Kate & James

Our status

Description

Hi everyone! We're Katie and Jimmy, from the US and Australia respectively.
We met in Byron Bay, Australia, completing a dive master internship program. Needless to say we are both ocean going creatures, constantly drawn to the sand and the surf. Jimmy is surfing obsessed, while Katie has recently, though no less intensely, fallen in love with the sport.

Katie is an avid photographer, nerding out on cameras, artists, design and architecture. She loves the medium of film photography most; in this instant-gratification day and age, it affords the ability to have one print, one moment captured and rendered sacred. Katie’s favorite forms of photography are portraiture and underwater/landscape, blending a mix of color and black-and-white photography throughout. Growing up obsessively reading National Geographic Katie found her passion at the place where photography and travel meet, and at no other time is she more inspired to create than when she is traveling.

Jimmy finds motivation in early mornings, in the surf report, in great food, coffee and great company. He loves to write and to read, and would love to turn his passion for the english language into a career, either as a teacher or a writer.

We love cooking! We're obsessed with traveling the world through flavor, and we find such great joy in the taste of a nation and its people. We love the science behind food as well, from regenerative and sustainable agriculture and farming methods, to gastronomy and the science of flavor. We are dying to learn the hands-on processes of regenerative farming to broaden our understanding and appreciation of the power of food. We dream of one day having our own plot of land with a beautiful little regenerative farm and you can all come over for dinner!

Interests

Skills and knowledge we'd like to share or learn

We're interested in:  

Eco Projects

Animal Care

Charity Work

Teaching

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Some knowledge of:  

Gardening

Art Projects

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Able to teach about:  

Babysitting and creative play

Creating/ Cooking family meals

Hospitality/Tourism

Language practice

More details about your skills

We met in Byron Bay, Australia, completing a dive master internship program, at which after four months we earned our dive master certification, along with advanced first aid and CPR. This was an extremely labour-intensive, safety-centric position, so we are no strangers to hard work or health and safety standards. Plus, we’ve already got the living/working together thing down, so we know we make a great team!

Coincidentally, we both lived in Italy for a year prior to meeting, and we have both adopted a love for the Italian language and culture. We love speaking together, and relish every opportunity to practice abroad. We are also desperate to learn Spanish, and are actively seeking experiences that will help us learn! And with our Italian foundation, we think we could pick it up pretty quickly!

We have both worked in a diverse range of professions, from hospitality and customer service, to media, to construction, and child care.
Our hospitality backgrounds have taught us to be diligent, empathetic and personable. Construction taught us to appreciate the capacity of team work, and to appreciate the process as well as the end result. Childcare taught patience... endless patience. We consider ourselves "jack/jill of all trades" kind of people, with a wide variety of skills, but we are most interested in learning anything and everything new!

Jimmy studied Journalism at the University of Queensland, and for three years he was the Media and Communications Manager (then General Manager) at Vive la Tarte, a collection of artisanal bakeries and cafes in San Francisco and Los Angeles. This gave him experience with managing website creation, branding, copywriting and advertising. He has worked in just about every field in hospitality/tourism, from fine dining and high-volume restaurants in Brisbane, to Scuba dive guide in Byron Bay, to surf instructor in Hawaii. He also has ample labouring and construction experience. While he's no qualified carpenter or plumber, he will work his bum off on site and has zero qualms getting dirty.

Katie studied Environmental Science & Conservation at the University of Oregon, which fueled her passion for the ocean and inspired her to fly to Australia to earn her Dive Master certification. She has worked as a paid photographer in the past, and can bring her attention to detail and innate ability to find order and beauty to any situation. She also has photo/video editing skills, having shot and directed her first music video in 2020.
She has also worked in various fields in hospitality/tourism. She was an au pair in Italy for a year, and has worked in bars and breweries, at resorts and country clubs, and as a scuba dive guide/Dive master. On top of that, has heaps of experience taking care of the little ones, having been a nanny/au pair to kids ranging from 18-months to teenagers.

Languages

Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Italian: Intermediate
Spanish: Beginner

More details about my language interests
We are both keenly interested in learning Spanish and furthering out knowledge and understanding of Italian.

Find a language buddy

Age

26 & 30

Some more information

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  Smoker

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  Driver's licence

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  Allergies
  Nope!

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  Special dietary requirements
  Nada