From: United Kingdom
Individual account
Switzerland
17/07/2020 - 24/08/2020
Travelling
I’m 21 years old, and I’ve just finished studying Politics and Sociology at university.
I’ve done a little travelling in my holidays - last year in the summer of 2019 I spent a month working in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and fell in love with the culture (and food!) there. I learnt so much, and would love to travel more and experience different cultures and environments as much as I can. I’m from a small town in North West England called Lancaster, and moving back here after university has really made me want to travel and broaden my horizons!
Sewing, painting/ drawing and cooking are hobbies I’ve always loved and found time for, as well as playing the piano. I really enjoy seeing an end product in my hobbies/ studies, and so I work hard at whatever I’m doing.
I’ve also always loved the outdoors - travelling through the Californian Redwoods was one of the best experiences of my life. I’m a keen Gardner (and a loving plant owner), and I’ve been volunteering with my local conservation association (Fairfield Association) to keep up our local nature reserve. This has been really important to me, and has given me a strong sense of community and shared effort.
I’d love to learn new skills and meet new people, and to be able to do this away from home in a new environment is a really exciting prospect for me!
DIY and building projects
Being an elderly companion
Life at a Farmstay
Hospitality/Tourism
Gardening
Babysitting and creative play
General Maintenance
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Eco Projects
Helping around the house
Animal Care
Charity Work
Art Projects
Teaching
Language practice
In my academic holidays, I’ve been working at two large NHS medical practices, doing a variety of jobs on reception and behind the scenes. This entailed a variety of roles that required efficient teamwork, organisational skills and an ability to juggle multiple demands, often within highly stressful circumstances. Clear communication and negotiation skills were essential on a day to day basis. I found this quite a challenging job, but it was really rewarding being able to help our patients.
These skills came in very handy during my internship at Think City, an NGO for urban regeneration in Kuala Lumpur, in 2019. Here I had to quickly adapt to a significantly culturally different environment, and work with a large group of people on a variety of community projects.
As I have already mentioned, gardening, cooking, sewing, arts and crafts and general outdoor maintenance are skills I have been developing and enjoying for many years. For my local volunteering, we’ve built/ repaired fences, dug out weeds/ brambles, planted and harvested crops, along with various other DIY/ maintenance jobs.
When I say I love to cook, this is mostly from a baking background. Cakes, biscuits and all things sweet are my speciality!
English: Fluent
French: Beginner
21
I’ve always loved music, video games, and films. I’ve been playing the piano since I was 8, (however I’m not very good at reading sheet music).
I also enjoy plenty of outdoor pursuits, i.e. cycling, swimming, hiking, but never running! I’ve been cycling almost every day lately, and we have very thorny cycle paths so general bike/ tire maintenance has been something I’ve had to learn!
I’m a sociable person (after my morning coffee), and would love to share experiences and life stories with new people across the world.
Smoker
Driver's licence
Allergies
Special dietary requirements
