joeytalerico

Travel information

I am currently

Description

Hello :)

My name is Joseph Talerico, but you can call me Joey. I am an undergraduate student at the University of Arizona in the USA studying Environmental Science, Arabic, and Spanish. After finishing my freshman year in May, I decided to take a gap year with a mission to fulfill some childhood geography-obsessed-kid dreams of traveling the world! My friends describe me as lively, interesting, active, and kind.

To list every activity I enjoy doing would probably go over the word-count of this section. I love outdoor activities like biking, swimming, and hiking. As a student of environmental science, I love working outdoors too. I work with my uncle on his farm in Lebanon every time I visit (see photos). I have an appreciation for art through my love of international music, playing the piano, and traditional Lebanese dance. I am a native English speaker and am conversational in Arabic and Spanish, and I love language-exchange! I would love to learn some of the languages you speak, and share mine :) My dad is Italian and my mom is from Lebanon, and I'm very connected to my heritage. Being Lebanese and Italian, I have a very, very large family. I have always been and love being around people, and I am amazing with kids: I'm always the favorite uncle. I am a very open-minded I enjoy learning about pretty much anything: all-things sustainability, world cultures, agriculture, the environment, and history, to name a few.

And of course, travel, but you could've already guessed that one. This past fall I traveled to Italy, Malta, Turkey, Lebanon, Armenia, and Georgia, and loved every minute of my travels. I met so many amazing people and am looking to further these experiences this year by traveling over-land from Italy to Tajikistan in Central Asia! The first WorkAway I did was towards the end of my trip in Southern Turkey, and it was probably my favorite week of my entire trip. This time around, I would love to have more experiences like that.

I'm at my happiest when I'm having authentic experiences. Whether it's trying a new activity new in my own community, traveling to another state or country, or even just visiting with my grandparents on their back-porch, I have always been fulfilled by experiences over material possessions.

My mission this year is to have as many authentic experiences as possible by constantly stepping out of my comfort zone, meeting new people, and offering my services to those who need them.

Looking forward to speaking with you :)

Joey

If interested, I have references on couch-surfing and AirBNB, as well as many personal and professional:

Professional Reference:
Dr. Tonya Smith, Professor under whom I was a teaching assistant (email upon request)

Personal Reference
Michael Talerico, (almost twin) brother, and the person who knows me best (email upon request)

Interests

Languages

Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Arabic: Intermediate
Spanish: Intermediate

More details about my language interests
I speak fluent English, and as a language learner myself, would love to help someone improve and practice their English abilities. On top of this, I can speak intermediate Spanish and Arabic, and am learning Italian, and would love to practice those languages with someone who speaks them.

Find a language buddy

Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn

I'm interested in:  

Eco Projects

DIY and building projects

Life at a Farmstay

Hospitality/Tourism

Art Projects

---

Some knowledge of:  

Gardening

General Maintenance

Helping around the house

Creating/ Cooking family meals

Helping with Computers/ Internet

Languages

Charity Work

More details about your skills

- I'm a strong self-starter and hard worker
- A variety of yard work/gardening abilities and experience
- General maintenance abilities
- Indoor and outdoor cleaning abilities
- Years of academic, group, and job leadership experience
- Writing abilities (Perfect SAT English score)
- I come from a large family and I am great with kids and people in general
- I'm a great cook (I have some great Lebanese recipes from my mom!)
- I'm handy and a good problem solver
- I have worked many jobs in the service industry and have great charisma and people-skills
- Intermediate Arabic and Spanish language skills
- I'm an excellent and experienced driver (both cars and off-road vehicles)

Any needed skills that are not listed I am willing and ready to learn!

Age

19

Some more information

• 

  Smoker

• 

  Driver's licence

• 

  Allergies

• 

  Special dietary requirements