Tim

Netherlands
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Profile information

Travel information
I am currently
At home
Description
What motivated me to make this account and try my hand at something new is probably what motivates so many Workawayers to do so: pure human curiosity, a drive to experience something new and get the fullest out of life while one can. Before I settle down for a career in teaching, I want to see something of the world outside of my comfort zone. I love getting to know different perspectives and cultures, having traveled a lot with my parents when I was a child. Being a history student certainly contributes to my drive to learn as much as a I can about this world we call home. Given all that, I am sure I have come to the right place here, and am looking forward to meeting new faces who share that same drive!
Interests
Self development
Farming
Culture
Outdoor activities
Nature
Politics / Social justice
Writing
Photography
Languages
Mountain
Movies & TV
Music
History
Cycling
Camping
Astronomy
Charity work
Cooking & food
Animals
Architecture
Books
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Dutch: Fluent
German: Intermediate
French: Intermediate
Spanish: Beginner
Chinese (Mandarin): Beginner
More details about my language interests
Though I wasn't born in an English-speaking country, I speak the language on a native level. I received special English education during high school (having received both the FCE and CAE certificates in English), and have also lived in the United States for more that 6 years (which is also where I did my Master's in History). People in the US are always surprised when I tell them I am not a native English speaker, so as far as English goes, the level I can provide is excellent.Naturally, Dutch being my mother's tongue, I speak it on a native level.German, being closely-related to Dutch as a language, I do understand it quite well, and can read it, but I am still working on improving my speaking abilities.As for French, I can read it for the most part, but am still working on reading and listening.I did take 6 years of Latin and classical Greek in High School, though I wouldn't say all of that is still fresh in my mind. I am planning on relearning these languages, however.I know a few sentences in Spanish but certainly am only a beginner.Lastly, I am incredibly excited to learn any new language that I have never tried before, so I would really like to stress how interested I am to learn a new language.
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Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn
I'm interested in:
Being an elderly companion
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Eco Projects
Charity Work
Animal Care
Life at a Farmstay
General Maintenance
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Some knowledge of:
Art Projects
Helping around the house
Hospitality/Tourism
Helping with Computers/ Internet
Able to teach about:
Languages
Teaching
More details about your skills
As for education, I have completed a Bachelor in the Liberal Arts, as well as a Master's Degree in History, which helped build my research skills as well as give me significant experience writing (both informally, or formal academic papers). During my college years I worked as a tutor helping Student Athletes one on one with their homework, and I also acted as a Teaching Assistant (helping a professor run a class, take attendance, grade papers, help students, etc.).

I play guitar (acoustic, electric, bass), have done so for over 15 years and could say I'm an above average player; I am perfectly willing to teach anyone interested! I am also trying to teach myself how to play piano but am certainly still a novice at this.

I have worked behind a cash register and have had experience with customer service (I received excellent feedback from a mystery shopper once); I also worked at a local summer camp for children where you would lead a group of kids for a week, and this I thoroughly enjoyed also.

As for more practical DIY skills, I am afraid I do lack experience in this department. However, what I can offer is a Can-Do attitude, and a willingness to learn anything - I am a fast learner most of the time, and, which is most important, I love learning new things, which is the foundation of all learning.

Lastly, I love humor. If you like making jokes, we are going to get along perfectly!
Age
28
What else ...
I did play chess in high school, but I wouldn't say I am a master at it or anything. I love playing board games, and am an avid reader (mostly non-fiction though). As I wrote before, I play guitar, but I would love to play music with others, and would be open to perform music when the opportunity arises.

I love exploring nature (I am sure this is true for many Workawayers and Hosts), but I am especially interested in learning to be more self-sufficient, perhaps some survival and outdoorsy common sense.

I do enjoy playing videogames from time to time, and am an avid movie watcher (from modern movies to old hollywood classics; I've seen quite a lot of them).

Finally, I really enjoy having deep conversations with others about all sorts of topics, such as politics, history, philosophy, theology, anything beyond small talk or, as we say in Dutch, "koetjes and kalfjes" (I know, interesting proverb).
Some more information
- Smoker
- Driver's licence
- Allergies
- Special dietary requirements

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10 Apr 2025

Left by host (Live in a historic castle by ...) for Workawayer ()

Tim stayed with us for 3 weeks and it was very good to have him! He's easy to communicate with, follows through on commitments and is reliable. New tasks like sanding, painting or lacquering were not a single problem for him and he carried it out with a positive spirit. I appreciated the fact that whenever there was not a clear task, he would take… read more

(Excellent )

6 Apr 2025

Left by Workawayer () for host (Live in a historic castle by ...)

