Ava

United States
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Reply rate
100.0 %
Travel information
I am currently
Travelling
My next destination:
Peru - from May 2026 until Jun 2026
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Description
*I already have jobs in Ecuador and Colombia in June and July, not available for anything until August, graciasss*

Hello there, my name is Ava. I'm 32, from upstate NY USA and have been solo traveling the world using WorkAway since January 2023.

I’m a hard worker with flexible expectations when visiting new places. The main thing I love about work exchange is getting to step into someone else’s world for a bit and learn their way of life, exchange ideas, learn about different cultures etc :) so I try to stay relaxed enough to be open to all different experiences.

In my time off I also like to be fairly easy going, happy to relax somewhere with a book or take a hike/go out to see some local sights - absolutely ALWAYS happy to sample local food and drink or cook a meal together.
Interests
Photography
Nature
History
Gardening
Architecture
Farming
Writing
Sustainability
Self development
Performing arts
Plant care
Music
Movies & TV
Fashion or beauty
Events & social
Drawing & painting
DIY & crafts
Culture
Books
Cooking & food
Beach
Art & design
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: Beginner
French: Beginner
More details about my language interests
Happy to help folks practice English as it’s my first language!
Find a language partner
Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn
I'm interested in:
Creative DIY projects
Animal Care
Teaching
Some knowledge of:
Art Projects
Eco Projects
Light gardening
Light maintenance
Being an elderly companion
Life at a Farmstay
Able to teach about:
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Helping around the house
Hospitality/Tourism
House & pet sitting
More details about your skills
I'm a food service professional with 16 years of restaurant experience - both working as a cook/baker and also as a waitress and manager.

In 2023 I traveled for one year - in the beginning I volunteered as a tour guide in Vietnam and Thailand, I was told many times by guests that my tour was the best they had on their whole vacation. I love this type of tourism work, learning new information and getting to tailor how to share it with guests. Later I helped on two homesteads in Spain doing some gardening, animal care and preparation of meals and have been told my energy is very easy and light to have around. In the summer I ran the kitchen of a hotel in Bavaria Germany and managed their biergarten grill for the season. This included all food ordering, management of staff, recipe development, daily operations and food preparation. My final destination that year was Morocco, where I volunteered three different places doing various help around the home, cooking and housekeeping in a small hotel. So in summary: I have a bit of experience in many types of jobs in many places thanks to this site! These experiences have helped shape me as a very adaptable, thoughtful and self aware volunteer.

I’m reliable and detail oriented, as well as a reasonably quick learner and problem solver. I get along well with most people I meet.
Age
32
Some more information
- Smoker
- Driver's licence
- Allergies
  No
- Special dietary requirements
  No

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19 Apr 2026

Left by host (Help at our family place in ...) for Workawayer ()

Ava was a blessing to have with us for a month. She's proactive and has a multitude of talents. She has people skills.The fact that she speaks Spanish is a big plus. Ava is eager to help and gets along with everyone.
Learning about Chilean wine was one of her objectives completed.
You are missed

(Excellent )

19 Apr 2026

Left by Workawayer () for host (Help at our family place in ...)

I lived and worked in Santa Cruz for six weeks in February 2026 and my goodness, I've done eleven volunteer jobs and this was easily a favorite! The area is so beautiful and fun (and full of delicious wine of course) and as mentioned in many other reviews - Janine is an exceptionally caring and generous host. The team at the restaurant are also… read more

(Excellent )

10 Feb 2026

Left by Workawayer () for host (House sitting during Chilean ...)

I spent 6 weeks in Santa Bárbara starting in December 2025, the place felt like an absolute home to me and I was lucky to have found it! Tommy and Lotta were such generous and warm hosts from the beginning, even inviting me to spend Christmas with their family. They are truly wonderful, open minded people living a lifestyle that’s interesting to… read more learn about - splitting their time between two very different countries, owning a small business, working remotely…they have a lot on their plates but they seem to really enjoy it and those are the people I’m always looking to get to know in my travels :) people living authentically who want to share their experience!

