Jessica

& Mitchell

Travel information

We are currently

Description

Hi! Our names our Jessie Sawyer and Mitchell Hashimoto. We are a 26 year old couple that live in Hawaiʻi with our dog, Lilah. Please see our descriptions below!

Jessie’s Description:
I grew up on the east coast of the United States, in Virginia in a small family of four. I attended undergrad in Virginia as well where I played college lacrosse and pursued my teaching degree. Four years ago I moved away from home and I now live on Oʻahu, in Hawaiʻi where I work as an English Language Arts teacher. In my spare time you’ll mostly find me spending time outside with my partner Mitchell and our dog, Lilah. Over the last couple of years I have been furthering my education by obtaining a M.Ed and am highly motivated by a challenge and busy schedule. I love hiking, surfing, and going to the beach. I love to travel to new places and experience new cultures as I believe this helps me grow as a person and educator. I am very adventurous and a great team player! Now that I am graduated, I am taking a year off of teaching and traveling around the world with Mitchell. We met volunteering on Oʻahu and are both energized by working in local communities.

Mitchell’s Description:
I was born and raised on the island of O’ahu in Hawai’i along with my three older sisters. My childhood was filled with many team sports and exploring the outdoors. I began traveling with groups at a young age as a member of the Wild Kids nonprofit organization that takes students, grades 6-12, backpacking in Montana, USA as well as other culturally rich locations. Inspired by nature, I obtained both my Bachelors and Masters at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in Natural Resources and Environmental Management and now work for a locally owned company on O’ahu. I am especially interested in Environmental policies and conservation practices. In my spare time I enjoy surfing, fishing, and spending time with my friends and family. Every evening I try to walk the beach with my partner, Jess and our dog, Lilah. I love having the opportunity to see new places and experience new cultures when life leads me to them. I am very adventurous and always looking for great places to surf, fish, and learn new skills. Before we settle down, we decided to take a year to travel full time and learn as much as we can about the countries that surround the Pacific. I can’t wait to see what this next year brings us and the people we meet along the way. Mahalo!

Interests

Water sports

Van life

Sailing / Boating

Yoga / Wellness

Writing

Self development

Sustainability

Team sports

Plant care

Photography

Pets

Outdoor activities

Nature

Languages

Mountain

History

Hiking

Gardening

Farming

Drawing & painting

DIY & crafts

Culture

Cooking & food

Charity work

Camping

Beach

Astronomy

Architecture

Animals

Adventure sports

Languages

Languages spoken
English: Fluent

More details about my language interests
We are both highly interested in learning other languages and the cultures in which they belong to. Jessie is also highly open to teaching English as I am a licensed English Language Arts teacher from the United States.

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Skills and knowledge we'd like to share or learn

We're interested in:  

Art Projects

DIY and building projects

Life at a Farmstay

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Some knowledge of:  

Charity Work

Gardening

Animal Care

Babysitting and creative play

Helping with Computers/ Internet

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Able to teach about:  

Languages

Eco Projects

Teaching

Creating/ Cooking family meals

Helping around the house

Hospitality/Tourism

General Maintenance

House sitting

More details about your skills

Jessie’s Skills:
While attending college and traveling over the last ten years, I have worked as a server in the restaurant industry. Through these experiences, I have developed professionally trained customer service skills, great communication skills, and food and beverage safety. I worked in restaurants to save for school so that I could obtain a B.A. in English Secondary English with a Virginia issued teaching license and a M.Ed in Curriculum Studies. I have taught in various educational settings and last year had the opportunity to teach English Language Arts at a Hawaiian Immersion school where ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi is the primary language taught and spoken. By traveling and working with other cultures abroad, I am hoping to expand my knowledge for the benefit of my students and teaching practice. In addition to these experiences, I worked as a graduate research assistant for the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa while pursing my masters. I am highly capable of handling a busy schedule with multiple jobs and any task assigned to me. I also have experience volunteering with various outdoor nonprofits, completing tasks such as contributing to oyster restoration and working the loʻi /taro patches. I believe the greatest trait of a teacher is to be an open learner. I am highly motivated to learn new skills while traveling.

Mitchell’s Skills:
Growing up in Hawaiʻi inspired me to care deeply for the land in which I live on. After highschool, I became a guide for the Wild Kids nonprofit program and have accumulated eight years of experience teaching students how to backpack, participate in cultural immersion experiences, and work together as teammates. I have gained experiences working with students of all ages and in different environments. I have had many trainings on Wilderness First Aid to maintain student safety along with learning conflict mitigation techniques to reduce personal tensions. Inspired by my outdoor experiences, I pursued a graduate degree to help protect and sustain the places I love. During my studies, I researched the connection between local families in my community and their connection to sustainability practices. I also worked part time at an environmental company and part time for the school I graduated from as an Academic Specialist. Growing up in the ocean I have always respected and admired the water. To be closer with the water and share my passion, I have been a lifeguard since 2016.

Age

26 & 27

What else ...

We are highly interested in other cultures and history of places. We love getting to know new people and learning about the authentic lives of locals wherever we travel to, as well as the rich stories these places contain. We often spend time with family and friends and love playing card games and completing puzzles in addition to our outdoor interests.

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