This was my fourth Workaway, and I'm happy to report that I had a wonderful time at the Schloss in Kalkhorst - it's a great workaway experience that I would 100% recommend to anyone else (including first-timers).
First of all, Isa, the lovely Lady of the Castle, is one of the most joyful host you've ever met, always sparkling with enthusiasm. We… read more

(Excellent )

10 Jan 2025

Left by host (Help to improve our kids' ...) for Workawayer ()

Tim in general is a nice guy, he's easy going and got on well with my dad. Apart from teaching, Tim also helped dad to take out trash and my dad liked him for that. He's also a good guitarist which made our camping trip a lot more fun with his guitar playing and we all sing. The school also liked him.

One thing that I think he can be improve is… read more

(Very good )

6 Jan 2025

Left by Workawayer () for host (Help to improve our kids' ...)

I spent almost three weeks in Chiang Mai, and had a lovely time. Jin is a very kind and hard-working woman, running several schools alongside other projects. She made sure me and the other volunteers were all comfortable at the accommodation provided, ensured we all had the necessary lesson plans to make teaching as smooth as possible, and even… read more

(Excellent )

10 Dec 2024

Left by Workawayer () for host (Share your English skills ...)

This was my second workaway, and I can't believe how incredible this experience was. I felt welcome from the moment I arrived in Battambang and met Kamnat and his lovely family. The school is a special sanctuary located outside the hustle and bustle of the city, like a little world onto itself. Since you live on the same grounds as Kamnat and the… read more family, you are very much immersed in local life - and Kamnat is very willing to show you around and share interesting facets of Cambodian life.
I also got to meet several other volunteers during my stay there, and since we all taught, ate and hung out together pretty much every day, there was a great atmosphere the whole time.

The children were absolutely incredible, ranging from quite young to young adults (depending on what classes you taught). Some classes had a local teacher, but other classes were just taught by volunteers. A standout for me especially was the class with oldest students, an evening class I taught for duration of my stay and I absolutely loved the students - I think we really had a great time! The atmosphere at the school is very relaxed too, so even if you are not a very experienced teacher, you can give your teaching your own spin, and tailor it to what works for the children. That of course involves plenty of (educational) play, although more often than not we just ended up playing an interesting version of the game Uno!

As for the region, Battambang is much more laid-back than the Siem Reap and the capital, and is known as a more 'artsy' city. There are plenty of sights to be seen, including some ancient temples that you should most certainly ask Kamnat about. He will gladly tour you around on his Tuk-Tuk, or you can rent the scooters for a day. During my stay, me and the other volunteers even got to go to a Cambodian wedding, which was a really cool experience - it's precisely that kind of immersion into local life and culture that makes me love Workaway so much as opposed to the conventional tourist experience, where that level of interaction is much more rare.

All in all, I can only say that I will always remember this experience, and when you see how meaningful the work is that this family does for the local community, providing English education to children who otherwise might not be able to afford it, it is almost impossible not to get invested in the project and to support it. I also really want to thank Kamnat, Rath and the children for being so welcoming and caring, for the late-night karaoke and fun jeux-de-boules game Kamnat is way, way, waaaay to good at. I am definitely going to miss the delicious lunch and dinner we had the pleasure of receiving every day! I know that if, or better still, when I get back to Cambodia, I will definitely stop by Battambang again!

saum arkoun!

(Excellent )

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10 Apr 2025

Left by host (Live in a historic castle by ...) for Workawayer ()

(Excellent)

6 Apr 2025

Left by Workawayer () for host (Live in a historic castle by ...)

(Excellent)

10 Jan 2025

Left by host (Help to improve our kids' ...) for Workawayer ()

(Very good)

6 Jan 2025

Left by Workawayer () for host (Help to improve our kids' ...)

(Excellent)

10 Dec 2024

Left by Workawayer () for host (Share your English skills ...)