As far as the work, it’s quite a relaxed structure which I think could be challenging for those new to volunteering or not very self motivated but I overall enjoyed creating my own structure and there are always a variety of things to help with around the campground. Tommy and Lotta are also always trying to give you tasks you will enjoy, which is so nice. One of Tommy’s favorite phrases is “no plan, no stress” which was challenging sometimes with my sort of type A personality but as I think my friend Laura also said in her review, his laid back positive attitude is infectious and I learned a lot about going with the flow from him. I spent most of my time working in their food bus - serving breakfasts and completos to guests and helping campers with questions or small requests. This was really pleasant because the campers who come there also feel the positive vibe of the place and many come to stay just one night and end up there for a week, I was happy to meet a lot of cool tourists of Patagonia as part of the experience too.

If it calls to you I totally recommend a stay in Santa Barbara and thank you for an amazing six weeks, guys! So many sweet memories; eating huge chunks of watermelon together, seeing dolphins so regularly it became normal - then also up super close on a nature boat, all the beautiful treks, sunsets on the beach, many conversations with Tommy about how to solve the world’s problems over our morning cappuccinos, many delicious pieces of Lotta’s küchen and exchanging baking tricks/recipes, games of Carcassone and Black Peter with Bruno and the gang, watching the neighbor’s flock of sheep navigate the campground in the morning and at night, the start of hosting guests in the glamping tent, Tommy and Lotta’s wonderful local friends, all the barbecues and oxtail soups and cold beers…. Muchísimas gracias por todo!! Vielen Dank!

Wishing you guys all the best for high season! :) Until we meet again...

proudly Lotta's stunt double,

Ava

(Excellent )

6 Feb 2026

Left by host (House sitting during Chilean ...) for Workawayer ()

Ava was amazing!!! We already miss her. She became part of our family and we really enjoyed having her with us. She is really a Pro in the kitchen, which made me leave her in charge of my kitchen(which I never do:-) ) She made wonderful food and sweet treats for us and started a new sour dough which we´ve been wanted to do for years. Also she was… read more

(Excellent )

21 Feb 2024

Left by host (Restore the oasis and ...) for Workawayer ()

It was a great pleasure for us to host Ava in our home & project :) She has been a very happy, sweet, caring and pro active part of the project. Ava helped us with garden work and a lot of work inside the house, and she took a lot of initiative in organising / cleaning several spaces in the project - her organising skills are pro. We enjoyed the… read more

(Excellent )

2 Jan 2024

Left by Workawayer () for host (Restore the oasis and ...)

I stayed at Linde & Said's for ten days in December 2023.

Linde connected me with another volunteer, Lenka, who was set to arrive a similar date to me. I have to say "shokran" for that specifically because Lenka and I ended up traveling to two other jobs together from there! :)

I can confirm a lot of what the existing reviews state: Linde and… read more

(Excellent )

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19 Apr 2026

Left by host (Help at our family place in ...) for Workawayer ()

(Excellent)

19 Apr 2026

Left by Workawayer () for host (Help at our family place in ...)

(Excellent)

10 Feb 2026

Left by Workawayer () for host (House sitting during Chilean ...)

(Excellent)

6 Feb 2026

Left by host (House sitting during Chilean ...) for Workawayer ()

(Excellent)

21 Feb 2024

Left by host (Restore the oasis and ...) for Workawayer ()

(Excellent)

2 Jan 2024

Left by Workawayer () for host (Restore the oasis and ...)

(Excellent)

1 Feb 2024

Left by host for Workawayer ()

Meeting Ava through Workaway in Agadir was an absolute delight! She's not just knowledgeable and smart, but her enthusiasm, constant smile, and boundless energy made our evening together truly amazing!! Ava is genuinely attentive, a good listener, and a joy to be around, instantly making a lasting impression. Our meetup was both informative and… read more

(Excellent)

30 Jan 2024

Left by Workawayer () for host (Welcome to my family house ...)

I got together with Abdell for coffee while staying with another Work Away host in Agadir and he is just the most pleasant and enthusiastic guy you could hope to meet! Knowledgeable and loves exchanging information and experiences, he's a total pleasure to chat with and is so happy to share recommendations and make new connections. Only negative… read more

(Excellent)

30 Jan 2024

Left by Workawayer () for host (Experience living in a guest ...)

