From: Spain
Individual account
India, Kenya, Tanzania
03/02/2017 - 03/02/2019
245
Travelling
To me, life is about travelling and meeting people from other places, opening doors, sharing experiences and learning new things, and that curiosity has taken me around the world. I've been a community interpreter in London, a translator and journalist in Nicaragua, a clothing designer in Kenya and had a tailoring workshop and shop in Spain, have travelled widely in Central and South America, Africa, Europe and India and intend to go on travelling. I've worked in the voluntary sector, as a self-employed person and for international organisations - I gave up my last job, a permanent post in an international organisation, in 2014, to build a more flexible and creative existence. Before that, I renovated and redesigned my house, with a lot of hands-on work, acquiring some practical building skills in the process. I grow vegetables and am into garden projects, and in 2017 did a permaculture design course in Nepal. Generally, I'm always happiest outdoors, around nature, in wild places and getting my hands into the dirt, experimenting with new ideas and learning new stuff. Always in search of new manual and creative projects. I try to practice a more sustainable way of living, renovating, recycling and repurposing. I believe in sharing, in trust, in discovery, that we need less than we think we do, should use far less than we do and that the key is in quality not quantity, that everything is interconnected and interdependent. I enjoy simplicity. And music, especially live music, is the background to my life - I can't sing or play any instrument, but I can dance for hours. I like yoga, walking, cycling and cooking, especially baking - even if I have to improvise an oven on the cookertop - salads of all types, and trying new food around the world. Put me in a bookshop, a textile shop or a hardware store and I can get lost for hours. I am sociable but also love solitude, and after living in many different cultures and environments, I think I am adaptable! I will say yes to almost any opportunity. If you want to know what other people think about me, look at my profile on couchsurfing: https://www.couchsurfing.com/users/1612069
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Creating/ Cooking family meals
General Maintenance
Life at a Farmstay
Eco Projects
Helping around the house
Animal Care
Hospitality/Tourism
Charity Work
Language practice
Art Projects
Teaching
Language and writing skills, including translation, editing and interpreting. I make clothes and am a trained patterncutter/designer, with good machine sewing skills, which I can also teach. Renovation/revamping interiors and furniture, gardening and agricultural work, light construction work (tiling, bricklaying, painting etc) and general house and garden handy work. I can do creative stuff with paper maché, ceramics, textiles and recycled materials. I redesigned my friends' garden and created my own. Painting and decorating. Soft furnishings (upholstery). Dealing with clients/customers (I used to have my own shop). Baking cakes/pies/flans etc.
English: Fluent
Spanish: Fluent
French: Fluent
Portuguese: Fluent
Swahili (Kiswahili): Beginner
59
British
Smoker
Driver's licence
Allergies
Special dietary requirements
