Isabel

Travel information

I am currently

Description

Hi there! I'm Isabel, originally from the Netherlands, and I'm a (part-time) PhD researcher in history, based in Leuven, Belgium. As I'm able to work on my research remotely, I like to exchange my books for tools every once in a while and get my hands dirty! I love learning new things, traveling, meeting new people, and going on outdoor adventures. I also like to read, and practice yoga, and I’m very interested in meditation as well.

Although I love doing research and I'm a huge book nerd, office life behind a desk is not for me. The competitive culture of the academic world can be very demanding, and I like to get away from that every now and then to remind myself of what is truly important to me. After having traveled quite a bit over the past few years, I’m now looking to explore volunteering opportunities. I would love to support some of the amazing projects advertised here because the WorkAway lifestyle fully aligns with my personal values. Moreover, I do believe in the value of historical research, but I also feel that my impact on the world through my research is at best very indirect - I would like to contribute in a more direct way.

I also believe that volunteering would help me learn new things: there are so many things to do and experience and I am very interested in learning about for example sustainability, eco-farming, and construction work. I would love to learn the practical skills to prepare for a life I would love to build myself one day - sustainable, in harmony with nature and the people around me, and welcoming to all that are interested in this way of living.

Interests

Languages

Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Dutch: Fluent
French: Intermediate
Spanish: Beginner

More details about my language interests
I would love to improve my French and start learning Spanish. I could teach you English or Dutch.

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Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn

I'm interested in:  

Eco Projects

Charity Work

Art Projects

DIY and building projects

Gardening

Life at a Farmstay

General Maintenance

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Some knowledge of:  

Languages

Babysitting and creative play

Creating/ Cooking family meals

Helping around the house

Helping with Computers/ Internet

Animal Care

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Able to teach about:  

Teaching

Hospitality/Tourism

More details about your skills

I'm experienced in teaching: part of my work as a PhD researcher has been to teach BA students in history at the University of Leuven. I've always enjoyed working with children and students and I have a lot of experience babysitting, tutoring, and mentoring.

Moreover, I have experience in hospitality services - before starting my PhD, I worked as a manager of the hospitality team in various museums in Amsterdam, as well as in event hosting.

Finally, I love cooking and could definitely help out with that. I'm also a very clean and tidy person and I don't mind cleaning or helping out with general housework. Basically, I just try to see what needs to be done and then do it.

The skills that I would most like to learn I would describe as more 'technical', like carpentry or construction work. I'm a creative person and I often have ideas of things I want to make or build, but I lack the practical skills to do so:

Age

30

What else ...

As I mentioned in the bio, I'm a kind of a digital nomad, working part-time on my research. This should work out well with the guidelines for the hours of volunteering work set by Workaway, but I think it would be good to discuss this in advance so we both have realistic expectations! Also, I do need a stable internet connection.

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
  Preferably vegetarian, but I eat whatever's available.