Leni

United States
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Description

Hey there, I'm Leni.

An environmental historian currently living in Norway - always excited about growing (and cooking!) food, folk craft, agrarian politics, and spending time in the mountains
Interests

Pets

Architecture

Writing

Winter sports

Yoga / Wellness

Vegetarian or vegan

Sustainability

Self development

Politics / Social justice

Plant care

Nature

Outdoor activities

Music

Mountain

Languages

Hitchhiking

History

Hiking

Gardening

Farming

Culture

Dancing

Drawing & painting

Cooking & food

DIY & crafts

Events & social

Charity work

Camping

Art & design

Books
Languages

Languages spoken
French: Intermediate
Norwegian: Intermediate
Swedish: Intermediate
Arabic: Beginner

More details about my language interests
This workawayer has indicated that they would be interested in sharing their language(s) or learning a new language. You can contact them directly to discuss this.

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Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn

I'm interested in:

Light gardening

Creative DIY projects

Creating/ Cooking family meals

Life at a Farmstay

Animal Care

Hospitality/Tourism

Charity Work

Art Projects

Teaching

Some knowledge of:

Light maintenance

Eco Projects

Languages
More details about your skills

I have done workaway in several countries, and combined with my other, more "professional" work, I think I have a wide array of skills to offer:

Cooking! I love cooking and have experience producing larger amounts of food. I am particularly adept at vegan and vegetarian food, and have experience working with flavor profiles from all over the world :)

Manual labour- gardening, painting, construction, and I am happy to learn any new skills in this field

Language- French, Norwegian, some Japanese

Writing and media- my background is in editorial work and social policy. I love reading and writing and so if this can be of use to any project, I am more than happy to contribute
Age

30
What else ...

I enjoy playing music! I have a small instrument with me now, called a bouzouki. I also enjoy drawing and painting in my free time, and am happy to contribute art to any project.
Some more information
- Smoker
- Driver's licence
- Allergies
- Special dietary requirements
  vegetarian

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8 Aug 2023

Left by Workawayer () for host (Join us on our permaculture ...)

~ Dear Family,
My apologies that this is coming so late. Thinking about you all daily, and the time between now and since I left you all has opened up so much space to reflect on how special my time in Seliana was – a space that is constantly and effortlessly inviting to pour in my gratitude and love for all of you! ~

I reached out to them with … read more the idea of staying a month or two, and I ended up staying with these folks for about half a year. The welcome I felt immediately at my arrival compounded over this time into sincere feelings of home and kinship that I feel might only come with the levels of intentionality and connectivity nurtured by the individuals. The beauty and its people is evident from the moment you pass through its threshold and into its incredibly vibrant regenerative spaces – spaces where it might seem like nature unfurls with ease. From my time here, however, I have gotten to know that entangled within and among the beauty of the place are the heights of human strength and labour. My stay unfolded during a special time for the community, one of immense transformation, challenge, and mutual aid. From this time I feel uniquely positioned to tell whoever is reading this that you will not only find the peace of the Peloponnesian foothills and the wisdom of permaculture practices tucked into every corner; you will also find incredibly caring and attentive people who are well-tested in the most sincere meanings of compassion and care.

In my experience, it is easy enough to find social experiments in the realm of "alternative," "intentional," or [insert adjective] communities. Sometimes, or perhaps even often, these projects can give the impression that to live with intentional systems and practices requires being at a certain remove from the wider world. Escapist, in a word. nothing but the opposite – it is a world-making and world-expanding project. started out as a thoughtful project in regenerative agriculture. In the process, it has been a significant force in regenerating the rural mountain village of Seliana and beyond. As a volunteer you will find friends and role models who live on the property as well as in the wider community. In my time there, I also got a picture of the family that has expanded across the world. Regular visitors and friends from diverse places and backgrounds testify to the impact of the vision and intention that the founders – Christos and Flery – have had on so many people. If you wish to learn about the practices of land regeneration, you will surely have a fulfilling experience . What you might not expect is that you will also have an experience of living and working with a project that is actively regenerating what it means to live in community on local and global scales.

