Karl & Kathy

Travel information

We are currently

Activities we are interested in:

Sailing, kayaking, Mountain Biking, Hiking, Meeting people, Making music, Helping out

Description

We are a retired couple. We've been married 40 years, have three children and 6 grandchildren. We work to stay fit and active. We ride a fully suspended tandem mountain bike, we camp, ski, hike, and paddle our tandem sea kayak. For 5 years, we lived aboard a sailboat on the island of Guam.

Karl - From building boats, a Koi pond, a mountain bike training track, musical instruments, to my latest, a folding composite camper. I am most content when I am busy doing something where I am both using developed skills but also discovering new ones. I am recently retired from a career as a teacher where every day was spent helping others find their own motivation and nurturing their growth and confidence.

Kathy - I love meeting new people, helping others and staying busy. I am best known for being friendly, approachable and hard working. I am recently retired from my position as Director of Counseling. I lived aboard a sailboat with my husband, 3 girls and our dog for 5 years on the island of Guam. Varnishing, painting, and cleaning our boat hull was a regular part of life. I worked full time as a counselor for elementary students with emotional disabilities during that time. I have also worked as a counselor and therapist for people from age 5 to adults. We have 6 grandchildren that I love playing and interacting with. Every summer, I have a grandma camp for them and even my 18 year old granddaughter keeps coming back for time with cousins and all the activities I arrange for them. In our first workaway experience I took on cleaning out and reorganizing two workshops, grouted stonework, cleaned and prepared rooms as well as stepping into the role as host, meeting and greeting guests for events. In our second Workaway experience I did a mixture of garden work, household duties and teaching English to an 8 year old. We also visited with school children to expose them to our culture and English speaking skills. In our last Workaway experience I painted windows and bedrooms. I cooked and I helped my husband with wood working projects. I also worked with our host in organizing and decorating her house.

We both enjoy a challenge and have experience, knowledge and skills to offer. We are reliable, friendly people who commit to following through on tasks and take initiative to be helpful and useful.

Interests

Languages spoken

English: Fluent
Spanish: Intermediate
French: Beginner
Indonesian: Beginner

Skills and knowledge we'd like to share or learn

Some knowledge of:  

Helping with Computers/ Internet

Gardening

Creating/ Cooking family meals

Hospitality/Tourism

---

Able to teach about:  

DIY and building projects

General Maintenance

Helping around the house

Teaching

More details about your skills

Karl -
Fiberglass/epoxy repair and construction
Woodworking
Sailing, navigation
Music teacher
Science teacher
Engineering teacher
Trail building (MTB single track)
Diesel mechanic (novice)
Small engine mechanic (novice)
Welding (novice)
Excavator operator (novice)

Kathy:
High School Director of Counseling
Family therapist
Adolescent in-patient therapist

Age

63 & 66

What else ...

On our most recent workaway, I helped our host plan, purchase, and create a DIY woodworking shop from scratch for her property. The project was thoroughly satisfying and I was able to build a mortise and tenon window that matched the style of the very old building with the tools and equipment we bought. If you have similar needs, we have the experience and enthusiasm to do something similar for you.

Some more information

• 

  Smoker

• 

  Driver's licence

• 

  Allergies
  Karl has some animal allergies. While daytime exposure is OK, accomodations need to be free of dander.

• 

  Special dietary requirements
  No - We enjoy exploring new food choices and are fond of meat in our diet.