(Excellent)

15 Jul 2024

Left by Workawayer () for host (Join our happy and loud ...)

This was my very first Workaway, and it was quite the experience. I spent nearly three weeks with Edina, Ronald & the Happy Gang, and oh how time flew by fast. It certainly was a shift in way of life, but to me this is what Workaway should be about: to immerse oneself into a completely new environment and adapt to it, instead of trying to… read more completely recreate the old familiar comfort zone of home. This, I feel, I was able to do, and as a result these few weeks I got to spend in Zalaszántó were incredibly rewarding.
Edina and Ronald are two very kind and hard-working parents, who love their children as well as their non-human children (the many, many animals that they take care of). I immediately felt welcome, and feel like I have become a part of the happy family during my stay. Even though farm life brings with it some challenges, such as the hard work, it is this familial atmosphere that makes it so rewarding to do. It is because of this that I had no issue giving an extra hand where needed.
The work itself was quite varied. One day I could be shoveling mud back and forth to clear the path, other days I would be finicking with chicken wire to fix a chicken coop. There was always something to do, although some days we would instead end up sitting in the shade to take cover from the burning summer sun, and simply talk and talk - conversations which I really enjoyed. Of course, one of the highlights was being able to interact with so many different kinds of animals (especially my favorite two chickens, Flórika and Lórika), as you are practically drowning in ducks, chickens and geese. If you like animals, you'll definitely love this part. I feel like I learned a lot about taking care of poultry, as well as the intricacies of permaculture, knowledge that I'll carry with me going forward.
Lastly, the surrounding area is beautiful. The region around Zalaszántó is full of hills and sunflower fields, and I cycled a good 120km (over multiple days), visiting local towns and noteworthy sites. The family also took me to their own local treasures, like a great ice cream place, or swimming in thermal spring water. I feel like I really got to know a little bit of authentic Hungarian life and culture, something that is difficult to acquire as a regular tourist in a hotel.
All in all, I consider this a very successful and rewarding experience, and I really thank Ronald & Edina & Gang for taking me in as one of their own. I wish them all the best with their farm and future projects, and I really hope to return someday!

köszönöm, és viszontlátásra!

(Excellent)

14 Jul 2024

Left by host (Join our happy and loud ...) for Workawayer ()

We are happy to say that we were Tim’s host for almost 3 weeks.
He took farm life as it is with all the challenges and all the rewards of it.
In the beginning we were cleaning up our slope after all the spring and early summer downpours, there was a whole lot of mud to move back up in the garden. The wheelbarrow became his good friend. He helped… read more to make raised beds so we could plant the seedlings.
He was bold enough to enter the lion’s cage (dog’s kennel) and provided water and care for the dogs. They loved him since the very first moment. The potbellied piggy family was also fond of him.
He helped to put rocks around the greenhouse, it is so much nicer and safer now and rodents cannot enter anymore.
After the mud dried up we got cheered up with a heat wave, the temperature went up above 40C during the day. It was pretty hot and hard on us all. Tim had a big round to do every morning, he opened the coops and cages and took care of the animals’ water supplies. He was always surrounded by geese, ducks and chickens. He has learned to enjoy them all very quickly.
Lórika & Flórika are walking around and looking for him now.
We hope we could show him a little about how to care for farm animals.
Tim is a very kind person, smart, respectful and flexible. He likes to complete a task, he would not leave things unfinished.
He dived into family life accepting that things are the way they are and helped where he could. He often did more than he was asked for coming up with his own ideas and point of view.
He is so much fun to have around.
He is great with the kids. He managed to maneuver between the allures of the teenagers and the sweet little hugging arms of a 3,5 year old. He was patient and kind and walked the extra mile when he saw that it was needed (believe me it was needed).
The evenings were so beautiful and mild that we all just wanted to hang out, sit and talk outside. Tim’s heroic fight against the mosquitos gave us a giggle here and there but since there was mosquito repellent available that problem had a solution. The whole family enjoyed his arts; he is a fantastic guitarist. He often played in the evening and we were lucky enough to listen to his music for hours.
He has been a great support for us, we miss him already. Truly a Dream Workawayer!! Whatever new adventures life might bring to him we hope we’ll see him again.
Viszontlátásra Tim!!

(Excellent)

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