Nicholas

United States
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Profile information

Reply rate
100.0 %
Travel information
I am currently
Travelling
Activities i am interested in:
I am in Thailand, vacationing, getting ready for my first Workaway experience.
Description
When I travel I am always happiest when I am working. I have been a regular tourist many times, and I have traveled to work many times, and working has always brought me the greatest chance to know the people, the culture and the language of place where I am staying. What work I do is less important than doing something that is needed, that I am using my labor to help the people around me. That gives me the greatest joy.

In the 1980s I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Thailand and I also taught English in Taiwan for one year. Many years later, in 2017 and 2018 I was a WWOOF volunteer in Italy and France. I lived and worked every day with local people and learned their way of life. These are among the greatest memories of my life.

I am taking the summer of 2025 to travel on my own and wish to spend a large portion of it continuing to work for the communities I visit.
Interests
Plant care
Pets
Technology
Politics / Social justice
Languages
Videography
Sustainability
Self development
Movies & TV
Farming
Events & social
Culture
Charity work
Music
Performing arts
Writing
Photography
History
Gardening
Drawing & painting
Cooking & food
Books
Art & design
Nature
Cycling
Outdoor activities
Hiking
Beach
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Thai: Intermediate
German: Beginner
Chinese (Mandarin): Beginner
More details about my language interests
I am happy to help others learn English. In my first career I was an English teacher in Thailand, Taiwan and briefly in the US. I would be happy to help others learn English again. In 1988, after living in Thailand for two years, I tested in the fluent range for spoken Thai. My reading and writing skills were fairly basic. When I traveled to Thailand in 2017 my speaking skills were rusty, but improved rapidly with practice over the course of my visit. When traveling in Thailand I want the chance to speak Thai regularly again, or even take lessons, with a patient native speaker. Wherever I travel, I want to learn at least a little bit of the local language. At a minimum, I want to be able to explain, in the local language, that I cannot speak the language, and ask if the person I am speaking knows English.
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Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn
I'm interested in:
Charity Work
Art Projects
Eco Projects
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Helping around the house
Hospitality/Tourism
General Maintenance
House sitting
Some knowledge of:
Languages
Gardening
Life at a Farmstay
Able to teach about:
Teaching
Helping with Computers/ Internet
More details about your skills
General labor, heavy lifting, chopping firewood, cleaning, etc.
General farm work, planting, harvesting, preparing seed beds, etc.
Cooking meals according to a recipe.
Variety of computer skills, programming, web development, spreadsheets, social media, etc.
Modeling for artists and art classes.
Film making skills, shooting video, editing video and audio, planning film production, script writing. Recording audio for film or radio. Basic photography.
Basic radio production and broadcasting.
Writing and speaking English in public and for broadcast.
Teaching English as a foreign language, teacher training, developing lesson plans.
Good organizational skills, developing and executing a plan.
Age
63
What else ...
I love visiting art museums and historical sites. I love theater and films.

I love playing board games, especially the traditional ones (Monopoly, Scrabble, etc.) but I also love learning new games.

I love to read about history. I try to write in my journal every day. I am energetic, outgoing, and love spending time with people.

You can learn more about me at my website: https://nicholaswootton.blogspot.com/
Some more information
- Smoker
- Driver's licence
- Allergies
  no
- Special dietary requirements
  no

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Feedback

27 Aug 2025

Left by host (Join us for tranquility, ...) for Workawayer ()

Nicolas spent almost 2 weeks with us, during the peak summer. The communication was clear and friendly from the very beginning, we knew his exact plans in advance. Nicholas was friendly and sharing from the first moment. He was very respectful towards the house rules, didn't refuse any task, helped us with wide range of things from gardening,… read more

(Excellent )

11 Aug 2025

Left by Workawayer () for host (Join us for tranquility, ...)

Pavel and Saskia were wonderful hosts, and I want to echo the feedback given by others. When I arrived I was immediately made part of the household and the daily life of taking care of the property and the dogs. Pavel and Saskia trained me on how to train dogs and after one week I knew how to communicate with each one individually and the dogs… read more were obeying me just as they did my hosts. Caring for the dogs was great fun. There are few things more enjoyable than having dogs eagerly jump up on your lap (when invited, of course) and licking your face or nestling in to cuddle.

There was plenty of work to do, so I could be busy and enjoy the chance to make a contribution to their efforts to build up their property. I could also help in the kitchen. But there was also plenty of down time to talk and relax. After a few days I was acquainted enough with the routines that I could work on certain regular tasks if I wanted to get started on my own. But I also spent lots of time doing jobs with Pavel, or Saskia or both.

Pavel and Saskia were very attentive to my dietary requests. I am omnivorous, but there are certain foods I like to have in my daily diet, and they made sure I had them. Food was plentiful, meals were sumptuous, and they were glad to let me do some cooking for them. They also made sure I got to see the nearby towns and have some time to explore on my own and with them. They took a personal interest in making sure I had the opportunity for cultural exchange and site seeing, which I personally appreciated.

And as others have commented, dinner conversation was always fascinating. Pavel and I had great talks about European history, music from Czechia, and other related topics. Saskia and I discovered a shared interest in film history and she showed me several old Czech movies. We made lists for each other of must-see films. Several of the Czech films she recommended I will be able to rent from my local video rental shop when I return home. (Yes, there still is a video rental shop my hometown.) They also were glad to take advantage of my skill set as a videographer and video editor. We had fun shooting video of them with their dogs and I am in the process of making a promotional video for them.

I am so glad I made the trip to Yecla and got to know them. Staying with Pavel and Saskia was a highlight of my travels in the Iberian peninsula.

(Excellent )