Luke

United States
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Travel information
I am currently
Travelling
Description
Hello, my name is Luke. I am from Colorado, USA.

As of writing this, I am finishing up my second year of Workaway. I own a small tourism business in Denver where I work during the summer, then travel around during winter, staying with hosts to cut costs. I've finished up this spring with four volunteer experiences.

Between the 4 I've done so far, I've done renovation work, tending to animals (inside and outside), gardening, cooking for groups, and painting murals (more thorough list under skills section).

Before I started doing this biannual work/travel lifestyle, I was in college for jazz saxophone, dropped out to apprentice as a machinist, then started building ebikes and started my pedicab business. I love my job now; turns out shuttling tourists around on a tricycle beats working in a dusty machine shop any day of the week.

My sole travel focus is the former Yugoslav states, which I will most likely continue to travel to exclusively for another year or two until I feel comfortable speaking the language. My Croatian level is pre-intermediate (also known as B1 (also known as the Valley of Despair)).

I plan to be back in September.
Interests
Languages
Technology
Music
Hiking
Drawing & painting
Gardening
Cooking & food
Languages
Languages spoken
Croatian: Intermediate
More details about my language interests
Interested in Serbian/Croatian
Find a language buddy
Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn
Some knowledge of:
Life at a Farmstay
Eco Projects
Helping around the house
Animal Care
Helping with Computers/ Internet
Able to teach about:
Gardening
General Maintenance
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Hospitality/Tourism
Art Projects
DIY and building projects
More details about your skills
Basic electrical
Welding/brazing/soldering
Home appliance installation
Woodworking/frame installation
Masonry
Pouring concrete
Retaining walls and other earth works
Basic irrigation/plumbing
Blackberry overgrowth removal
Gardening
Chickens, goats

Hospitality/transportation
Line/prep cook

Painting murals (see my work above)
Age
22
Some more information
- Smoker
- Driver's licence
- Allergies
- Special dietary requirements

Feedback

10 Apr 2024

Left by Workawayer (Luke) for host (Help us renovate a ...)

Luka and Alyson were incredible hosts.

Luka's a great cook, Alyson and I had a lot to talk about coming from the same country, their cats are friendly, the workload was light and easy, the village has plenty of beautiful hiking trails and lookout points, there's easy transit to the rest of the country, and there was a great balance between… read more

(Excellent )

11 Mar 2024

Left by host (Help us renovate a ...) for Workawayer (Luke)

Luke was an excellent volunteer. He was very hardworking and had a great attitude towards our project. He was open to learning new things, and asked a lot of good questions. He was an active participant at all times, and maintained a positive and upbeat attitude when times were frustrating or uncomfortable. We laughed and sang a lot while working,… read more

(Excellent )

22 Dec 2023

Left by Workawayer (Luke) for host (New wave farming near Lake ...)

Juš and Kim's ambitious vision for their farm and brand was a breath of fresh air which far surpassed my expectations.

To understand what made this exchange unique among the three I've done this year, you need some context for exactly what Kim and Juš are attempting to do. They are not just making a sustainable eco project; they are determined… read more organizers, wizards of adapting lesser-known, forgotten crafts to a new world.

Some of it seems obvious, like keeping egg-laying chickens for years until they die instead of slaughtering and replacing them every year, or harvesting their own seeds from their own crops instead of buying them every year.

Some of it is more inventive, like making ghee or composting with soldier fly larvae.

But all of it come with significant governmental backlash. Juš told me it takes years of emailing the right person in government, showing them a clause that says what they're doing SHOULD be possible, giving them proof that it IS possible, and eventually whittling down their patience until they get tired of saying no.

It's so funny to me, and I think few sectors of the economy come close to how painfully obvious it is as in farming, that a top-down distribution system is sometimes unhelpful, and at times woefully inadequate. The Ministry of Agriculture can say as many times as they want that what Juš and Kim are doing is not possible, or tell them they're squandering land or tax resources, or posing a danger to public health, because they're sidestepping much of the big business beaureacracy that the government overwhelmingly favors, but in the face of such bountiful results, they're forced to capitulate and reconsider.

Their determination is something I can't help but admire.

And it's not just for their farm. The work they're doing is paving the way for others to do the same; across Slovenia, Europe and the rest of the world. They're an active part of the small community of regenerative farmers in Slovenia, providing guidance to others not as far along in the process, and they represent the regenerative agricultural movement in international conferences.

They have years or decades of work cut out for them, even with a dozen helpers every summer.

I stayed a month through the beginning of winter, and I was the last volunteer of the year. Even though they typically don't have volunteers through December, they offered to have me stay longer, but it was apparent they were not equipped to have guests during the bitter winter cold given the messy state of renovations, so I left shortly after my initial intended date. We have tentatively planned my return at the beginning of the season.

While I was there, I sowed some seeds, raked some dirt, fed the chickens, made the fire, and that's pretty much it. I never worked more than 20 hours a week.

Their expectations were relaxed enough that I didn't feel overwhelmed, and they were present for communication enough that I felt respected.

(Excellent )

30 Oct 2023

Left by Workawayer (Luke) for host (Help with a renovation ...)

Tony is an incredible host and I hope to stay with him again. I stayed with him for close to three weeks.

He is understanding and relaxed. I am thankful for the many days he allowed me to spend doing nothing but sketching, and his support for my artwork. He is attentive to people's needs and strengths.

Tony has afforded my soul not only the… read more

(Excellent )

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10 Apr 2024

Left by Workawayer (Luke) for host (Help us renovate a ...)

(Excellent )

11 Mar 2024

Left by host (Help us renovate a ...) for Workawayer (Luke)

(Excellent )

22 Dec 2023

Left by Workawayer (Luke) for host (New wave farming near Lake ...)

(Excellent )

30 Oct 2023

Left by Workawayer (Luke) for host (Help with a renovation ...)

(Excellent )

14 Apr 2023

Left by host (Help around our family home ...) for Workawayer (Luke)

This was the most beautiful transformation from a lazy city guy to a real man and worker. :)
I want to push young generations of guys towards adulthood and manhood. It is always a hard process for them, more or less.
Luke is one very talkative and philosophical introvert, and likes to take it easy and casual.
If you give him the right instructions… read more

(Excellent )

14 Apr 2023

Left by Workawayer (Luke) for host (Help around our family home ...)

Finally getting around to leaving a review. I know people gain a lot of insight, quite understandably, about where they're spending a significant portion of their year in terms of time and money, so it's time to cast my insight for the convenience of others.

Hi I'm Luke. I really appreciated my time with Davorin and Marina. I'm glad all the… read more

(Excellent )

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