Practically speaking, the days are full and rich. The place is sustained by dynamic leadership between Débo, Kayil, Gabi, Mill, Bijan, Flery, Edith and others who are so attentive to the particularities each day may bring. Permaculture principles are not only enacted in those moments when hands meet the soil; permaculture at its very core embodies responsiveness and adaptation, and that is how it is run in all of its social interactions as well. That said, you are welcomed as a volunteer to find your niche, to find those ways in which you can contribute to the creativity running under all things. Every morning you will have a morning meeting to discuss and set the activities for the day. The unpredictability and change of each day is permaculture at its best – listening to what needs attention in the moment. This might mean listening to nature's call for rest on a cold winter's day, or seizing the sunshine to blast through a time-sensitive project. Again, it is not a utopian project; it is a successful example of a living, realistic, regenerative network that invites you to listen to uncertainties and adapt. And that means a lot of hard work. However, here you'll find that the very idea of 'work' is also under regeneration. As WorkAwayers we have the amazing opportunity to step outside of models of work that are confined to wage labor or other narrow definitions. Similarly, the rhythms of nature cannot be sliced into a measure of 5hours/day. When you join the family you are invited to partake in the forms of holistic labour and care that sincerely sustain livelihoods, and there is not necessarily an on/off switch to this. This should be seen as nothing but a value of this project. At the same time, the community leaders are more than attuned their volunteers' time and needs and do not take advantage of our presence. Everyone is more than approachable should you need adjustments to the daily flows or time to yourself. The folks here have struck a great balance with respecting the autonomy of everyone who comes to join them, while at the same time providing an invaluable opportunity to engage with the realities of producing a collaborative, sustainable home environment.

With that said, each season is different. I had the pleasure of passing autumn, winter, and the beginnings of spring here, which meant anything from regular harvests to food preservation to regular care for the animals and maintenance/construction of the property's beautiful buildings. Naturally, food is central to everything here. You will have the opportunity to cook for large groups of people and to engage with all the considerations that planning for the seasons bring. In fact, that awareness is central to every facet of daily living here – from heating homes and tending to the firewood stocks to thinking about the use of water (which comes from the most magical mountain source). Certainly, its people will teach you any number of practical skills you are interested in learning. More than that, though, by joining you have the special invitation to learn some of the arts of noticing which are so necessarily to live well in our world.

It's pretty impossible to express the gratitude I have and its folk in this little text box. I traveled there with few expectations save excitement for a beautiful rural place, and I left having gleaned dear friends and countless, treasured moments that I return to each and every day. I cannot recommend these people and their land enough, and I so look forward to seeing them all again.

Big hugs to all of you!

p.s. – to anyone at or on their way to Seliana: there is a sweet white and orange kitten called Petitety who may seem stand-offish, uninterested in humans, and only after kibble. She is actually incredibly loving and mostly just bored, but she loves to go on adventures and will follow you on hikes or walks to the waterfall if you invite her. Please give my sweet friend her adventures and plenty of cuddles ;) .

(Excellent )

4 Nov 2022

Left by Workawayer () for host (English speaker to join us in ...)

I spent almost one month with Anna and her family in Dalarna and I am very grateful for the time. The days were peaceful, mostly taking care of the animals and the house and tending to the outside spaces. I was very lucky to have had a beautiful fall - there was a lot of time spent outside with the autumn colors and the rabbits. Anna, Harjinder, … read more

(Excellent )

3 Nov 2022

Left by host (English speaker to join us in ...) for Workawayer ()

It was a real pleasure to host Leni. She is a very hard working, considerate and intelligent person.

(Excellent )

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8 Aug 2023

Left by Workawayer () for host (Join us on our permaculture ...)

(Excellent)

4 Nov 2022

Left by Workawayer () for host (English speaker to join us in ...)

(Excellent)

3 Nov 2022

Left by host (English speaker to join us in ...) for Workawayer ()

It was a real pleasure to host Leni. She is a very hard working, considerate and intelligent person.

(Excellent)

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Leni

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