From: Germany
Individual account
Canada, Ecuador, Mexico
18/04/2019 - 18/12/2019
Hello, I am new here and quite excited! -------- Right now I am in Vancouver, BC, Canada -----------
I am 26 years old and last year at the end of December I finished my bachelor's degree in media cultural studies and art history at the University of Cologne while working in a kitchen for 1 years (preparing breakfast for a café in Cologne Ehrenfeld) and 1 1/2 years for the delivery service Foodora, where you have to deliver food from restaurants to costumers by bike and with the help of your smartphone.
Especially the last year was quite hard for me, so now I am pretty happy to get out of Germany! Hopefully the life has more to offer than sitting in the library or in front of a glowing monitor all the time (that's pretty much what I have been doing for the last months of 2018...).
I started my journey to Latin America and Canada on January after giving up my apartment. Fist I could visit my lovely little brother for 5 weeks in Ibarra, Ecuador, because he studied there within the frame of an exchange program. After that wonderful experience I traveled through Chile with a very good friend of mine - but 5 weeks is definitely not enough time for such a big and beautiful country! Then I started to travel on my own and was directly confronted with a big challenge: On my way to Canada during my 19h stopover in Mexico-City all my important stuff got stolen and later- in addition to that - I found out that my checked-in backpack is missing... But unexpectedly I had such a good time in Mexico and I've learned to deal with this pretty tough situation.
I would say I am definitely not your typical extrovert, because at the beginning I can seem quite shy or sometimes as if I am somewhere in my head (daydreaming, thinking). But as soon as the first step is done and I am feeling comfortable, I become very talkative!
I would say I am very honest and open minded. I really don't mind talking about the hardships of life. Moreover I really like to reflect on the privileged situation of white, middle-class people from western industrialized nations and the shit that is about to hit us in the future... besides, I fight with all the ambivalent/ contradictory things that we humans love to do - for example caring about the environment, but still flying and traveling...
I really enjoy long walks at the beach, the woods and the countryside. I love to go the movies, sitting in beautiful cafés, writing diary, chatting and discussing.. I like hiking, cycling, swimming and thrift shopping, I like to doodle while listening to music or audio books... But I am also open for doing/learning something new and exploring different free time activities!
Gardening
Building
Elderly Companion
General Maintenance
Cooking / shopping
Farmstay
Other
Help with Eco project
Help in the house
Animal care
Helping with Tourists
Charity work
Art project
I think the most important skill is that I am open and willing to learn something/anything new! I am eager to learn new skills, to get out of my comfort zone and to challenge myself!
While I was working in the small café in Cologne and during my shifts with Foodora, I learned to handle stressful situations and to keep calm.
Also I like to be outside and do meditative, simple tasks. I don't know much about gardening, but that's something that I am really interested in!
As a teenager my hobby was horse riding and in many holidays I helped out on my favorite horse farm. So being/working outside and around animals is something that I would like to pick up again. Although I'll definitely need to learn a lot all over again and I really need/want to gain some strength!
My friends describe me as caring and a good listener. So during a school practice I enjoyed spending time with eldery people.
Before I started my studies in Cologne, I did a voluntary social year at a small art school for children and adolescents in my hometown, where I had to plan/organize and supervise different lessons/courses/art-projects with a varying number of children/teenagers. This included working/talking to parents, art and dance teachers, coming up with new ideas for projects and advertise them, creating a facebook-page for 'Kunstwerkstatt Bad Kreuznach', buying the required materials and of course to take an active part/monitor and guide the different courses/projects! I really enjoyed working in the familiar atmosphere!
In the last 4 years I focused most of my time and energy on studying, so that is why I really want to do and learn something else now!
German (native speaker), English (intermediate), Spanish (beginner)
27
german
Right now my plan is to travel with Workaway and Couchsurfing through BC and Alberta in Canada. At the end of July I would love to see the Rocky Mountains and visit Jasper/Banff. Then I need to get to Calgary at some point, because I already booked a flight from there to Mexico-City (25.08.) So if you are planning a trip from Victoria or Vancouver to the Rockies at the End of July - let me know!
Smoker
Driver's licence
Allergies
penicillin
Special dietary requirements
vegetarian/vegan, but I make exceptions (especially while traveling/exploring other cultures)