I worked at Ahmed's place for just seven days in January 2023. Though it was a short stay, my shortest ever through WA, Ahmed's place and its' guests definitely left a lasting impression on me.

Ahmed is overall a really pleasant and honest guy and you do get sort of the cozy feeling that it's a "moroccan family house" with his mother cooking… read more

(Excellent)

22 Jan 2024

Left by Workawayer () for host (Help us by renovating the ...)

I stayed at Hamza and Mounaim's for close to a month in December 2023 and I have to say, I think that house in Tagounite will always feel like a home to me!

As some other reviews have mentioned, the work was not rigorous at the time of my visit. It mostly just involved helping to keep the house running and our big family of volunteers fed as well… read more

(Excellent)

10 Jan 2024

Left by host (Cultural experience at our ...) for Workawayer ()

Ava has been working at hour hotel and restaurant this past summer. Over the 4 months, she has taken responsibilty of the beergarden food and kitchen ordering. She has very high standards to herself. Her work ethic is great and she is a great team player. If you will work with Ava, you are sure to have won a very dedicated and hard working woman!… read more

(Excellent)

5 Dec 2023

Left by Workawayer () for host (Cultural experience at our ...)

I joined the team for the summer 2023 season with no particular expectations. I was just looking for a job but I can genuinely say I left there with a whole family of co-workers that I wouldn’t trade for anything.

Lily and Lucas are a really funny, hardworking and dynamic couple. They have high standards for their work and definitely expect the… read more

(Excellent)

16 Jun 2023

Left by Workawayer () for host (Help with our vegetable ...)

I can only review Meike as a host, as Paul was away at my time of visit, but if they are partners I’m sure he’s a lovely person because staying with Meike and her sweet dog Tabba was an absolute pleasure!

I truly admire all of the hard work they have put in to create their finca, it was a perfect little oasis for me when I needed somewhere to… read more

(Excellent)

16 Jun 2023

Left by host (Help with our vegetable ...) for Workawayer ()

Ava war meine erste workawayerin. Hätte ich vorher mir eine Wunschperson vorgestellt, Ava wäre dabei heraus gekommen! Sie erfasst die Dinge so schnell, dass Sie innerhalb kürzester Zeit eine selbstständige Hilfe ist. Sie ist ein interressante, humorvolle und offene Person und nebenbei eine exellente Köchin. Sie wird ein Gewinn für jeden Host sein… read more

(Excellent)

4 Jun 2023

Left by Workawayer () for host (Come and join our homestead ...)

In their profile Tom and Cecile state "we aim to create a quiet and open environment for people to feel respected in, to learn and to explore." I could not have found this more true in my 5 week stay with them!

I didn't realize when I arrived here (after several months of travel and two other work exchange jobs) how badly I needed a place to feel… read more

(Excellent)

31 May 2023

Left by host (Come and join our homestead ...) for Workawayer ()

“I'm generally pretty flexible and easygoing but reliable and with high standards for my own work.” This is how Ava introduced herself in her first message on Workaway. From the very start, we felt how very accurate this description is!
Ava has been helping us with pretty much everything from shearing sheep, scouring fleeces, and trimming hooves… read more

(Excellent)

7 May 2023

Left by Workawayer () for host (Hands-off elephant sanctuary ...)

Totally recommend this Work Away for so many reasons! Manouk and Agnes, who run the foundation, are extremely hardworking and inspiring women to work for and as others have mentioned the acommodation feels really luxurious for a Work Away. Manouk and Agnes always made me feel comfortable and even though they have plenty of other things to attend… read more

(Excellent)

19 Apr 2023

Left by host for Workawayer ()

We were incredibly lucky to have Ava stay with us for a month.
She brought such a positive attitude and is a hard worker.
She has deep-cleaned our museum, improved some of our existing systems and guided many many successful tours.
Her kindness was contagious to everyone around her.
Nothing was too much for her.
Anyone would be lucky to have… read more

(Excellent)