Profile information
Travel information
I am currently
Travelling
Activities i am interested in:
- Hiking, rock climbing, SCUBA diving, snorkeling, reading, listening to podcasts, establishing meaningful connections with people, cinema, nature, animals, swimming in the ocean
Description
I come from a multicultural background: my mom's Canadian (New Brunswick) and my dad is Spanish (Galicia, the northwestern region just above Portugal). Before moving to a mid-sized city in Galicia with my mother after my parent's separation, the four of us (I have an older sister, Tereixa...thick as thieves doesn't even come close!), lived in an old stone house which my parents restored. Childhood memories include binging on Agatha Christies out on the lawn next to my sister, under the watchful eye of our Siamese cat, hoping from boulder to boulder on our way to our favorite cove, Sonreiras, home-made pizza + movie night every Friday (still in love with cinema every bit as much as back then!), endless "sobre mesas" (after-meal conversations which in Spain can last anywhere from half an hour to dinner time)...etc. I am very lucky to have such a great, loving family and feel proud to count them among my best friends :)
Moving from a small town to a city in my early teens meant a lot: like-minded people! (different kinds of them, at any rate), new experiences! I did a lot of reading (both my parents are Language teachers), meeting those who would be my long-lasting friends, and learning.
After high-school I left for Uni, and studied 3 years of Art History before realizing I would a) have a hard time finding a job as a researcher and b) end up frustrated because the degree was too theoretical and not at all hands-on. I moved to Madrid and studied Art Restoration (actually being in touch with the art work! getting dirty! dealing with Chemistry, Biology, etc). My first (and only) job as a restorer consisted in a year with the Calakmul Project in Mexico, restoring ancient Mayan wall paintings deep in the Peten Jungle. There I confirmed that travel was one of my passions, I overcame my phobia of insects (...it's kind of coming back lately, but I'm working on it), and became, I hope, more tolerant and open in many different ways.
For 3 years now I´ve been teaching English in Vigo (Spain), and so far thoroughly enjoying this career change...I guess it runs in the family! I´m looking to relocate to France (the closer to Paris the better), as my partner will be doing his fellowship in Telecom Paris Tech September-December.
UPDATE: I am now a public teacher in Spain (after passing official examinations 2 years ago) and teaching English has gone from "I need money" to my passion and life-long career :)
Interests
Plant care
Fitness
Yoga / Wellness
Politics / Social justice
Nature
Outdoor activities
Self development
Water sports
Photography
Music
Movies & TV
Languages
Mountain
Farming
Gardening
Hiking
History
Events & social
Drawing & painting
Dancing
DIY & crafts
Cycling
Culture
Books
Carpentry
Art & design
Architecture
Animals
Adventure sports
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: Fluent
Galician: FluentMore details about my language interests
I'm very interested in learning other languages, in particular Italian, Portuguese and French
Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn
I'm interested in:
DIY and building projects
Life at a Farmstay
Eco Projects
Animal Care
Gardening
Charity Work
Some knowledge of:
General Maintenance
Helping around the house
Hospitality/Tourism
Art Projects
Able to teach about:
Languages
Teaching
More details about your skills
I am an art restorer, specialising in sculpture. I love any kind of handywork, artistic or otherwise!
I have 3 years of experience teaching English to foreign learners and 8 years teaching fellow Spaniards (all levels up to C1).
I can draw, paint, and sculpt (model clay, carve wood and make molds...although I'm pretty rusty in this arena).
I am good with kids (I've taught 10, 11, 12 and 14-year-olds and I'm crazy about my two nieces will be 3 and 5 this fall) and animals (I grew up in a country house with a giant schnauzer and a Siamese cat).
Age
40
What else ...
I created my Workaway profile ages ago but have ended up not using the website until now (life happened, I met someone... long story:). In the intervening years I did my Advanced SCUBA diving course, got my driver's license (later in life than most...didn't need it in a big city like Madrid!), fell in love with rock climbing, and passed Spanish public examinations for my current position as English teacher at the Official School of Languages.
A few recently acquired interests are: playing the board game Dixit (fully recommend trying it out!), swimming in the ocean just before the sun sets, listening to podcasts (Armchair Expert and Very Bad Wizards being my absolute favorites), yoga, meditation and houseplants. Oh! And spending as much time as I can with my wonderful nieces, Nina and Olivia.
Some more information
Smoker
Driver's licence
Allergies
penicillinSpecial dietary requirements
