Ella

United States
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Profile information

Travel information
I am currently
Travelling
My next destination:
Turkey
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Description
Happy-go-lucky seeking adventure and connection. Some things that make my heart sing: kindness, baby pinecones, the sky, trees, yoga, meditation, reading, art & finding magic everyday. I'd like to travel and expand my horizons, learn new things, help others in anyway I can & create more special memories with our Mother Earth. I believe in radical kindness and that we get what we put into the universe :)
Interests
Plant care
Music
Cooking & food
Beach
Photography
Hiking
Charity work
Astronomy
Sustainability
Pets
Drawing & painting
Gardening
Art & design
Self development
Performing arts
DIY & crafts
Architecture
Vegetarian or vegan
Outdoor activities
Books
Animals
Yoga / Wellness
Nature
Farming
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Turkish: Fluent
More details about my language interests
I can teach English or Turkish & I am open to learn anything!
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Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn
I'm interested in:
Charity Work
Art Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Life at a Farmstay
Eco Projects
Animal Care
General Maintenance
Some knowledge of:
Languages
Able to teach about:
Teaching
More details about your skills
I am an artist and I started my small business (Lavender & Love) 5 years ago where I make and sell my art, jewelry, natural cosmetics and clothing. I am a one woman operated shop, meaning I do everything behind the scenes such as marketing, photographing, packaging, creating, etc. I was born in the US but my parents are from Turkey, so I am fluent in Turkish as well as English. I have my bachelors in Fine Arts and a minor in Psychology and Italian where I studied at Fairleigh Dickinson University. I have helped curate our university's art show where I displayed nine of my art works my first year as an art student. I have participated in over 30 vendor events and have sold my work in three storefronts. I am also a photographer as well as a painter and sculptor. I have helped my parents garden and have some knowledge with herbs as well. Some previous jobs I've had- I was a lifeguard for over 5 years, I was a babysitter and I was a swim instructor for children and babies.

I absolutely LOVE organizing - so if you need any help with that I would love to help!

I'm a very fast learner and can pick up any skill quite easily!
Age
26
What else ...
I love crystals and gemstones and have been collecting them for over 10 years and have a large collection. I am drawn to holistic practices such as meditation, practicing gratitude & mindfulness, herbology, etc. I love animals and doing meaningful work, such as helping to create a community center, helping those in need, and spreading as much love and kindness into the world as possible.
Some more information
- Smoker
- Driver's licence
- Allergies
  Penicillin
- Special dietary requirements
  Vegetarian diet

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2 Jul 2022

Left by Workawayer () for host (Help for the house, garden ...)

Hayat & her sweet family were so incredibly welcoming and loving right from the start! This was my first workaway experience where I genuinely felt like I was part of their family & I felt so cared for and loved. I never even felt I was working because it was all fun tasks I was given, like making art with their daughter Ela. I cleaned too but I… read more looove to clean so it was still a lot of fun for me :)

Ela & I also had a lot in common which was so sweet! We both love art, crystals, Harry Potter, and more. We also both have dogs named Max & we’re both the same sign! It was so fun getting to know her and spend time with her and her friends.

We spent a lot of time together & I had so much fun, they even took us to a few places like kemeratli for shopping and this beautiful beach for breakfast and swimming afterwards! Hayat & I woke up early one morning to watch the sunrise & we also watched the sunset many times as well. She also took me on hikes & always made sure we were all having a good time.

They were so kind in multiple ways I could write a novel. The first day I arrived, I was so shocked to see she had prepared a small basket for me with chocolate, crackers, an apple & welcome note. I cried. This act of kindness meant the world to me, I immediately felt so loved and grateful. This was just one example of how sweet Hayat & her family is. One day when I left to go to the markets, I missed my bus and I was just going to take a taxi instead back to their house, but Hayat had her husband pick me up with his motorbike instead. They are such nice people I can’t emphasize this enough.

They also let me borrow their bike and it was SO much fun to bike around and watch the sunset a few times by myself. (Although I popped two tires, I’m so sorry again 😅) I had such an amazing time, it honestly felt like a vacation rather than a working experience because of how much fun I had everyday. I watched movies with Ela & her friends, we all painted together, I taught her how to wire wrap crystals to make into necklaces/ bracelets, showed her watercolors, practiced a little English together, swam together, collected seashells & so much more. They also have the cutest cat & dog that I love so much and miss dearly! I definitely felt a special connection with their cat, he would always come sit on my lap and sometimes we napped together, he was so sweet 🥺

Urla is such a beautiful place that I fell in love with. The ocean is so close, you can watch the sunset every night and never get bored. You can easily walk to the corner store if you want a snack or something, or the cafe near the ocean serves drinks as well if you want to stop for a tea or coffee. So many cute & friendly stray cats and dogs. The neighbors are so friendly. Oh & did I mention they have the sweetest COWS nearby??? They were the cutest! The swimming pool is also soo amazing. Everything about Urla & Hayat’s family is wonderful! Impossible to get bored! Also, Hayat is the best cook! Everything she made for us was so delicious!

