Genevieve

United States
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Travel information
I am currently
At home
Description
Hi my name is Genevieve Spence and I am very excited to continue my workaway experience. I attended college at University of Delaware and graduated with a bachelor's degree in environmental science with a concentration in ecoscience, currently I am working on my GIS certification. I have always been curious and enjoyed being in nature. I am so grateful for my studies at my University. I have a passion for cultures and I consider myself a people person; I am looking forward to expanding my skill-set, learning different ways of life and widening my worldview through cultural exchanges.
Interests
Yoga / Wellness
Water sports
Sailing / Boating
Languages
Dancing
Culture
Carpentry
Beach
Art & design
Animals
Adventure sports
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: Beginner
More details about my language interests
I am extremely interested in learning another language. I find languages are a unique way of interpreting the world. Almost like art is a way of expressing the world around us.
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Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn
I'm interested in:
Charity Work
Some knowledge of:
Gardening
Teaching
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Life at a Farmstay
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Helping around the house
Hospitality/Tourism
General Maintenance
Able to teach about:
Eco Projects
Art Projects
Babysitting and creative play
More details about your skills
A strong characteristic of mine is being very self reflective. I love sitting with myself, understanding the world around me and my interactions with it. I do this through meditation, yoga, journaling and simple mindfulness. Since I practice these life skills I find myself to have a tremendous amount of empathy with boundaries. Giving me the ability to work with people and to be compassionate, this skill is especially useful with children. During the pandemic I had a nanny position working with a 6 year old girl and I have been teaching swim lessons to children of all ages for seven years. Every child needs a different approach to guide or teach them. These approaches consist of patience, compassion, equanimity, joy, kindness, understanding and boundaries.

I have a love for the arts, specifically visual arts. I have had seven years of training and attended an art school for middle and high school. I have a strong foundation in visual art and feel very confident in my abilities to teach others. The six-year-old girl that I watch over enjoys drawing, so over time I have been teaching her more skills and giving her the room to find her own art style, so she can find true expression. My other job is a bridal stylist at a bridal shop. This position heavily relies on my background in art. My responsibilities of selling this product, are to work with a bride, understand her art aesthetic, and then use my personable skills and understanding of art to create a look that they will love. This can be very challenging due to the fact that everyone is expressive in their own unique way. Even though I do not sew and create the dresses, I do have basic sewing skills that come in handy when needed.

Furthermore, I am very passionate about mental and physical health. I have been practicing yoga for six years and feel very confident in my abilities although I do not have a teacher certification. It is a goal for me to one day be certified to teach. I have incorporated my understanding of yoga in with my private swim lessons. Yoga has taught me so much about understanding how the body is connected and has dramatically improved my skills as a swimming instructor and coach.

Growing up my family influenced and guided me on different skills. I have always been good with my hands, so through my teenage years I would assist my dad with carpentry work around the house. I would not consider myself an expert in woodworking, but I am comfortable. My mom taught me basic skills in sewing, from making Halloween costumes to assisting her with sewing projects for work. My family have always loved the outdoors, so we went on many camping trips. I attended many high adventure trips with the Boy Scouts, such as the 100 mile Wilderness in Maine. I was very blessed to have this opportunity because this was before girls could join Boy Scouts.

I am very excited for my work away experience and to expand on my skill-set with new experiences. as well as finding positions that strengthen the skills that I already possess. I am very open-minded, eager to learn, and ready to explore different places in the world and the people who call it home.
Age
26
Some more information
- Smoker
- Driver's licence
- Allergies
- Special dietary requirements

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30 Jan 2024

Left by Workawayer (Genevieve) for host (Help on our tropical forest ...)

My experience here was unforgettable. Pedro was a wonderful boss, so gentle and kind. He would try to find jobs best suited for who you were. This facility has a lot of positive and loving energy. I am so grateful to have spent 3 weeks here.

Accommodations
- The accommodations were amazing. There was one room available for volunteers. With one… read more

(Excellent )

19 Nov 2023

Left by Workawayer (Genevieve) for host (Learn Spanish and help ...)

I'm so happy to have spent my stay here in Colombia and to meet such beatiful people. This experience was once in a lifetime and it was so beautiful, I am very grateful. I want to say a huge thank you to everyone here, for all the beautiful friendships and experience made together. It was a very special chapter of my life and I think back on it… read more

(Excellent )

2 Jan 2023

Left by Workawayer (Genevieve) for host (Support our team at a ...)

