Alice

United Kingdom
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Profile information

Travel information
I am currently
At home
My next destination:
Kenya - from Nov 2024 until Dec 2024
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Description
Hi, I'm Alice, 27, and I'm from the UK. I've come to the realisation that life is too short not to do the things you love, and what I love is to travel. I did a few Workaways when I was younger, and really enjoyed them, so looking for some more opportunities now that I've decided to take some time away from work in order to see some of the world.

I love all animals (especially horses) and consider myself a competent horse rider. After two years working on a yard in all-weathers, and an upcoming summer working at a trekking centre, I definitely consider myself very hardworking, hardy, and up for any challenge. I'm chatty, friendly, and always willing to get stuck into any task.

I also have experience working in the travel industry as a social media and marketing manager for a gap year volunteering and adventure company. I'm happy to use these skills on my travels, as well as my skills in operations and critical thinking. Really I'm happy to have a go at anything! I'm always ready to roll my sleeves up and get stuck in.

I've had some amazing experiences through Workaway and hope to take this next year or so to see new parts of the world, experience some new things, and meet lots of new people!
Interests
Hiking
Writing
Outdoor activities
Music
Nature
Events & social
Dancing
Blogging
Culture
Architecture
Beach
Cooking & food
Charity work
Books
Animals
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn
I'm interested in:
Gardening
Eco Projects
Charity Work
Some knowledge of:
General Maintenance
Life at a Farmstay
Helping around the house
Animal Care
Hospitality/Tourism
Teaching
Able to teach about:
Helping with Computers/ Internet
More details about your skills
I consider myself competent and confident handling horses, having worked on a busy yard of over 50 horses for over two years. I've taken my BHS Stage 1 exam, and was set to take my Stage 2 flat and care, but due to Covid was unable to. I am very confident with managing horses, and maintaining high levels of horse welfare, everything from 2* event horses to lead-rein Shetland ponies!
I've got a job lined up this summer as a trekking guide at a trekking centre in Wales, so will soon also have experience leading out groups of riders, and looking after customers, as well of course as a refresh of all of those horsey skills that might be a little rusty after two years working in an office.

I've spent the last two years of my working life in marketing and social media management for gap year travel company, so could happily help with writing copy for blog posts/websites/Instagram. If you would like to establish a presence on social media, that's something I could give you a hand with. It's also given me a greater understanding of challenges facing community-led/volunteer projects.

I'm certainly a people person, and would be confident with a customer-facing role, but I mostly just love meeting new people!
I'm willing to give anything a go, even if it's not something I've previously done. I love to learn new skills and hope to learn lots as I travel. I'm incredibly hardworking and have turned my hand to lots of different skills in the past!
Age
27
Some more information
- Smoker
- Driver's licence
- Allergies
  No
- Special dietary requirements
  No fish

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4 Oct 2018

Left by Workawayer (Alice) for host (Come live and experience ...)

I had just the most amazing time with the family during my stay. From the minute I arrived I felt so welcome, and immediately included in all parts of family life. Throughout my stay I was treated to Lilly’s incredible baking and Bryan’s homemade pizzas which I will definitely miss!
I was quickly introduced to the other workaways in the area, and… read more

(Excellent )

26 Jul 2018

Left by Workawayer (Alice) for host (Live the day to day of a ...)

My month-long stay with Sofia and Enrique was generally good and overall I did enjoy the experience, however there were some areas that fell short.
They very kindly came and picked me up from the airport which I really appreciated. As Sofia says, their house resembles a hostel, so myself and Yvet, the other workawayer, were in a separate building… read more right next to Sofia and Enrique. The accommodation was good, Yvet and I had our own rooms, and shared a bathroom and a small kitchen. The village itself is really tiny, but it has a swimming pool with Yvet and I made use of nearly every day, and a bar which is nice for getting a drink or ice-cream.

The work itself was great and I really enjoyed it. The horses are all wonderful, really calm and well-behaved. They're obviously very loved and well looked after and working with them was a joy. I was thrilled to be able to work with a young horse to break her in, definitely one of the highlights of the trip. The stables is really nice and well-maintained, with lots of facilities, and friendly cats, dogs, chickens, and a goat. If you’ve worked with horses before then you’ll understand the kind of work you’ll be doing. Sometimes it’s hard work and you have to be able to use your own initiative to see what needs doing and get it done. Whilst I was there they ran a summer camp for children in the mornings and I enjoyed helping the kids with their English and getting to know them. Because of the heat we finished working at between 12-1, at which point we’d go back for lunch and then Yvet and I would go to the pool in the afternoons. In the evenings when it was cooler we’d go back to the yard and ride. The riding was good and I'm grateful we had the opportunity to do it every day, however I would say that we were left to our own devices (no lessons or pointers from Sofia) so if you weren’t a confident rider or were a beginner then maybe you would struggle a bit.

Enrique and Sofia were happy to drop us off in nearby villages and to take us to Ejea and the bus station there. Whilst there, Yvet and I caught the bus to Zaragoza which was wonderful, the city is beautiful, with not many tourists so hotels are very cheap. I also travelled to Pamplona which is a further three hour coach trip after the hour from Ejea to Zaragoza, so a bit of a way but very easy and doable. Sofia was very good about letting me fit in travelling with working which I was very appreciative of.
You definitely have to be able to entertain yourself as you have a lot of free time, and the WIFI in the building we were in was extremely poor, if you wanted internet you had to sit outside or in their kitchen. I think maybe you’d enjoy it more if you went out with another person, as on your own it does get a bit lonely in the afternoons and evenings, plus you’d have someone to explore the local area with.

Now the less positive side. I found Sofia sometimes very abrupt; although I do not expect constant praise for my work, a please and thank you would have been nice once in a while, as well as some feedback about if I was doing a good job or not. I found conversations were often very one-sided, with me asking lots of questions and only getting short replies in answer. I did not feel she was particularly interested in getting to know me or any form of cultural exchange. If Yvet had not been there for most of my stay I think I would have been very lonely and probably would not have stayed the full month. Enrique seems like a kind and gentle soul, although he doesn’t speak any English so communication was difficult. Because of this I feel like maybe you'd get more out of a trip here if you had at least a basic grasp of Spanish (it would also mean you could chat to the very friendly locals).
Communication in general was pretty poor. For example, towards the end of my stay Sofia left and said she wouldn’t be back before I left. This in itself wasn’t the issue, it was that she told me about the fact she was leaving the night before she went. There were also other times when she’d be out late or not come back at all but wouldn’t let us know that she wouldn’t be able to cook for us that night or that we’d be eating very late (even by Spanish standards).

Overall I did enjoy my stay, I loved working with the horses and met lots of great people and visited some lovely places. However, there were a few things that I think could be improved upon.

(Good )

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