LaPapillone

Travel information

I am currently

Description

Leaving a place more beautiful than I found it, is one of my life priciples.

Passionated, experienced gardener, herbalist and beekeeper offers support for your garden, around the house and for your community / family

November 2022

I am Elke from Germany. I am a self-employed, single mother from a grown up son, traveler and workaway host ;-). I've been a traveler my whole lifetime and have been in so many beautiful places, met so many wonderful people, made great and life changing experiences and hope that I never have to stop travelling :-)

Over the last 20 years I travelled mostly together with my son and I am very greatful that we had the possibility to experience so many amazing journeys together. Now he is grown up and I am starting travelling alone again. My next destination from December 2022 to February 2023 will be the amazing Canary Islands. I am very curios which Island(s) I will get to know during this time. I only know La Gomera, where I have been three times, around 20 years ago.

I don't like to travel as a tourist and I already travelled with workaway and wwoof and other kinds of work exchange.

I love to get to know other people, diving deep into the culture from the country where I am travelling. From my experience the best way to get to know each other is living and working together :-) That´s why I am looking for hosts here in workaway.

I am open for all kinds of settings. If I have a wish, I would wish going to Tenerife, experiencing community life, living in nature with beach in walking distance and work in a garden. That would be the perfect place :-)))) Still I am open for everthing else :-) like living with a family and helping with daily tasks and childcare or working in a hostel and help out wherever help is needed.

Since I travelled a lot and worked in so many different jobs, I am quite flexible and have a lot of experiences in many things.

My passion is nature. I LOVE LOVE LOVE working outside. I am a vegetable gardener by experience and able to start your garden from point zero or can help with nearly everything what you need in your vegetable garden.

I have experiences with renovation work and even simple wood working. I can paint rooms and houses and of course clean them. I worked as a Nanny and waitress. I grew up in a holidy camp and helped out everywhere from a very young age.

I am not the best cook, but I can cook. I love cooking with fresh vegetables from my gardens, wild eatable plants and other fresh ingedients.

Since around twelve years I am working as a self employed outdoor instructor, organising camps and workshops for children, families and companies.

I am a beekeeper and can teach you to become a beekeeper too and harvesting your own honey :-)

I also worked as an animal caretaker on an eco farm and took care for around 200 animals. There had been guinea pigs, rabbits, pigeons, chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese, as well as a cat, pigs, sheep, goats and horses. I worked there part time for three years, so I got a good knowledge about animal caretaking. I also have experiences in dog sitting.

I love the outdoors and don't care about luxury - I mean I can enjoy it if I get it, but I don't need it. So long as I have a shelter for the night and Mosquito net if needed, I am fine. I am easy with food too, I eat everything ;-)

Besides all the skills I already mentionend I know how to use a sewing machine and can knit. I love reading good books in German or English and try to practice some yoga on a regular basis. If I find the time I love hiking, canoeing and riding. I am not a good rider, but I still try to improve ;-) And of course I love spending time at the beach and in the ocean!

After my last longer journey to the French Caribbean I got inspired to be a workaway host by myself and so I had the honor to host many wonderful workawayers during the last couple years :-)

Right now I am living in the most beautiful area of Germany, it is called "Land of the 1000 lakes" and I really love to live here, BUT winter is cold and wet :-(

After some years of hard work without travelling I decided to give me a little break this winter and travel in a warm area.

Like you can imagine I am having many stories to tell, if you are interested and I can teach you how to juggle :-)

Thank you so much for reading my profile and I hope to get to know you in person soon :-)

Elke

Interests

Languages

Languages spoken
German: Fluent
English: Fluent
Spanish: Beginner
French: Beginner

More details about my language interests
German is my mother tongue, so I am able to teach this language. I am also fluent (unfortunately not perfect) in English and can teach this language too. Spanish and French are two languages which I spoke nearly fluent too - 25 years ago ;-) Since I havn't used both languages that much during the last 25 years, I call myself a beginner in both languages. Since my next travel destination are the Canary Islands I restarted learning Spanish with Duolingo since September 2022. I am happy to share my knowledge and get some support improving my Spanish.

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Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn

I'm interested in:  

Art Projects

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Some knowledge of:  

DIY and building projects

General Maintenance

Life at a Farmstay

Animal Care

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Able to teach about:  

Gardening

Creating/ Cooking family meals

Eco Projects

Helping around the house

Hospitality/Tourism

Languages

Teaching

More details about your skills

I am a multi skilled person and love to learn new things, especially every kind of crafts. So I can do many different things: gardening, farming, animal care, working with tourists, language practice, teaching, cooking, building, sewing, little Computer / Internet (like writing texts or adding picutures, little word press), helping with your children and in the house.

Age

56

What else ...

Don't be worry about inviting a woman of my age. I am a physical and mentaly strong, healthy and active woman. Taking care of two gardens in dry summers means carrying every day 300 l of waters from a littel creek to my plants. Beeing a beekeeper means, I need to lift honey frames up to 30 kg. Organising outdoor camps means that I am outdoors with my students 24 hours per day up to one week. So I think I can easily keeping up with much younger people :-)

Some years ago I lived in Hawaii for three month where I took care of a huge family garden in the jungle. I lived in a tent with an outdoor kitchen. So I have some experience with work in a tropical garden.

Five years ago I started a huge garden project for traditional, old european herbs, fruits and vegetables.

I am an experienced traveler who lived in different communities. I am open minded, easy going and don't take myself to serious.

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