Profile information
Travel information
We are currently
Travelling
Activities we are interested in:
We would love to learn about anything helping us be more self sufficient: farming, picking, preparing and preserving food, building and carpenting, taking care of animals, living a happy life!
Our next destination:
Spain - from Jun 2025 until Jun 2025 View all
Description
Hi, we are Ilse (37) and Mattie (36) from The Netherlands.
May last year, we left our home in Amsterdam to travel and living in our red campervan, that we built ourselves. It has been an interesting process on so many levels.
We have traveled to the UK, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, Greece and Italy, and it has been so wonderful.
We also hope to spend longer periods of time in some places, to get to know more about the area we are in and to learn new skills, and share ours.
Lowie is a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, born December 2022. He is an amazingly sweet dog (male), kind to all animals, people and children. Together we go on hikes and swim whenever we can.
We have enjoyed living in Amsterdam for a long time, but it was time to leave city life and experience new things and learn new skills, big and small.
In Finland a local carpenter and artist taught us what's the best way to start a fire, in Norway some ladies told us which blueberries to pick, and - who would have thought - on a brief trip home Mattie's mom taught us how to make jam from fruits from her garden.
One day we hope to live in a house again, having a garden, growing some our own food, being able to build and fix almost everything.
We hope to learn lots more during this trip, and share our own knowledge, skills and enthusiasm!
Interests
Winter sports
Astronomy
Animals
Hitchhiking
Culture
Books
Adventure sports
Events & social
Yoga / Wellness
Writing
Van life
Technology
Sustainability
Nature
Outdoor activities
Pets
Plant care
Music
Movies & TV
Mountain
Languages
Hiking
Gardening
Farming
Drawing & painting
DIY & crafts
Charity work
Cooking & food
Carpentry
Art & design
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Dutch: Fluent
Italian: Intermediate
German: Beginner
Spanish: Beginner
French: BeginnerMore 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.
Skills and knowledge we'd like to share or learn
We're interested in:
Charity Work
Eco Projects
Gardening
Helping around the house
Hospitality/Tourism
Some knowledge of:
Art Projects
Being an elderly companion
Animal Care
Life at a Farmstay
General Maintenance
Teaching
Able to teach about:
Languages
DIY and building projects
Helping with Computers/ Internet
Creating/ Cooking family meals
House sitting
More details about your skills
ILSE
After studying Editing and Media Production, I have worked as a writer and editor for over ten years, writing about mental health and creativity, for both children and adults.
I also did volunteer work, spending time with children , with my elderly neighbor, and helping to organize a vegan food festival. In Costa Rica I have volunteered on a small farm. In Amsterdam I did lots of house- and cat sitting, taking care of peoples homes, plants and furry friends.
I believe I am a very social and creative person, willing to try anything new. I love to create things, whether it's a summer hat on my sewing machine, a small magazine filled with self drawn comics, a pan of vegetable soup... My head is full of ideas, and I love to make them come to life.
MATTIE
Ilse: On our first date, Mattie told me he has built his own computer (which turned out to be true), and when I see him vacuum clean the parts of it, I am not sure who he cares about more. ;-)
That being said, the gentle care and preciseness en he puts into his building projects, he puts in everything he does: cooking, training our dog, fixing something in the house or the car, et cetera.
Plus, he is my encyclopedia to almost anything. After finishing his degree in Biology and Immunology, he has worked in IT for years, and it turned out he can even built a campervan: our current home. (Including electricity system, carpenting, water system, solar panels, et cetera.)
Smart and hands-on, both patient and straightforward, he is eager to learn anything new.
Age
37 & 36
Some more information
Smoker
Driver's licence
Allergies
Special dietary requirements
Feedback
It was no problem having the van in the garden, and they were both made comfortable using the… read more
Photos
Friends
Feedback
It was no problem having the van in the garden, and they were both made comfortable using the… read more
