Elena

Travel information

I am currently

Activities i am interested in:

Nature, Art, Community, Farming, Animals, Sports, Activities, Music, Culture, Languages

Description

Hey, hello!

I'm Elena. I'm originally from Rome and now I live in beautiful Edinburgh, where I did my Master's (one of two) and where I currently work as a graphic designer, illustrator and visual development artist for animation and games.

Before getting where I am now I pursued two paths: as a designer and as a linguist. I used to work as a foreign language teacher (teaching Italian and English), and traveled around the world doing that. I worked on a cruise ship that did the tour of the world for example! I also worked for international organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and I currently design mainly for sustainability-based start-ups and for Universities. As you can probably tell, I am passionate about art and design, foreign languages and cultures and lifestyles in connection with nature. I am also passionate about research on the psychology of language and drawing. I got an award for my research on how our brain stores language and icons, and the connections between them when we speak one or more languages.

I'm pretty adventurous and I like learning about different cultures, environments and lifestyles, and I've travelled quite a bit. Among my favourite places are the islands in the Atlantic and Pacific (Caribbeans, Samoa, Fiji), Israel and Singapore. I love having the chance to meet different people and to learn from them something about the ways they live.

I have volunteered before, mainly on farms, doing anything from gardening, cooking, weeding, building walls, patios, painting roofs, taking care of the animals, and more. I lived in all sorts of accommodation, from cabins in the woods, to ancient turrets, to attics, to vans, to tents.

I often travel with my boyfriend Kai, who is a music composer!

I'm friendly and polite, and I like going around a lot - I like parks, museums, galleries, and nature, eating new food, go to gigs and traditional festivals and celebrations, and to play. I enjoy talking to my hosts and getting advice from them, but I'm also happy to discover things on my own.

Hope to hear back from you soon!

Interests

Languages

Languages spoken
English: Fluent
French: Fluent
Italian: Fluent
German: Beginner

More details about my language interests
I used to work as a languages teacher, so all language exchanges are welcome!

Find a language buddy

Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn

I'm interested in:  

Eco Projects

Charity Work

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Some knowledge of:  

Gardening

DIY and building projects

Life at a Farmstay

Animal Care

Helping with Computers/ Internet

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Able to teach about:  

Creating/ Cooking family meals

Languages

Art Projects

Teaching

More details about your skills

- all sorts of creative and crafty projects, especially related to illustration, design, video, animation, sculpture and painting
- languages and language teaching
- entertainment, engagement, and creating a good atmosphere, and lots of ideas!
- cooking
- I learn manual tasks quickly

Age

33

What else ...

I am very enthusiastic and curious, and I really like to explore new environments, but I also enjoy quiet time on my own, reading, crafting, and drawing. My latest passion is clay sculpture! I'm also an eager roller-skater :)

Some more information

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  Smoker

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  Driver's licence

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  Allergies
  No

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  Special dietary requirements
  No