Katia & Roland

Travel information

We are currently

Description

I look at the world through the lens of a land use planner, and am naturally curious about how and where people live. I enjoy travel that allows me to learn deeply. For example, several years ago, my husband, Roland, and I taught English in China for two years - this was a great opportunity to get to know (some) Chinese people and explore their cultures and landscapes, while serving a useful purpose. The educational exchange brought us great pleasure. In 2025, we spent six months backpacking through India, during which we used Workaway for the first time. And, again, in northern India, we were involved in conversational English classes that facilitated two-way learning. In early 2027, we head to Morocco to teach English for 3 months. We love the opportunities Workaway provides. We're good with people, but recognize that our lives haven't allowed us to interact with animals as much as we would have liked. So, we're changing that. When we're home, I volunteer a few hours a week at my local zoo and Roland volunteers at an animal refuge. We recently returned from three months in New Zealand, where we mainly spent time on farms: gardening and working with young calves, sheep, chickens, and horses.
Roland and I are great cooks. Roland is a French-trained chef and later received his teaching degree and taught middle and high school English. We're comfortable in both urban and rural environments. Hawaii affords us many opportunities to stay fit - I paddle and Roland surfs. Both of us are good storytellers and love to laugh.

Interests

Sustainability

DIY & crafts

Drawing & painting

Nature

Camping

Beach

Water sports

Cycling

Self development

Writing

Plant care

Pets

Outdoor activities

History

Hiking

Farming

Culture

Dancing

Cooking & food

Books

Art & design

Architecture

Animals

Languages

Languages spoken
German: Fluent
English: Fluent
French: Beginner

More details about my language interests
Roland is a trained English teacher. We both taught college-level English in China for two years. I speak German fluently, and Roland has recently begun learning German. We both learned French in school.

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Skills and knowledge we'd like to share or learn

We're interested in:  

Being an elderly companion

Light maintenance

Life at a Farmstay

Eco Projects

Helping around the house

Art Projects

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Some knowledge of:  

Light gardening

Animal Care

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Able to teach about:  

Creating/ Cooking family meals

Hospitality/Tourism

Charity Work

Languages

Teaching

More details about your skills

I've got a tremendous work ethic and throw myself into everything I take on. I'm good at seeing the big picture and will follow both instructions or creatively seek solutions that will allow me to accomplish my goals. I'm good at cleaning and organizing things. I like being outdoors and caring for plants and animals. I learn quickly and am good with crafts. I'm a good communicator. I've lived happily in both dense urban environments and off the grid where water had to be hauled from a well, showers were outdoors with buckets, books were read at night by candlelight, and "toilets" were dug. Roland is an excellent cook. In addition to teaching English, he has taught theater and journalism. He has taught himself to play guitar and paint, and can play just about any sport.

Age

59 & 67

What else ...

Roland and I are great travel companions and life partners. We're neat, respectful, attentive to detail, and flexible. We've got stories to share, but are also good listeners.

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
  None. We're adventurous eaters.