Nicoletta

Travel information

I am currently

Description

Dear Host,
My name is Nicoletta, I am Italian and I live in Milan. I am 68 and a few years ago I opted for taking early retirement, in order to enjoy life in a more relaxed way and have more time to try new experiences and challenges.

Although I am not the typical young Workaway member and I know my age sounds like "old", I hope you can consider me as a possible helper: I am still full of enthusiasm, I have a much higher level of physical energy than most people of my age, my health is excellent (in spite of a problem with my eye), and I still have a lot of curiosity about what is around me. I believe that even at my age there are still many experiences that can be shared and that it is possible to develop new, valuable relationships with other people.

I am divorced and have no children, but two of my grown-up nephews are like sons to me.

I studied Political Sciences at the University and have worked as a professional in the commercial/marketing area for 36 years, developing excellent organizational and interpersonal relation skills.

I am an environmentalist. I try to adhere to sustainable living practices and am concerned about the protection of earth resources. I am especially interested in recycling and water conservation issues. Volunteering is part of my life and, in particular, I teach Italian to immigrants and I have also participated for many years in the organization of fund raising activities for an association offering health support to war victims.

I like being active and I love peaceful places close to nature. I greatly enjoy walking, hiking in the mountains, riding my bicycle, cross-country skiing, snow-shoeing, camping and swimming. I love visiting art places, reading, watching essay movies, going to the theater, discussing social and political issues. In the past I also sang (badly) in a choir with a repertoire of social/political songs.

I love traveling to new places- mostly still with my back-pack -, meeting new people and getting to know their ways of life. When I was 17 (and long before Erasmus existed...), I spent one year with a family in California as a "foreign daughter" and our relationship is still strong after more than 50 years. Later on, I was au-pair in Germany during one Summer. I have traveled extensively in Europe, USA, India, Australia and New Zealand. I have also taken part in knowledge workcamps in Ghana and Sierra Leone with the Civil International Service. Since 2014, I have organized several solo biking and camping trips, riding for thousands of kms in Denmark, France, Germany, Switzerland and Italy. During these trips, I always meet a lot of nice people and I greatly enjoy it.

As to my skills, I believe I am good at problem solving, I have a strong experience in organization (also organizing events) and in dealing with people. I think I am easygoing, reliable, respectful, and friendly (although reserved at the beginning...). I like to help people, I believe I am considerate and usually able to see the needs of others and of small communities. I am resilient and seldom give up. I enjoy working in teams as well as on my own. I like to learn new things and I follow the guidance given.

I have experience in teaching Italian as a second language, in teaching English to teen-agers and in housekeeping. I am also good at elderly companionship. My mother died last year and, with the support of a caregiver, I took care of her at home till the age of 96. I think I am empathic with elderly people and I am interested in listening to their stories of the past. As a Workawayer, I would be pleased to keep company to an elderly self-sufficient person, who is in good physical and mental conditions, and is willing to have someone to talk to, play cards, walk around, etc. I no longer have a driving license and unfortunately I could not accompany the person by car. However, I would not be ready to assume the responsibilities of a caregiver, such as taking care of personal hygiene issues, etc.

I am not a good cook, but I can fix a few dishes for a small number of people. I have very little experience in gardening and DYI projects, but I would be willing to learn.

I hope this long description has convinced you that I could be a good prospect for your needs. Thank you for your attention and best wishes for everything!
Ciao
Nicoletta

Interests

Self development

Music

Events & social

Movies & TV

Vegetarian or vegan

Yoga / Wellness

Sustainability

Politics / Social justice

Outdoor activities

Nature

Languages

Mountain

Hitchhiking

Hiking

Cycling

Culture

Charity work

Camping

Books

Architecture

Languages

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

More details about my language interests
I would like to improve my French, which is now at intermediate level. I can teach Italian, which is my mother tongue and I have also taught English to teen-agers in the past.

Find a language buddy

Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn

I'm interested in:  

Gardening

Life at a Farmstay

Animal Care

Art Projects

DIY and building projects

Creating/ Cooking family meals

Babysitting and creative play

---

Some knowledge of:  

Eco Projects

Helping around the house

Hospitality/Tourism

Charity Work

Being an elderly companion

House sitting

---

Able to teach about:  

Languages

Teaching

More details about your skills

Helping around the house, teaching Italian, companionship to elderly people. Problem solving, organizational skills.

Age

68

What else ...

Dear host,
if you are not interested in my help, can you please let me know by just answering "no thanks", so that I can look for other opportunities? Thanks for your understanding. Ciao. Nicoletta

Some more information

• 

  Smoker

• 

  Driver's licence

• 

  Allergies
  no

• 

  Special dietary requirements