Ian

Travel information

I am currently

Description

Hi! I'm Ian. I'm a 29-year old deep-sea marine scientist, sailor, pianist, and animal lover from North Carolina, USA. I'm travelling the world (for up to a year) after completing my Ph.D. program this past December. I am seeking opportunities to i) work solid and meaningful hours but still have a couple hours every day or two to write my research manuscript, ii) be part of a team and learn new skills, and iii) learn your language (especially Norwegian).

I started Workaway in 2018 and spent 7 months in Norway with the non-profit In The Same Boat, with whom I sailed and cleaned plastic along the coast, provided hospitality to guests, gave presentations about the plastic pollution problem, and trained new volunteer crew. I've returned three times, about every other year, since then! Beyond that experience, I've volunteered doing light construction in a rural town in Guanajuato, Mexico, dog-sitting in Oslo, and on a horse ranch in Italy. In my professional life I've developed practical skills related to fieldwork and lab work: diving, operating machines, working with dangerous chemicals and fragile specimens, and being very organized and meticulous. These experiences/skills translate to discipline, reliability, and good work ethic, which translate to any job, and I love learning new skills and taking on new responsibilities as allowed.

Volunteering, particularly as part of a team, is important to me because it helps me contribute to broader society in more immediately tangible ways than my scientific work, and presents daily opportunities to learn new things from people around the world. I also think volunteering is one of the most authentic, genuine ways to experience a country and its culture, language, and people, while also meeting people whose paths in life I otherwise may never have crossed. I'd be pleased to join your team and contribute to your work, learn from you and other volunteers, and share in cultural exchange. I'm also happy to share my marine science knowledge any time!

I look forward to working with you :)

Interests

Politics / Social justice

LGBTQ

Sustainability

Culture

Music

Books

Photography

Astronomy

Animals

Team sports

Nature

Camping

Water sports

Outdoor activities

Winter sports

Sailing / Boating

Mountain

Adventure sports

Hiking

Languages

Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: Beginner
Norwegian: Beginner

More details about my language interests
This workawayer has indicated that they would be interested in sharing their language(s) or learning a new language. You can contact them directly to discuss this.

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Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn

I'm interested in:  

Creating/ Cooking family meals

Languages

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Some knowledge of:  

Gardening

DIY and building projects

General Maintenance

Helping around the house

Hospitality/Tourism

Charity Work

House & pet sitting

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Able to teach about:  

Life at a Farmstay

Eco Projects

Animal Care

Art Projects

Helping with Computers/ Internet

Teaching

More details about your skills

Education
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- Ph.D. in marine science (deep-sea mussel larval dispersal)
- Bachelor's in biological oceanography, minor in environmental science

Diving
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- NAUI open-water certified SCUBA and Nitrox diver, done through a 4-month program at my university
- Certified AAUS scientific diver

Animals
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- Dogs: I have raised and trained family dogs all my life, most recently a german shepherd
- Cats: I have rescued two cats and fostered four in the past 5 years, although I have not kept them long-term due to my will to travel and live abroad
- Farm work: Spent 13 years on a small, informal family farm raising chickens and rabbits, surrounded by cows and horses. Have also worked on a horse ranch in Sicily, Italy.

Teaching, Writing & Speaking
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- Teaching: Can teach biology, oceanography, other sciences, writing, and public speaking. Can also teach music composition, but not sight-reading.
- Writing: Two published journal articles in oceanography, one forthcoming. I have written two or three scripts for environmental activist mini-documentary videos. I can help type up/edit documents, media communications, etc., for you.
- Public speaking: Experienced presenter, ~20 public talks. I enjoy developing presentations and engaging audiences so that they feel included and swept up in mutual conversation rather than merely spoken to.


Music
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- Piano: I have played piano all my life although I have only 4 years of formal training. I compose rather than read music. I can teach piano basics. My style is influenced by jazz, classical, and EDM.
- Duduk: For about 10 years now I've played the duduk, the national instrument of Armenia. It is a double reed woodwind made of apricot wood, and sounds similar to a human voice in tenor mixed with a clarinet. It's a beautiful sound, and I would be happy to play it for you if the occasion arises.
- Orchestra: I compose orchestral-hybrid music primarily using computer plugins that sound very realistic. This requires understanding the components, character, and limitations of each instrument in an orchestra, sound design, and overall composition. I have been working at this hobby for about 7 years now, and have only now started composing scores I can be proud of.

Basic Skills & Other
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- Housework: Perfectly capable of general maintenance, washing dishes, cleaning, and other similar tasks.

- Waitstaffing and event management: I served tables and helped set up events with my university's catering company (Rave!) for three years while in college and enjoyed every minute. The university required all events on campus to use us, so I waited tables and set up everything from cheese-and-cracker sessions after student club meetings to multiple-course university donor black ties, weddings, and other fine dining events.

- Cooking: I'm not great and certainly not professional, but I can cook good meals for small numbers of people and enjoy working with fresh ingredients. I would LOVE to learn your recipes!

- Computers: I use computers professionally (e.g., statistical modeling, coding, ecological programs, etc.). I understand computers well and can certainly help with troubleshooting, selecting/building computers, repairs, and so on.

- Sailing: I have about 8 months cumulative experience sailing boats between 5 m and 18 m, and have spent most of my time on a 11 m Beneteau Oceanis 35.1 in coastal Norwegian waters with a few open-ocean stretches around 17 hours. I am definitely game for ocean-crossing experiences. Beyond sailing, I have steamed on large research vessels (R/V Atlantis and R/V Thomas G. Thompson) doing open-water, offshore research for a cumulative 3 months. I am very comfortable at sea, although I still have a lot to learn.


Other Skills & Experiences
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- I worked in a US food pantry at a crisis center back at home for a few years, volunteered for odd-jobs in the Boy Scouts, helped out at a school program in a rural desert community in Mexico, and picked many tons of trash in Norway while sailing.

- I earned my Eagle award in the Boy Scouts of America at home, meaning as a teenager I took a bunch of mini-classes (merit badges) on practical things like backpacking, first aid, wilderness survival, blacksmithing, archery, shotgun, swimming, camping, orienteering, and so on.


If I don’t have a particular skill you’re looking for, I’d love to learn from you. Like everyone, learning is life-long, and it is becoming my profession as I pursue a career in science. I love learning all kinds of skills, and if there's anything I particularly excel at, it's learning how to do- and then doing- whatever it is you would have me do.

Age

29

What else ...

Contact Info
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For more about me, check out my website: ianjgrace.weebly.com

Feel free to reach out to me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ian.grace.5

Here is my email: [email protected]


Other Details
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- Recently renewed (2025) US passport - this allows me to stay 90 days in the Schengen Zone. I have gotten temporary residence for Norway (2018) to work as a volunteer, so it is possible to go this route to stay longer with any organization who is willing to work with me on some paperwork to make that happen-- if the fit is good!

- U.S. driver’s license (works for 90 days in most countries), and great travel insurance that covers Workaway activities.

I am happy to try and learn the language of wherever I go- the same goes for the food and the culture.

Some more information

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  Smoker

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  Driver's licence

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  Allergies

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  Special dietary requirements
  No. I am omnivorous, but if you are vegetarian I can adapt to that.