Matthew

Travel information

I am currently

Activities i am interested in:

I am currently at home near Dayton, Ohio, USA, with intentions of traveling later this year.

Description

Hello! Thank you for taking a look at my profile. I'm Matthew.

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*Linked Profile*
My partner, Lexi, and I are currently on our first Workaway together. We chose not to have a couple's profile, as we'd like to do future Workaways both together and apart. Please take time to visit her profile as well. We have both complementary and similar skillsets, and work very well as a team (having worked together professionally for 4 years). Here's a link to Lexi's profile: https://www.workaway.info/en/workawayer/aschmidt

*COVID-19*
I take this very seriously. As a guest in your home, I will respect your boundaries. I offer full transparency as to activities involving other people, and request the same from you, so that we may keep each other virus free. I am fully vaccinated with the Pfizer mRNA vaccine.

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I'm a small business owner based in the southwest area of Ohio, USA. After a 25 year career in architecture and construction, I'm taking time to reconnect with other passions in my life, including travel, cultural exploration, art, writing, and food. I am currently in the process of establishing a new website focused on the intersection of humanity, culture, and community where they meet in art, architecture, food, and music. And, in keeping with a philosophy of "happy accidents" have decided to see where each leg of my journey leads as it happens.

I'm fortunate to have had the opportunity to travel extensively throughout my childhood and adult life. I am at a point in which I've only two remaining states (Hawaii and Alaska) in the US to visit and have also spent a good bit of time in the outlying US territories including Guam, USVI, and Puerto Rico. Other countries I've visited include Mexico, Canada, Jamaica, The Netherlands, Belgium, France, and Germany. As I begin this next chapter of my life I plan to focus on Central and South America first, then I'll see where life takes me from there in the hopes of travelling around the world.

My hobbies and interests are many and varied; aside from expertise in all things building-related, I've enjoyed deep exploration and experience in gardening, landscaping (both hardscape and softscape), bonsai, painting, sculpture, cooking, furniture restoration, upholstery, computer building and programming, website design, photography, and graphic design to name a few. I'm pleased to offer my services in any or all of these ways; whether you need someone to help clear trails, garden, cook, clean, construct a new building, or even build a website let me know and I'll be happy to do it.

My quest through the Workaway experience is to explore the intersection of humanity, culture, and community in hopes of expanding the tribal connections that make the wonders of our global selves more intimately known. In short, I hope to meet as many people in as many places as possible so that I may better know them and, in turn, be known to them.

I'm so looking forward to speaking with you more and in learning how we may collaborate to meet our mutual goals.

Talk to you soon!

Interests

Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn

I'm interested in:  

Creating/ Cooking family meals

Eco Projects

Charity Work

Language practice

Art Projects

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Some knowledge of:  

Gardening

Helping around the house

Animal Care

Hospitality/Tourism

Teaching

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Able to teach about:  

DIY and building projects

General Maintenance

Helping with Computers/ Internet

More details about your skills

I attended university as an architecture major supported by minors in both graphic design and photography. It is of paramount importance to me that the outcome of those things I set to work on are done with beauty and intention. Several of my skills and interests are listed above; however, below I've provided a more specific outline of things I am capable in assisting you with.

Building / DIY Skills:
I have worked in building design and construction for the past 27 years with a primary focus in green building and sustainability. In this time I've been responsible for the design and coordination of skilled trades on hundreds of building projects as architect and/or construction manager; I even led a flooring company with 30 installation crews, 60 sales people, and an office staff of 12. Additionally, I am currently remodeling my home - the fifth home I've owned and remodeled. If you'd like to know more about my professional experience, please see my LinkedIn profile (https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewcolglazier).

I am capable of providing the following skills on your building project:
* Design and planning
* Concrete
* Masonry
* Carpentry (rough and finish)
* Plumbing
* Electrical
* Interior and exterior finishes
* Repair of all above items

Computer Skills:
I am fortunate to have been first introduced to computers when I was 9 years old and have continued to build and hone my skills since. As a self-professed "geek" I enjoy building, tearing down, and rebuilding new computers for different uses. In my last home I installed CAT6-E network cabling throughout the house connected to a main server for use by my family. I also enjoy website design from both the UX side of things as well as the graphic design and layout.

Cooking:
I explore the world through cuisine and strive to learn as much as I can about local foods and the ways in which they are prepared wherever I travel. From traditional tapas to perogies or baked goods (I really enjoy baking!), I get so much joy from preparing a meal for friends. As you'll see in my profile I, unfortunately, have dietary restrictions due to an allergy to meat from mammals, but this does not exclude me from preparing meats for others or enjoying the wonderful aromas of the process. I spent the vast majority of my life reared as a hunter and fisherman, so please don't hesitate to ask about this in conversation.

Gardening / Landscaping:
Our world's flora is a spectacular thing to me - the vivid colors, fragrances, and the ways in which the ecosystem works in concert... just WOW! My hands were introduced to the soil when I was very young and have yearned for the cool feel and earthy smell every spring since. Whether gardening for sustenance or for visual and olfactory beauty, I'm happy to work alongside you. Teach me about your indigenous plant species, show me why you have selected certain plants and how they work together with other plants and animals.

Languages

Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: Beginner
French: Beginner

More details about my language interests
I am a native English speaker looking to improve in Spanish and French.

Find a language buddy

Age

48

Some more information

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  Smoker

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  Driver's licence

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  Allergies
  Several years ago I developed an allergy to meat from mammals due to having been bitten by a Lone Star Tick while hiking the Appalachian Trail in the Blue Ridge Mountains. If you'd like to learn more follow this link: https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/alpha-gal/i

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  Special dietary requirements
  Pescatarian / Ova-lacto Vegetarian