She left after two days and then it… read more

(Very good )

26 Feb 2023

Left by host (Help in a bioconstruction and ...) for Workawayer (Melissa)

Un poco más de una semana compartimos con Melissa y fue una experiencia muy linda. Es una persona muy amable, con buen sentido del humor y cariñosa con los animales.
Nos ayudó con buenas fotos y a realizar la publicidad para un evento que tendremos en nuestro proyecto.
Sabe escuchar y recibir los consejos que se le puedan dar. También, enseñamos… read more

(Excellent )

View all

Friends

Photos

Cerro Azul, ancient paintings from 7000 years ago

Una familia que viven en la escuela de my primavez Workaway <3

Show all photos

Hiking in Utah

My Dyna all loaded up before my ride to Telluride

My brother & I celebrating his birthday. He has inspired me to get onto workaway to find experiences abroad.

Competition photos

Feedback

25 Apr 2023

Left by host (Help us with our project in ...) for Workawayer (Melissa)

Hola Melissa, esperamos que te encuentres bien en tu viaje en moto, fue un placer conocerte, gracias por tu ayuda aquí en nuestro proyecto, mucha suerte en tu viaje.

(Excellent )

22 Apr 2023

Left by Workawayer (Melissa) for host (Join us at our quaint, sunny ...)

(Excellent )

20 Mar 2023

Left by Workawayer (Melissa) for host (Help in a bioconstruction and ...)

(Very good )

26 Feb 2023

Left by host (Help in a bioconstruction and ...) for Workawayer (Melissa)

(Excellent )

6 Dec 2022

Left by host (Bring your good vibes and ...) for Workawayer (Melissa)

Melissa is a very sweet girl, very collaborative and extremely creative, she has a great faculty of communication with the team and friends of the house. Her abilities as a photographer are exceptional, she has great ideas and is extremely creative, always ready for anything, positive and with a very good vibe. Thank you very much Melissa for… read more

(Excellent )

6 Dec 2022

Left by Workawayer (Melissa) for host (Bring your good vibes and ...)

I really enjoyed this WA experience. Thank you Angela and Piers for being so welcoming and kind. From the moment I arrived I felt at ease and welcomed by everyone. I helped out by creating some imagery and drone videos for the company's website and socials and painting signs to label the tents. It was a laidback experience where I could chose when… read more

(Excellent )

31 Oct 2022

Left by host (Learn Spanish and help ...) for Workawayer (Melissa)

Thank you very much for your honest feedback Melissa. We will work on improving and hopefully you will get to see it one day! Cause you will always be welcome.
Kind, beautiful, passionate and amazing to work with. Thats how the team described her. We are all very happy and thankful for the time you used in our project. Students were lucky to… read more

(Excellent )

24 Oct 2022

Left by Workawayer (Melissa) for host (Learn Spanish and help ...)

For my first workaway experience, I really enjoyed volunteer teaching here. On the property is a small hotel, restaurant with delicious food, the language exchange school, and the volunteer living space. The property is lovely with a pool, hammocks, and an outdoor kitchen for volunteer use. There's a lovely family that live and work for the… read more school, Jenny and Hernando and their two kids. They primarily speak Spanish and are very friendly and helpful so great to practice your Spanish with. Also Diego, a handy man and electrician, and his kids are frequently at the school. They are such a lovely family as well and are happy to chat with you in Spanish. There is a laundry service every Friday which is a nice amenity. Jhonny is the young man that is doing an amazing job at managing the restaurant, hotel and school. He really cares about the volunteers and keeping the project afloat.

The teaching schedule is Monday, Wednesday, and Friday giving you a lot of time to explore Acacias or work nomadically. There isn't a lot of structure in terms of activities outside of your teaching requirements so I think this Workaway is for someone that enjoys a lot of freedom. There is a teaching curriculum however, you'll need to lesson plan to enrich the curriculum and connect with your students. I spent about an hour or two on teaching days creating my lesson plans and I had two classes each 1.5 hours long, one at 4pm and another at 7pm. My first class had 8 students between the ages of 11-21 and my second class was 5 students, all adults. All of the students are learning English as an extra-curricular so most are eager to learn although some in my younger class seemed tired, understandably, after being at "normal" school all day. My older class was really kind, welcoming, fun and grateful to be learning English from me.

The only reason I didn't give this Workaway 5 stars is because the Spanish classes offered to the volunteers were sub-par in my opinion. They were taught by 3 local teenage volunteers who didn't seem to follow a curriculum or put as much effort into preparing as I would have for my English classes. Having three different teachers, once a week wasn't helpful to learning. I understand they're volunteering and are also University students and have real jobs as well so they may not have the time to lesson plan (teaching isn't effortless!!). I paid about $100USD towards Spanish classes and this supposedly goes to sponsoring some of our local students who are learning English from the volunteers. However, I'd rather pay additionally or separately for more educational Spanish classes with stronger English speakers who can explain what they're teaching. Jhonny is a really great Spanish teacher and I'd be more satisfied to have taken lessons from him throughout my stay although he has a ton going on himself.

All-in-all, I made some amazing friends, connected with and inspired my students, and enjoyed the local natural attractions like rafting, Cerro Azul, and hiking at Canos Negroes waterfall. The people that live and work there are all very friendly, kind, helpful, and fun to be around. If you're seeking a more laid-back teaching volunteer experience connecting with the other volunteers and locals, this is the spot for you.

(Very good )

To leave feedback make sure you are logged in & your account is online