All in all, Hayat & her family were so amazing. They made me feel like I was part of their family, and for this I will be forever thankful. They showed me so much love and kindness. I can’t wait to see them again, I love and miss you guys so much already! 💛

(Excellent )

29 Jun 2022

Left by host (Help for the house, garden ...) for Workawayer ()

Ela brought joy and happines in my house. The bond between my teenage daughter and Ella was amazing, never happened before. Lots of mutual interests between them. She was like her older daughter , a family member from the heart.

Also she was my right hand in the kitchen , always helping running around without even asking.
She loves pets so much… read more

(Excellent )

17 Jun 2022

Left by host (Join us outdoors in our ...) for Workawayer ()

Ella came to us on mutual interest in meditation. She seemed a bit shy in the beginning, but after meditating together and heart sharing she opened up and bloomed like a flower spreading her fragance.
It was awesome to see this shift. She joined the daily meditations. Shared her own spiritual rituals and creativity – which we really enjoyed. Ella… read more

(Excellent )

17 Jun 2022

Left by Workawayer () for host (Join us outdoors in our ...)

This was my first workaway experience & it was nothing short of incredible. I had such an amazing time with Lalitah, Utsav & Wonder (the other workawayer who was there)

It was my first time on the magical island of Bozcaada as well, the people there are so kind, the land is beautiful and the water is lovely. The connection that all four of us… read more shared was fantastic.

I loved that we started our day with meditation & yoga! And for breakfast we always had fruit with tahini, nuts & dried fruits on top… literally my favorite thing to eat now!!

Working on the land was so absolutely magical. We meditated with the grape plants before pruning them. Words can’t describe how much I loved this. I formed a special connection with the snails and it was just so incredible. Their cat (Luna) even came to sit in my lap while I was meditating and it was just !! So !! Magical !! Truly an unforgettable experience. I cannot believe I got so lucky to have had this experience as my first workaway.

We also had many spiritual talks together which was so eye opening and insightful for me. I learned so much. I carry so much more knowledge with me now thanks to them. I really look forward to look more into the topics we discussed to better understand them.

Also I think it’s important to note I’ve never done farm/ earth work before. I carried 0 knowledge about this before coming to stay with Lalitah & Utsav. Not only that, but I had little to no knowledge about cooking either. I thought this would be detrimental and that by having to teach me this would cause a strain in our relationship but I felt quite the opposite actually. It was really such a treat to have the other worker there because she was very skilled in all things farm work and showed me how to do everything. I am so grateful for her. Also Lalitah showed me how to cook a few dishes as well (including her famous hummus!!) which was really so amazing.

Work wise- we pruned the plants, cleaned up the branches in the yard, fed it into the wood chipper for compost, helped build two compost piles, helped plant & mix manure into the soil to make it stronger and cleaned the house. None of which actually really felt like “work”!

All in all, we formed a wonderful connection in the few weeks I was there. Also I’d like to mention that, Lalitah & Utsav had to both leave for personal reasons & trusted us with the house, farm & their cats. Can you believe that?! Like Wonder said in her review, it really shows their level of trust was so special to us. We love you guys so much! While they were gone, the other worker & I got to know each other very well & had the BEST of time together. We shared so many laughs and deep talks which made me realize how special this experience was.

Not thinking it could possibly get any better, Utsav had taken us to a local ceramic shop which he knows the worker there & introduced us before they left. Long story short, we became friends as well, he then introduced us to his friend group & then we all became friends and it was just so magical to share this connection with all of these kind people. I met so many new faces & grew to love this magic island so much. They made me feel like I’ll always have a home there and that means the world to me. Knowing that kind and genuine people exist and are so welcoming makes me feel even more grateful to have been able to cross paths with all of them.

We also had a sharing circle!! Which I absolutely LOVED!!!! So very much! I've never done one before and it was so very nice! We sit in a circle and we pass a special wooden stick and whoever has it can speak freely & at the end of it, we all say thank you to the person who just shared! I would love to try this back home too :)

Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Lalitah & Utsav. Thank you for opening up your home & hearts to us. The safe space you created was so appreciated. I am so incredibly grateful to have had this opportunity and experience. I love you guys!

(Excellent )

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