Welcome to a Slow and Thoughtful Life near İzmir, Türkiye

Details

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  Description

  Hello, my name is Oğuz.
  
  AN industrial designer and student of Architecture living in a small village near the Aegean coast, about an hour from İzmir. My home is behind the beach, surrounded by a Mediterranean garden where I grow seasonal vegetables, make compost and continue learning how to live more simply and more harmoniously with nature.
  
  This is not a business, a farm project or a tourist accommodation.
  
  It is simply my home.
  
  Over the last 20 years I have gradually moved away from a lifestyle centered on earning, consuming and constantly seeking entertainment. Instead, I try to build a life based on simplicity, learning, making things with my own hands (kraftsmenship) and living with as little unnecessary consumption as reasonably possible.
  
  Although I live close to beautiful beaches in what many people consider a holiday destination, I rarely experience life as a holiday. For me, everyday life itself is already meaningful enough.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Art Projects

  Language practice

  Help with Eco Projects

  Teaching

  Light gardening

  Creative DIY projects

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  Hospitality/Tourism

  Light maintenance
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  I do speak English and French. I have been almost any capital of Europe as a culture traveller.
  I think this place is especially suitable for people who enjoy thinking as much as doing.
  
  Academic backgrounds are certainly welcome, particularly in:
  Architecture
  Landscape architecture
  Urban planning
  Philosophy
  Ecology
  Sustainability
  Education
  Anthropology
  Traditional building cultures
  However, curiosity, kindness and openness are much more important than formal education.
  I am especially interested in architecture—not simply as the design of buildings, but as the design of everyday life.
  Much of my own independent research explores how knowledge can become something we live rather than something we merely study.
  
  If this question also interests you, we will probably have many enjoyable conversations.
  
  I don't believe sustainability begins with technology.
  I think it begins with ordinary daily choices:
  How we prepare food.
  How we use water.
  How much we consume. (Not money but amount.)
  How we relate to nature.
  How we build.
  How we learn.
  How we spend our time.
  
  If you would like to explore these questions—not only through conversation, but by sharing everyday life—you will be very welcome here.

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  Help

  Why I host Workawayers
  
  I am not looking for employees.
  Nor am I simply looking for help.
  
  Workaway, for me, is an opportunity to meet people from different cultures and to share everyday life.
  
  The most valuable exchange is not labour for accommodation.
  It is the exchange of ideas, experiences, ways of thinking and ways of living.
  
  I believe that genuine learning happens less in classrooms than in everyday life.
  
  Preparing food together.
  Meditation and Yoga.
  Working in a garden.
  Repairing something.
  Walking. Cycling.
  Swimming. Skindiving.
  Reading.
  Design.
  Thinking.
  Talking.
  Sailing and windsurf (if repairing the boat and the surf will be possible)
  All these ordinary activities can become opportunities for learning.
  
  If, after working in the garden or the house, meaningful conversations over tea or a glass of wine, I consider the exchange successful.
  
  Work is not the opposite of life.
  Nor is it the opposite of leisure.
  Gardening, cooking, repairing, reading, drawing, design, walking, building, thinking and sharing ideas are not tasks to complete before life begins.
  
  They are life.
  
  For this reason, I don't divide my days into work, leisure and consumption very much. I see them as different expressions of the same life.
  
  I have become increasingly interested in Eastern philosophies and ways of understanding our relationship with nature. Ideas from Daoism, Buddhism and other Eastern traditions have influenced how I think about everyday life, simplicity and sustainability.
  
  I do not expect visitors to share these interests, but I always enjoy thoughtful conversations with curious people.
  
  The work is light and depends on the season.
  
  It may include:
  
  watering vegetables
  composting
  harvesting
  light gardening
  small maintenance jobs
  simple DIY projects
  keeping shared spaces tidy
  
  I ask for approximately 3 hours per day, 5 days each week, following the usual Workaway exchange.
  
  I am not looking for professional gardeners or builders.
  
  Curiosity and willingness to participate are much more valuable than experience.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  French: Fluent

  This host offers a language exchange
  This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
  You can contact them directly for more information.
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  Accommodation

  You will have your own private room. Shared bathroom, kitchen and the rest of the house including the garden.
  Unfortunately at the moment I am not able to provide regular meals.
  You are very welcome to use the kitchen and prepare your own food. We may also cook together or share seasonal produce from the garden whenever it is available.
  
  Please make sure this arrangement suits you before applying.
  
  House atmosphere:
  Life here is quiet and simple.
  The house is not a party house.
  Please note:
  There is no television nor radio.
  Illegal drugs are not accepted.
  Loud music is not part of daily life here. Even no music most of the days because nature appears enough.
  Heavy drinking is not suitable for this home.
  If you enjoy wine, sharing a glass with dinner is always welcome.
  Simply the life itself.
  Mutual respect, honesty and consideration matter far more than experience.
  
  About the area:
  The village is near the Aegean Sea, surrounded by nature, forests, beaches, olive groves and traditional villages.
  Although I do never have time for it; ancient sites such as Ephesus and Teos are within reach, and there are many opportunities for walking, swimming and exploring the local landscape.
  
  However, if your main goal is nightlife or a beach holiday, my home is probably not the right place.

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  What else ...

  Ask me for my website address

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Can possibly accept pets

  Cats and dogs are welcome too.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  One

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  My animals / pets

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