Maryam

Malaysia
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Travel information

I am currently

Travelling
Description

I think I’m at a point in life where I want to experience as many new opportunities as I can.

I love human connection and I love meeting new people because it always widens my perspective. It makes me see things I have never seen before and it reminds me that the world is so much bigger than whatever I am used to. I find it interesting to learn how different people live, what they value, what makes a home feel like a home and what kind of life feels honest to them. I love being inspired by people, places and ways of living that are different from my own.

I value freedom. Not freedom in a careless way but the kind of freedom where you get to become more yourself by stepping outside of what is familiar.

What brings me happiness is usually quite simple. Good conversations, quiet mornings, beautiful scenery, homemade food, walking around a new place with no strict plan and feeling like I am part of a small daily rhythm somewhere. I like the kind of moments that do not look dramatic from the outside but stay with you for a long time.

I’m curious by nature. I like learning how things work, how people think and why certain places feel the way they do. I also take responsibility seriously. I like being useful, and I respect people’s homes, time, and boundaries.

My goal in life is to keep learning, to do things I have never done before and to challenge myself in new ways. I would honestly love to learn anything and everything, whether it is practical, creative, cultural or simply something that teaches me a different way of seeing life.
Interests

Photography

Videography

Technology

Farming

Charity work

Culture

Self development

Music

Languages

Writing

Astronomy

Yoga / Wellness

Nature

Fitness

Camping

Mountain

Dancing

Beach

Water sports

Outdoor activities

Hiking

Cycling

Adventure sports
Languages

Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Malay: Fluent
Indonesian: Intermediate
French: Beginner
Japanese: Beginner

More details about my language interests
I am currently learning French and improving my French is one of my main personal goals. French is especially interesting to me because it is such a nuanced language. I love how much meaning can exist in small expressions, tone and the way people choose their words. Sometimes a literal translation does not really help because you can only understand the meaning properly when you understand the context enough. I find that so interesting. I also find it fascinating that people do not always express themselves in a very direct way so you have to decode things a little and read between the lines. I actually love that part of the language because it makes every conversation feel more layered. I can also help with English or Malay if anyone is interested in a language exchange.

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Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn

I'm interested in:

Charity Work

Light gardening

Animal Care

Light maintenance

House & pet sitting

Life at a Farmstay

Some knowledge of:

Languages

Eco Projects

Helping around the house

Hospitality/Tourism

Able to teach about:

Helping with Computers/ Internet
More details about your skills

My background is mainly in accounting, admin work, social media marketing, website building, and website management.

I am comfortable helping with planning, schedules, documents, emails, basic bookkeeping, data entry, online research, and general admin tasks. I also have experience planning marketing ideas, creating content for social media, and helping things look clearer and more organised online. I know how to build and manage websites, so I can also help with website updates, content, structure, and general digital tasks.

I am also comfortable helping with day to day practical tasks. I can help around the house, keep things tidy, assist with cooking, cleaning, organising spaces, helping with guests, simple errands, and supporting whatever daily routine the host needs. I am open to farming, gardening, animal care, hospitality work, or anything hands on. I may not know how to do everything immediately, but I am willing to learn, ask questions, and do things properly.

I think one of my strengths is that I am quite methodical. I like noticing what needs to be done, understanding how people prefer things to be done, and doing them in a way that is clear, careful, and useful. I do not want to make anyone’s life more complicated. I respect people’s homes, time, privacy, and boundaries.

For me, skills are not only about what I already know. They are also about attitude. I am open to learning new things, whether that is gardening, helping with animals, hospitality, creative projects, language exchange, or a completely different way of living. I like being useful, and I like the feeling of slowly becoming better at something I did not know before.
Age

31
Some more information
- Smoker
- Driver's licence
- Allergies
- Special dietary requirements

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Feedback

11 Aug 2026

Left by Workawayer () for host (Live with our family and ...)

This was my first ever Workaway experience and honestly, I couldn’t have asked for better hosts than Shirley and Olek. From the very beginning, they were incredibly welcoming and accommodating. Shirley even came to pick me up when I arrived and during my time there she became almost like a mum to me. She is such a warm person, a great listener and … read more she cooks AMAZING food. I genuinely loved every meal I had there. She was also always making sure that we didn’t overwork ourselves. If anything, she would stop us from doing too much.

The work itself was very manageable. I helped with things around the house and garden and the chores were pretty light. You only help for the agreed number of hours and they really respect that. They would never expect you to keep working beyond those hours. Sometimes I actually felt a little guilty because I was being fed so well, taken care of so well, had such a comfortable room, and was enjoying myself so much that I felt like I should be doing more haha.

Olek was wonderful too. One of my favourite things about him was that he always had a story to tell. He knows so much about the history of the area, especially the war and the people who once lived there and I loved listening to him. One day he even took me for a ride around the village and spent the whole time pointing things out and telling me the history behind different places. I still remember that very fondly. Lyons-la-Forêt itself is absolutely gorgeous, with its old houses and so much history everywhere, so hearing the stories behind the places made being there even more special.

I think what I loved most about staying with Shirley and Olek was that it never really felt like I was simply there to “work” in exchange for accommodation. I didn’t feel like just a volunteer passing through their house. They welcomed us into their everyday lives. We ate together, talked, listened to stories, helped around the house and garden, and on the weekends they would even take us out to explore the village or places outside of it.

There were so many simple little moments that made the experience special... the food, the conversations, being surrounded by the countryside and animals, learning about the village, and just experiencing the rhythm of life there. At some points it genuinely felt more like I was on holiday than doing a Workaway.

More than anything, Shirley and Olek treated me with so much kindness and respect. By the end, they felt like much more than just my “hosts”. For my first Workaway experience, I’m honestly so glad it was with them because they showed me exactly what I had hoped Workaway could be, not just an exchange of a few hours of help for a place to stay, but a chance to become part of someone else’s life for a little while.

I would absolutely recommend staying with them and I’ll always be grateful that my first Workaway experience was with Shirley and Olek ❤️

(Excellent )

29 Jul 2026

Left by host (Live with our family and ...) for Workawayer ()

Maryam joined us having spent weeks in France on holiday and wanted to try the workaway experience to extend her stay in France before returning home. When she arrived, we had no other volunteers with us until we took a last minute guy a week later. She was a thoughtful and sociable volunteer and an enormous help to me in cleaning and doing the … read more

(Excellent )