Jan Lukas & Anne Sophia

Germany
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Profile information

Travel information
We are currently
At home
Description
Hi i am Jan and i'm fascinated by nature and love to explore the unknown.
That's why i quit my job as green tech engineer to renovate an old 1986 Peugeot J5 camper bus with my girlfriend Sophia last summer. I like to solve problems and be creative doing so. Seeing our vision of a 6 m^2 mobile home turn to reality was a very fulfilling experience for me. 4 months ago we started our road trip trough Europe and parts of Africa and have enjoyed the freedom to decide where to live each and every day a lot.
Interests
Politics / Social justice
Yoga / Wellness
Van life
Sustainability
Technology
Cooking & food
Beach
Charity work
Hiking
Fitness
DIY & crafts
Camping
Books
Adventure sports
Languages spoken
German: Fluent
English: Fluent
Spanish: Beginner
French: Beginner
Skills and knowledge we'd like to share or learn
We're interested in:
Life at a Farmstay
Charity Work
Some knowledge of:
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Babysitting and creative play
General Maintenance
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Helping around the house
Hospitality/Tourism
Helping with Computers/ Internet
More details about your skills
(Jan) i am an electricial engineer and handy man. I have DIY experience in wood and metal work, basic car mechanics and 12V electronics from our recent camper building project. I am a sporty guy comfortable with physical work such as gardening, tidying, moving heavy stuff etc. I have worked for a landscape gardener and have experience in help exchange stays in Australia (painting rooms, lawn moving, tidying up stuff, cleaning, concreting).

(Sophia) I finished my studies during the summer of '22. During my studies I've had various jobs, such as a waitress in two different kind of cafes, i've worked at big events for the service crew, as a tutor for electrical engineering at university, as a skiing instructor for youth groups and at a small wind energy company. I love the variety of jobs I've had and the tasks that come along with it.
Age
31 & 28
What else ...
We are very active people who are into sports (running, yoga, calisthenics, basketball). We enjoy hiking being outside in nature and learning about foreign cultures. Additionally we are very social people who like to interact, learn and share our experiences with others.
Some more information
- Smoker
- Driver's licence
- Allergies
- Special dietary requirements

Feedback

1 Oct 2023

Left by host (Nature lovers and climbing ...) for Workawayer (Jan Lukas & Anne Sophia)

Thank you for the correct expression of the work. I agree. Some comments: 1. Workaway position is real work, 2. Jan was very strong enthusiastic and active guy in work. Sophia can work a lot of herself to understand what cleaning is and what the task is to prepare a nice and clean environment for guests. I can not appreciate two people at once,… read more

(Very good )

30 Sep 2023

Left by Workawayer (Jan Lukas & Anne Sophia) for host (Nature lovers and climbing ...)

This is an amazing place right at the rocky south coast of the island Hvar. The entire property is built with a lot of passion from and into the rocks next to the over 40m high vertical cliffs which offer a breathtaking scenery. The surrounding crystal clear waters are perfect for swimming, snorkelling and kayaking and at the property there is… read more plenty of space to chill and socialise.

Despite this lovely environment we had a pretty frustrating time mainly due to our Host. Miro is a very special character, rough, hard-working and not very communicative (to the point of not even saying hello and good-bye). At a work away we always hope for some kind of exchange of knowledge or culture between host and guest, in which to our disappointment Miro has zero interest. We were considered first and foremost as a workforce, everything else was our own business. During our 10-day stay almost 100% of our conversation was organisational / work-related. Sophia did household tasks mainly cleaning (kitchen, floors, 3 bathrooms including toilets), sometimes assisting with wine tastings and garden work. I (Jan) worked in the forest, carrying wood and shovelling gravel. Don’t expect to learn much as the tasks are simple and physical only or based on your previous experience. The money is payed reliably every Sunday (4€/h for household work, 5€/h for heavy work).

When asking for essential things like a mosquito net to be able to sleep better, ear-protection working next to a huge jackhammer-excavator, we were treated with complete disregard and lack of any empathy. Also Miro expects highly independent workers while not clearly communicating the complete set of tasks. If something is missing (which was not mentioned) he gets frustrated. Negative feedback is not expressed openly but only after asking for it. Agreements like providing a shared meal after hard work Miro barely complied. Although the place offers great space to hang out all together we never felt a vibe of community when Miro was around, as he is focused on separation between paying guests / friends and working guests and openly lets his bad mood out.

Even though the small, dark and super basic equipped rooms are built into the rocks they get very hot during the day (in September) and even with an open door and mosquito net barely cool down at night. All rooms make a narrow and a frayed impression and need maintenance; the old bedsheets and towels have holes, matrasses are mouldy. Also workawayers shall be aware that this place is quite isolated as it can only be reached by foot via a challenging 20’ hike or private boat from Sveta Nedjelja, from there it’s only possible to get around by private car, so a quick escape is difficult to do. However Miro kindly let us use a Kayak and equipment for the Via Ferrata and climbing at this place for free.

We realize that the atmosphere at this place must have been much different looking at the bunch of positive reviews, but we need to state that the situation has changed fundamentally as useful information for future workawayers. If you still consider coming here make sure you:

- refrain from any social / knowledge exchange with the host
- have a high self-esteem & frustration tolerance
- are able to socialise easily (with other guests / workawayers)
- are willing to work hard and independent
- have good climbing skills as this can definitely mitigate some of the downsides

(Negative )

6 Jun 2023

Left by host (Help welcome at our animal ...) for Workawayer (Jan Lukas & Anne Sophia)

Thank you two for the wonderful time. Jan and Sophia are super easy going and don't need a lot of instructions.

We discussed at the beginning what kind of projects they Invision for our place and they planned and build everything with a great eye for detail
(the shower and fireplace came out absolutely gorgeous!). Of course they also helped out… read more

(Excellent )

6 Jun 2023

Left by Workawayer (Jan Lukas & Anne Sophia) for host (Help welcome at our animal ...)

Hey out there! We stayed 2 beautiful weeks at the animal sanctuary / olive grove of Henrik and Sally and enjoyed it a lot. They have 9 dogs and a horse Tsupa. All of them individually adorable characters. Walking the dogs, garden maintenance and construction projects were our main tasks. Our hosts were very open to our creativity and suggestions… read more

(Excellent )

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