Sebastian & Julia

Germany
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Profile information

Travel information
We are currently
At home
Activities we are interested in:
We are most interested in working with plants outside, but are happy to support hosts where we can.
We also like classical music and literature, and meeting likeminded people.
Our next destination:
Sweden
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Description
Hi,
we are Sebastian and Julia and would like to travel together.

About me (Sebastian): I work as a climate scientist in Germany, but enjoy doing something „down to Earth“ once in a while. Friends describe me as friendly, open, very supportive, likeable and humorous.

About Julia:
Julia works as a biologist and particularly enjoys working with plants. She also plays the violin and is working on a novel, and is very interested in getting to know other cultures.

We are both reliable, motivated and do not expect any luxury. Our ideal would be to have some flexibility where to best support you, with focus on working outside with plants, but we are also happy to help with any kind of other activity that does not require special practice. We have helped out on farms a few times before in different countries, but have no professional training or experience with practical tasks.
The reason we are looking for a workaway experience is to be close to nature, to get to know other cultures, and to share a simple but fulfilling lifestyle with likeable people.
Interests
Languages
Water sports
Hiking
Dancing
Writing
Outdoor activities
Nature
Sustainability
Music
Culture
Gardening
Farming
Books
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
French: Intermediate
Spanish: Beginner
Dutch: 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 we'd like to share or learn
We're interested in:
Eco Projects
Languages
Art Projects
Some knowledge of:
Gardening
More details about your skills
I am reliable and motivated but have no special training in practical tasks.
I have successfully helped out on farms before, including tasks like weeding, seeding, harvesting, constructing, painting.
Age
43 & 39
What else ...
I like everything that is creative in some way - games, theatre, books, stories, ... and I love beautiful nature and being in contact with it.
Some more information
- Smoker
- Driver's licence
- Allergies
- Special dietary requirements

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Feedback

7 Nov 2024

Left by host (Join us at our hobby farm in ...) for Workawayer ()

We truly appreciate Julia&Sebastian's kind words about our vision and the hospitality they experienced during their stay. However, we wanted to share some thoughts on areas where we noticed a difference in expectations.

While we value the effort they both put in, we observed that many tasks were either partially completed or left unfinished. Over… read more their five days with us, the amount of work completed seemed to reflect about two days' work, which was surprising, especially given that we assigned only easy tasks. We were also concerned about to hear they felt exhausted after just two days, which prompted us to reflect on the tasks assigned. Although we provided easy tasks, it seemed that they may not have been the best fit for their energy levels. It is important to note that we couldn't assign regular farm tasks that require more physical strength, which past volunteers were able to handle.

We also need to address their false claim about longer working hours. During their first week, they worked 5 hours per day, and we even allowed them to leave early for a bike trip on one occasion. There was a misunderstanding on their part, as they mistakenly assumed they would need to work more than 25 hours in the second week, which did not occur. After discussing their feedback with them, they confirmed their misunderstanding.

Because we balance farm duties with caring for our baby and managing our jobs, we often rely on volunteers to work more independently. As we couldn't always supervise, it was important for tasks to be communicated and completed with clarity. Unfortunately, some tasks that were unfinished seemed to have been completed from their perspective, which highlighted some gaps in our communication.

Our goal is to create a collaborative, enjoyable environment where everyone contributes meaningfully. We understand that volunteering requires commitment and expect a certain level of engagement and efficiency in return. It became clear that our expectations regarding work pace and standards didn't fully align. This discrepancy made it challenging for us to sustain the support we typically provide for volunteers. We also invested time in organizing and explaining tasks to ensure that all the necessary support was available. In addition to this, we offer private accommodations, bikes, and high-quality, often ecological, food options. We believe these provisions are intended to ensure our volunteers are well taken care of, and we were happy to extend them to them both.

Ultimately, we made the difficult decision to end the collaboration early, something we've never had to do before. This decision wasn't made lightly, and we apologize if communicating it by phone instead of in person felt impersonal. Given the circumstances, we felt it was important to conclude promptly, and we offered the next day off as a gesture of goodwill.

We see them both as kind and friendly people, and we hope they find opportunities that better match their energy levels and expectations. If there's any feedback from their side, we'd welcome it as we're always looking to improve how we work with volunteers.

(Neutral )

3 Oct 2024

Left by Workawayer () for host (Join us at our hobby farm in ...)

Anja and Dominik are a couple with the impressive vision and ambition to build a self-sustainable farm. They were friendly and welcoming to us. We stayed at their "weekend house", which is the place for hosting volunteer workers – a really beautiful place in the hills a few kilometers away from the actual farm. We were the only guests at the time.… read more

(Good )

28 Oct 2019

Left by Workawayer () for host (Come be a part of our family ...)

I can highly recommend this farm for a workaway experience.
The area is beautiful and working outside was fulfilling and taught me a lot.
But most of all, Jon and Pauline (and little Haldor, and Gry) are truly inspiring and lovable hosts. Even though I was only there for less than 3 weeks, I will not forget the experience with them. The mix of… read more

(Excellent )

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