Rebecca

Travel information

I am currently

Description

Hello WorkAway Community!

My name is Rebecca, and after five years of working professionally in social work and food service, I decided to quit my jobs to follow my dreams by embarking on a journey to travel the world.

Since I was a young child, I have had a passion for traveling and learning about other cultures. Between my family hosting foreign exchange students, studying abroad, and participating in a few cultural exchange programs myself, I always left feeling enlightened by each experience, which has helped me become a more open-minded, introspective person. My lifelong passion for exploring the world and expanding my worldview drove me to pay off debt and save aggressively--happy to say I achieved that goal quickly, and I hope to use those funds to travel the world indefinitely.

Before this, I have spent most of my short career serving others. Most recently, I worked with at-risk youth in Anchorage, Alaska by providing vocational training and access to mental health services; but I have also managed a food pantry for university students and have helped rescue food from commercial kitchen spaces/businesses to low-income families. In my free time, I enjoy spending my time outdoors (hiking, biking, skiing, etc.), as well as getting together with friends for a pint or a casual conversation. I am an avid tea drinker and love to cook, although I have never done it professionally! When I have access to a kitchen, I prefer to make everything from scratch - including my own breads (tortillas, loaves, pancakes, bagels, scones, etc.), yogurt/spreads/sauces, and even wine.
Other hobbies of mine include photography and gardening. Back in Anchorage, I gardened with my roommate in the summer and was blessed with year-long access to fresh produce from a network of local farmers. Between my professional career and my free time, I have gained some knowledge in gardening and composting, so I may be able to provide basic advice in those areas.

Since leaving my profession and being on the road, I have found myself working in Australia's agriculture sector - particularly among numerous orchards, vineyards, and storage sites. Some of the jobs I have held since starting this journey have included fruit picking, quality control, pruning, sampling, and weighbridge clerk. Each of those roles have led to its own set of challenges, however I have enjoyed each experience and would be happy to share what knowledge I do know from said experiences.

As I travel and live in different places across the world, I find myself learning and adapting to the cultures around me. Overtime, this has allowed me to reflect on how scarce our resources on Earth truly are and how important it is to use the gifts nature provides us wisely. I value sustainable practices and conserving the resources that remain.. Recognizing these resources as gifts, caring for these gifts, taking only what we need, and giving away what we don't use ensures that we have these resources and natural beauty for generations to come!
As such, I believe reciprocity is key for building community and recognizing gratitude for what we have in life. I have found greater appreciation and happiness in my life when I act as a steward for others and our world, and I dream that others will someday follow suit.

Many would say that I am independent, easygoing, and thoughtful. I may not be the "jack-of-all-trades"; however with a little bit of empathy, patience, and respect, I am always keen to learn new skills.

I would be happy to answer any questions you have or elaborate on any of my skills, interests, and qualifications. I can also provide my resume/CV upon request. Nevertheless, thank you for taking the time to read my profile, and I hope to meet you soon!

-Rebecca

Interests

History

Politics / Social justice

Vegetarian or vegan

Self development

Sustainability

Plant care

Photography

Outdoor activities

Nature

Music

Mountain

Hiking

Gardening

Farming

Cycling

Culture

Cooking & food

Charity work

Camping

Architecture

Languages

Languages spoken
English: Fluent
German: Intermediate

More details about my language interests
I would love to be able to communicate in other languages (at least on a basic level), but I need the accountability and support to do so. Learning languages is not something that comes naturally to me, although I think it is important to show respect of a person's culture - hence why I would like to learn more.

Find a language buddy

Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn

I'm interested in:  

Life at a Farmstay

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Some knowledge of:  

Gardening

Helping with Computers/ Internet

Hospitality/Tourism

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Able to teach about:  

Creating/ Cooking family meals

Helping around the house

Charity Work

House sitting

More details about your skills

I have always had a skill for record keeping, organization, and other administrative tasks, so I have naturally found myself working in these roles. Whether you have basic bookkeeping needs, decluttering projects, or secretary work, I am always eager to help!

I may have been a social worker, but I was no ordinary social worker - if anything, I was more of a life skills-development coach and care farmer. For four years, I worked at a hydroponic farm that employed at-risk youth in the community, and I have held numerous different roles within the program.
1. I built the indirect, internal capacity of this nonprofit organization, which included building and refining its volunteer management program, training and mentoring youth to run its volunteer management program, grant writing, and designing and facilitating a summer camp for year 7-12 students in the community.
2. I designed and ran an internal youth-based apprenticeship program that allowed at-risk youth to work toward personal and professional goals, while also gaining transferable job skills and accessing basic needs and mental health support.
3. I professionally mentored several year 11 and 12 students on job readiness and college prep, while also encouraging career exploration in clinical psychology.
4. I served as the Kitchen Manager for several young adults who ran a food business making kimchi and sauerkraut with Alaska-grown vegetables. In addition to approving business decisions and shaping the business to becoming compliant to all state and federal laws and recommendations, I also oversaw the trainings, product development, and community engagement. This also included lessons in proper etiquette and food safety in a commercial kitchen setting.
5. I trained and supervised work activities on the farm including seeding, transplanting, harvest and packaging, cleaning and maintenance, and workplace safety.
6. I also found myself managing much of the farm's bookkeeping.

During my first year of social work (Food Pantry Manager), I focused on improving our inventory management, as well as increasing access to culturally-significant foods through fundraisers and advocacy work. Between presentations, campus-wide events, and campaigning, I was able to increase our volunteer base and reduce stigma around food insecurity among university students.

Lastly, I have held numerous customer service jobs throughout my life, particularly as a secretary and in food service. Most notably, I was a shift supervisor at Starbucks for several years, which required me to lead my team through the peak hours each weekday morning.

Age

30

What else ...

I am new to Workaway, so I invite you to check out my Couchsurfing profile if you need a character reference: https://www.couchsurfing.com/people/rebecca-knapp

Some more information

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  Smoker

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  Driver's licence

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  Allergies
  Penicillin. While not confirmed, I am most likely allergic to all of the "cillins" as well.

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  Special dietary requirements
  I typically eat vegetarian, but I also understand that sometimes a vegetarian diet is not accessible or culturally-recognized depending on where you go.