Rachel

Travel information

I am currently

Description

Hallo!

I am from Oxford, England, and am finishing my second year of university studying human geography at Durham University and want to travel around Austria, to practice my German, which I have spoken at home all my life, but have never lived in a German speaking country. I spent my childhood watching Heidi, and have never been to the Alps before, so would love to experience rural life in Austria.

I would love to spend time on a farm or sustainable project, getting involved in whatever my help would be needed with. I am a thoughtful, considerate, and well organised person. I am able to fit in with others but also be independent. Many of my interests center around being in nature. I have done lots of hiking, canoe expeditions and camping with my family and friends. I also enjoy keeping fit and run regularly, and have done a triathlon and love wild swimming in rivers, lakes and the sea, even in Winter! I also love cycling, especially to discover new areas. When I relax, I love to crochet, go on walks with my friends and my dog, play board games and read. In my free time I am also creative and love making things: sewing my own clothes, painting and making mosaics. I would love to be able to help with any creative projects. I am in the process of learning more about spirituality, and what it means for me. For me, a central pillar to inner peace and well-being is connection with nature, and I am looking to slow down my pace of life for a while, and escape the chaos of urban life.

I am always keen to learn new things about our world. At school I studied History, Geography, Biology and German. I love studying Geography at University as it teaches me so much about the world around me, diversity of cultures, and climate change. The climate crisis is very important to me, and all that I do is done with an aim to being kind to the planet. I follow a sustainable lifestyle, and do not fly within Europe. I have been involved in climate activism for 5 years and am very interested in how we can take action to protect our planet. I would love to share discussions with you about new topics and learn more things!I am interested in different cultures and want to be a global citizen and connect and share memorable experiences. I have done quite a lot of travelling including to New Zealand, Italy and Zimbabwe, and I adapt easily to new places.

Interests

Languages

Languages spoken
German: Fluent
English: Fluent
Spanish: Intermediate
Italian: Beginner

More details about my language interests
I am interested in learning more Spanish. I have studied Spanish for 5 years so I understand a fair amount but I want to gain confidence speaking it. I would also love to practice my German, which is already at quite a high level.

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Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn

I'm interested in:  

Eco Projects

Hospitality/Tourism

Charity Work

Life at a Farmstay

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Some knowledge of:  

Gardening

General Maintenance

Creating/ Cooking family meals

Helping around the house

Animal Care

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Able to teach about:  

Languages

Teaching

More details about your skills

I learnt a lot doing my previous three workaways. In Valencia, Spain, I learnt about looking after donkeys, chickens, ducks, and lots of other rescue animals. I was also responsible for maintaining the garden. In my second placement in the Sierra Nevada, Spain, I had similar animal caring responsibilites. I also learnt a lot about sustainable building methods, helping to construct a mud house and water tank. I also worked in the vegetable patch and making preserves in the kitchen. My last placement last Summer in Germany involved childcare, tending to 13 horses and many sheep and ducks, and watering and picking vegetables daily. Through all of these placements I have learnt the importance of living in harmony with the land, and the magic of mind-body connection to the Earth.

I have experience doing manual work as I have often helped my father painting walls, cutting hedges, and gardening. I also help my mother a lot on our allotment where we grow our own vegetables, including spinach, kale, courgettes and lots more!

I have volunteered as a swimming helper working with disabled children and adults, so I have experience of working with people with different needs. I have good communication skills and am careful to respect everyone. I am a German tutor for a 6, 10 and 16 year old, so I am very familiar with teaching and learning languages. From September-December 2021 I worked as an au pair in Berlin, so I am confident in communicating in foreign languages and love interacting with children.

I am campaigns co-ordinator for my university's climate action group, and President of Extinction Rebellion society in my city (a global climate justice network). I have also fundraised for charities and organising charity events in my community. Climate action is at the heart of all that I do, and I have considerable knowledge and skills about living sustainably and ethically.

Age

21

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
  I am vegan, but happy to sometimes be vegetarian :)