This place was a huge part of my experience, I'm so happy to have spent my stay in Costa Rica here. I made friendships there that will last me a lifetime. New skills that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. And this experience helped me grow in such a beautiful way that I am so blessed.

Accommodations
- The accommodations were perfect… read more for an experience in Costa Rica. The hostel is an open style building. After living a month here, my body really got intune with nature and the circadian rhythm. I slept in the loft, the loft is a small private area that you can't fully stand up in but you get to wake up to the most beautiful view in the morning. To me the pros outweigh the cons. (But if this is a concern for you Julie is an amazing boss and can work something out so you feel comfortable, as long as you communicate.)

- The kitchen in this hostel was very nice, sometimes it was hard to cook if there were a lot of guests. But the kitchen was huge, you could easily find a nice corner to prepare a meal.

- The other part of the accommodations was breakfast every morning. Some of the volunteers got tired of eating the same thing every day. For me, I loved breakfast. It definitely needed a sauce for flavor but it kept me energized for hours and my body felt really good.

Area
- The location is very quiet, the hostel is in the middle of the jungle. Which is very relaxing and good for the soul. A trip to the grocery store would take about 20 minutes to walk. We would always hitchhike on the way back, Because the hostel is up the mountain. There is a waterfall to swim at right around the corner.

- The hostel was technically located in Uvita, which is a quiet town with a beautiful beach that you do have to pay to enter. Dominical is another town a little further north. It is also very quiet, but slightly more lively than Uvita. I was fortunate to explore many areas with a local, but my favorite more populated free beach was Playa Hermosa.

- This area of Costa Rica is beautiful for its biodiversity and nature.

Work Environment
- Out of all of my Workaway experiences, this place is the healthiest work environment. I felt like I thrived here. This healthy environment did not drain my energy, so I was able to show up as my best for work. I got the feeling that there were some volunteers that came through here, that treated this like a vacation and not a part time job. So in the beginning, some of the staff were hesitant, but when they saw my work ethic, they were beyond helpful and kind. Of course, they were very kind in showing what I needed to do while I was being trained.

- Julie is very good at keeping her word and scheduling you for 25 hours, which is agreed upon. I have a lot of respect for how she set up the work for the volunteers. They definitely want you to work but it is fair. I've had other workaway experiences that have tried to take advantage of the fact that I'm free labor. And if you have any issues with this schedule if you communicate Julie is amazing at helping you.

Thank you everyone

(Excellent )

2 Jan 2023

Left by Workawayer (Genevieve) for host (Surf, meet great people and ...)

My first workaway experience, I'm so happy to have spent my stay in Mexico partly here. I made friendships there that will last me a lifetime. New skills that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. And this experience helped me grow in such a beautiful way that I am so blessed.

Accommodations
- The accommodations were very nice and… read more convenient. The volunteers and some of the workers lived behind the shop In an open style building that will eventually become a Hostile/Surf camp. Javier set the space up so the females got the top floor and their own bathroom, which made me feel so safe and grateful.

- The other part of the accommodations was access to the surf equipment. This was such a beautiful experience for me. This helped me to advance in surfing tremendously. After your shift, you were able to surf every day if you wished. You just had to check your equipment in and out.

Area
- The location is very quiet; there is only a restaurant and a gas station. But the best part of this location is across the street there is a trail to La Lancha. La Lancha is a very nice beach for relaxing, exploring and surfing. This beach is extremely clean, to my knowledge, there is no sewer or construction discharge and the volunteers do a wonderful job maintaining the trail and cleaning the beach. This beach also feels very safe. Sometimes I would take valuables with me and no one would mess with your stuff.

- Nearby are a couple towns that are fun to explore. Each town has their own vibe from party to more earthy. It was really fun to go to Sayulita for salsa night and improve in dancing. This area felt very safe as well, so I felt comfortable hitchhiking to the towns that were more close by.

Work Environment
- A very good at keeping their word and scheduling you for 25 hours, which is agreed upon. I have a lot of respect on how they set up the work for the volunteers.They definitely want you to work but it is fair. I've had other workaway experiences that have tried to take advantage of the fact that I'm free labor.

- Everyone that worked directly with me was so kind and very helpful. Especially when I was being trained for the front desk.

- In my free time, I did give some extra hours. But this was because I wanted to work with the shapers. I learned how to fix surfboards, I am so grateful to have had this experience and to carry this knowledge with me.

Thank you

(Excellent )

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