Leonardo

Italy
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Travel information
I am currently
Travelling
Activities i am interested in:
Currently finishing my academic duties, I am interested in outdoor activities, yoga, music (DJing and production), a bit of juggling, and a whole lot of chilling out!
Description
Greetings!
I am Leo, 31 years old adventurer from Bologna, Italy. My life up to now has been mainly dedicated to my studies, as I just finished my PhD in food science in Belgium after 4 years of hard work, and have thus just completed an important chapter in my life. Although this experience has been greatly formative, it has also been really tough and so here I am, planning a six months trip to the other side of the world to find again my centre of balance. My first and only Workaway experience, almost six years ago (time truly flies!), was incredibly enriching, and I really hope to find the same inspiration and joy I found back then.

Now, some little bits on who I am and what excites me. I am a food enthusiast and I really enjoy cooking and sharing food, always keeping an eye to the science behind it (I am a doctor, after all :) ). Another passion of mine is music: I have fallen deep in the rabbit hole of psychedelic music, and I have a lot of fun DJing with friends, especially when we find interesting combinations of genres that could not be farther from each other (psytrance and 80s disco? Marvelous). My favorite way to enjoy music is at small-medium sized festivals, where I can be myself and enjoy my friends' company in a stimulating environment. I have recently discovered the burn culture, and I have been instantly in love with the creative potential it offers. Yoga has also done wonders for me in the last couple years. I am a strategist at heart, and I enjoy playing games very much! In this trip I want to priorities creative outlets such as drawing, handicrafting, writing, and juggling with the fire staff. And last but not least, I obviously love travelling: I could not do it much in the past years, for various reasons, but I am extremely grateful for all the beautiful countries I visited and connections I made over the years.
From a social/interpersonal point of view, I consider myself empathic and curious, but also quiet and shy at first. I prefer to listen and tune up to the people around me before getting loose. I thrive in long, meaningful, relaxing conversations - I am an adept of the church of chilling out. Despite being catlike, I truly do enjoy partying and it's easy for me to keep going until the morning, especially if the music keeps me hooked.

To conclude, something on what I can (and feel comfortable to) contribute: I have worked and volunteered before in hostels, taking care of general maintenance and cleaning, reception, cooking and bartending. If there is the chance, I can be your resident DJ, or I can showcase my artistic skills (wall painting, drawing / digital drawing, blog creative writing, collaging, video / photo editing). Also, I would love to be mentored on whatever skill you want to teach me.
That's all for now, hope to see you soon!

Leo
Interests
Yoga / Wellness
Sustainability
Self development
Plant care
Performing arts
Nature
Outdoor activities
Music
Movies & TV
Languages
Hiking
Gardening
Fitness
Farming
Events & social
Drawing & painting
Dancing
DIY & crafts
Culture
Cooking & food
Charity work
Carpentry
Camping
Books
Blogging
Astronomy
Beach
Art & design
Animals
Adventure sports
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Italian: Fluent
Spanish: Intermediate
More details about my language interests
I would like to become more proficient in Spanish, and I am also curious about French.
Find a language buddy
Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn
I'm interested in:
Gardening
Life at a Farmstay
Charity Work
Teaching
Some knowledge of:
DIY and building projects
General Maintenance
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Eco Projects
Helping around the house
Hospitality/Tourism
Languages
Art Projects
Helping with Computers/ Internet
More details about your skills
Cooking, good English writing/speaking skills, proficient with computers, good video/photo editing skills, decent painter and music producer / guitarist / DJ, good organization skills, fast learner, (relatively) entertaining talker.
Age
32
What else ...
A random list of things I enjoy:
- DJing (big fan of psychedelic music)
- Magic: the Gathering (and playing boardgames in general)
- Cooking
- Reading sci-fi
- Walking / hiking
- Hanging out and chilling!
Some more information
- Smoker
- Driver's licence
- Allergies
- Special dietary requirements
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1 Jan 2019

Left by host (A collaborative experience; ...) for Workawayer ()

Thank you for all your help Leo! You became a member of our family! We are still talking about you work as DJ Please come back visit us and be ready to host another party! Un gran abrazo para ti de toda la familia y muy feliz año nuevo!

(Excellent )

27 Dec 2018

Left by Workawayer () for host (A collaborative experience; ...)

This was only my second Workaway exchange, but this is definitely one of the most unique experiences I have ever had. I stayed with the familia almost a month as resident DJ and enjoyed it enormously: just imagine that the staff had spread the rumours before my arrival that a famous DJ was coming from Ibiza, and then there I was, amateur and… read more

(Excellent )

21 Nov 2018

Left by host (Fun, friendly, self motivated ...) for Workawayer ()

Leo stayed here almost a month and we really enjoyed his company. He has many interests, especially he likes cooking and we had amazing dinners all together. He is kind, curious, smart and resourceful, and got along very well with all the volunteers from the first day. No matter what he was asked to do, he did the jobs fast and well. He is a great… read more

(Excellent )

21 Nov 2018

Left by Workawayer () for host (Fun, friendly, self motivated ...)

I have been almost a month here, my first Workaway experience (actually also the start of my trip in South America), and it has been a blast! From the very first day I felt at home and integrated in the big group of volunteers: we were, for most of the month, around ten people of mixed nationalities. The hostel comes with a swimming pool, a large… read more park, a beautiful quincho to cook and play music till late, plus Merlo has really wonderful surroundings. You will get the chance to go on gorgeous hikes and bathe in pristine rivers. The work is straight forward and not hard: for the most part I was cleaning the rooms and the common spaces, and helping David with construction (if you get the chance to meet this guy, you are lucky - he is a legend). You will interact a lot with the three coordinators: Flor, Maria and Rodrigo, wonderful human beings who will respect you and really bring the family vibe to the next level.
So, if I had such a good experience, why can't I give the hostel five stars? Throughout my stay I witnessed a few unpleasant situations between Collin, the owner, and a few other volunteers. If he does not agree with something, he has no problem kicking out people who had been part of the hostel for months. It's not necessarily that he is not a good person, but he has his strong opinions and at times communicating with him can be stressful. Plus, he does not seem to understand the basic needs of the volunteers: take into account that if you are going to work in high season all the rooms and dormitories are most likely going to be occupied by guests, therefore you will sleep in the galpon, a small, hot deposit room without bathroom, internet connection, lockers and windows (replaced by plastic sheets). It made me wonder more than once if the exchange (25 hours of work/week for bed and breakfast) was still fair, as the accommodation was not as you would expect in a hostel. But then again, I didn't complain because I was enjoying my time with the other people. To make a cheeky little metaphor: imagine the hostel as a gorgeous factory where you, the laborer, are enjoying your work; the owner is somewhat difficult, but the labor union managers (especially Flor) will help the mediation and make the environment better.
All in all, thanks again to the managers and to all the wonderful people I met. Suerte con vuestra vida!! <3

(Very good )

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