Nadja

United Kingdom
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Travel information
I am currently
Travelling
Description
Hi there, I'm Nadja and here is some info about myself so you can get to know me better. :-)
Originally from Germany, I spent the last 8 years living in the UK before coming to México in 2023.
Over the last 15 years, I was lucky enough to explore the diversity of this beautiful planet through travelling (and also living & working) in different countries. I enjoy learning about other cultures, their languages and stories and I would not want to miss all the great people I had the pleasure to meet and learn from. I have many cherished memories and regard the experiences I made while being "outside of my comfort zone" as invaluable life lessons.
I am a huge nature-lover and my heart beats for the animal kingdom. I grew up in a small village in the countryside spending my childhood mostly outside in the elements and around farms and that's where I feel alive and "at home". I have always felt a strong connection to animals and have a big fascination and deep respect for them. It brings me great pleasure to share my space with animals, observing them, interacting with them, learning from them (they are great teachers!), caring for them and playing with them, especially dogs who captured my heart from the very beginning.
Enjoying being outside in nature I have always been quite active and have practised a variety of sports over the years. I like hiking, cycling, swimming, horse riding, climbing mountains, SUP and generally all outdoor adventures. I also have been practising yoga for a few years and enjoy meditation, breathwork, essential oils and sound baths.
I would describe myself as a curious person who is passionate about learning - no matter what - as I enjoy the process of discovering or being taught something new. My interests are widespread and I think it is due to my excitement and enthusiasm about learning that I am quick to pick things up. I am a keen problem-solver and proactively engage in finding new solutions or different ways of doing something.
It's important to me to keep a compassionate and open mind and be respectful towards other beings; my travels have taught me to see things from different perspectives and put myself into others' shoes and I like to think that I am quite a considerate person who deeply cares about our planet and therefore try to pursue a more sustainable lifestyle. This can be challenging at times but I also enjoy the creativity it brings with it.
Overall, I am hard-working and conscientious and although easy-going, I take my responsibilities seriously and am committed to what I do.
I love to help others or improve things for them and it's important to me to feel like I can contribute to something. No matter if working on my own or as a team player, I enjoy both and I am flexible and adaptable and like a challenge, not being afraid to get my hands dirty.
If you have any questions or would like to find out more, you are welcome to contact me!
Thank you!
Interests
Books
Technology
Water sports
Yoga / Wellness
Vegetarian or vegan
Self development
Photography
Sustainability
Pets
Outdoor activities
Nature
Mountain
Languages
Hiking
Gardening
Events & social
Dancing
Culture
Cooking & food
Animals
Adventure sports
Languages spoken
German: Fluent
English: Fluent
Spanish: Intermediate
Arabic: Beginner
Russian: Beginner
Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn
I'm interested in:
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Life at a Farmstay
Eco Projects
Languages
Some knowledge of:
General Maintenance
Animal Care
Helping with Computers/ Internet
Helping around the house
Hospitality/Tourism
More details about your skills
- I have experience with dogs and can be a loving caretaker of any other animals as well

- Not shy to get my hands dirty and I am sporty and fairly strong, so any manual work around gardening, fixing things, grounds maintenance

- Any cleaning tasks and also can do some cooking or prep

- Know my way around a computer (however, I am not big into social media), admin work

- I have worked in many different jobs and industries from retail and hospitality (restaurants, bars, catering, hotel) to Finance (I currently work in Accounting)

- Experience with working with children (I spent a year as an AuPair in Spain, worked as a gymnastics teacher assistant and did youth work in the local community)
Age
39
What else ...
My interests extend to many different areas including:
Everything around dogs, I just love them!
I love to read
Sustainable lifestyle - upcycling, home-made, self-sufficiency, off-grid, permaculture
Alternative complementary medicine and healing modalities
Tiny Houses and off-grid living
Outdoor activities, I recently started rock climbing and scuba diving
Travel adventures, meeting new people and exploring new places
Some more information
- Smoker
- Driver's licence
- Allergies
- Special dietary requirements
  I like to describe myself as a conscientious omnivore - I mainly eat a plant-based diet but do eat animal products, just like to be conscious about where it comes from and how its produced. I am open to trying new things.

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12 Sep 2024

Left by host for Workawayer ()

Nadja was an incredibly dedicated volunteer with lots of initiative. She looks around and sees what needs doing, and asks what else she can do to help out.

She was fantastic with the dogs, very patient and gentle, using positive methods of training with them.

After her initial stay, she travelled for a month and then came back to us for a second… read more

(Excellent )

5 Sep 2024

Left by Workawayer () for host (Help street dogs near ...)

My time with Alyce, Mario and their dog family was amazing, I enjoyed all aspects of my stay in Xela with them. So much so that I returned to spend another month there after my initial 4 weeks with them and spending some time at Lake Atitlan in between. From the get go I had a really good feeling about the place as communication with Alyce was… read more great and this continued once I arrived. Mario and Alyce both made me feel welcome and comfortable, supported me with anything I needed and showed me around town. I also immediately loved all the dogs and was surprised about how well behaved they were given there was so many of them. Each and every one of them captured my heart, I deeply enjoyed spending time with them, cuddling them, going on the walks to the cemetery or longer hikes to a beautiful viewpoint, even bathing them was mostly fun ;-) Just having them around all the time filled me with so much joy, plus I also got to learn a lot about castrating, de-worming, vaccinations and caring for dogs with special needs. Alyce also has a wealth of knowledge on taking dogs across borders and is very generous with sharing this knowledge with others. I benefited from her experience, knowledge and support myself as I decided to adopt one of the dogs and took her back to Mexico with me. Thanks to Alyce and Mario's support all went well and smoothly.
I also enjoyed sharing the space with Alyce and Mario, they are easy-going and have big hearts and are just fun to be around as well! Mario is also a fantastic chef and Alyce an expert barista :)
From the beginning I felt trusted with the dogs and tasks and was also give a lot of freedom. The work is not hard, there's clear instructions and lots of additional, useful info about each dog and I felt it to be a very fair exchange.
All in all, what can I say, it was a fantastic experience and I already miss all the dogs and humans! I would go back in a heartbeat and truly hope I will get to see everyone again in the future! I am deeply grateful to Alyce, Mario and the dogs for everything - for welcoming me in so kindly, for giving me their trust, sharing their knowledge and being great humans who absolutely love dogs - I'll never forget my time with them! THANK YOU!
Last but not least I also want to give a big shout out to what Alyce and Mario do in terms of helping the street dogs! With limited resources and a huge street dog population, they do and help where they can, giving their all (and more!). It was always apparent how much they care about the dogs and it's remarkable to see how they dedicate their lives to the animals, giving them their love and care they need!

(Excellent )

3 Aug 2024

Left by Workawayer () for host (Lakefront volunteer ...)

This is a wonderful place for dogs and the work they do with the castration clinics has a real, positive impact for the whole community. I had a fantastic experience and deeply enjoyed helping and spending time with the dogs, every single one of them captured my heart! Suli has such a big heart for dogs and has created a beautiful sanctuary for… read more

(Excellent )

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