Bill & Lisa

Travel information

We are currently

Description

Bill: I love traveling. The idea of being able to share my time and skills with others while seeing more of the world and getting to know a variety of people--what's not to love? I'm happiest when learning new things, when I have the chance to be in the natural world, when sharing a meal with friends. I hike, I cycle, I read, I garden, I'm a spiritual seeker. I've recently left university teaching and plan on becoming a bit of a nomad with my partner Lisa in the coming year, so Workaway provides an ideal path forward.
I grew up in Maryland and didn't really start traveling until early adulthood, then paused for some years while I focused on work and raising children. Since the early 2000s I've been traveling again--Central America, Mexico, and Europe. In between trips I continued my work as an English professor at a small college, where I taught courses in English linguistics, writing, and environmental literature. I've also taught some ESOL over the years for immigrants and refugees.

Lisa: I find happiness in food, community, mornings, music, nature, animals, fresh from the farm produce, the water, the woods, my bike, and dogs of every kind. I love the adventure of traveling to new places, meeting and connecting with new people, and learning new skills. I am currently working hard on learning Spanish. Thankfully, my partner, Bill is an amazing and patient teacher!
I am a chef and culinary educator by trade, specializing in whole foods that support our health, our overall well-being, and the earth we share. I grew up in Baltimore, which is a very colorful and charming city. It is not without its problems, with food insecurity being one that I feel very passionate about. For the past few years, my partner, Bill, and I have been preparing meals weekly for some underserved communities in our city, using money we have raised through GoFundMe and donations from the Maryland Food Bank. We realize it is a drop in the bucket compared to the insurmountable problem but feel compelled to do what we can do. As we travel, we hope to find more ways to give back by helping those who are planting seeds, growing and harvesting, teaching, learning, and feeding the world.

Interests

Languages

Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: Intermediate
German: Beginner

More details about my language interests
I'm able to teach English, and I'm working to improve my Spanish.

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Skills and knowledge we'd like to share or learn

We're interested in:  

Charity Work

Teaching

Gardening

DIY and building projects

Animal Care

Life at a Farmstay

Creating/ Cooking family meals

General Maintenance

Eco Projects

Hospitality/Tourism

Helping around the house

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Able to teach about:  

Languages

More details about your skills

Bill: My formal work has been as a college professor in an English department, teaching writing, English linguistics, and some environmental literature. I also have experience in teaching English as a second language, which I have always really enjoyed. Before the pandemic I was volunteering with a small nonprofit in Baltimore teaching ESL to asylum seekers.
I'm a lifelong gardener, mostly vegetables and herbs. I used to have a pretty massive garden but have scaled way back since we moved back to the city. As a home owner I've had to be my own handyman over the years: light carpentry, minor plumbing repairs, painting, all the usual things. In recent years I've gained a fair amount of experience assisting my partner Lisa with her cooking and catering business.

Lisa: I'm a chef and culinary educator, as I mentioned above. I focus on whole foods and health-supportive cooking, and try as much as possible to source locally and organically. My experience includes personal cheffing, catering, and some restaurant work.
I love gardening and growing things indoors and outdoors. I've always maintained a garden and kept house plants.
I also have a passion for teaching about all aspects of food and cooking.
I've always had dogs as pets and am interested in caring for animals.
I've been a homeowner and have plenty of experience with DIY projects, whether painting, tiling a bathroom floor, or roof repair.

Age

63 & 60

What else ...

We travel with our dog Max, a medium sized mutt (probably lab mixed with a lot of things). He loves people, other dogs, being outside, and he doesn't bark.
We humans love games with words, like scrabble or bananagrams. (Max can't spell.) We love great food, and we're interested in the issue of sustainability regarding food production and preparation.

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
  Plant based, fish ok (Bill eats meat occasionally). Lisa can’t have milk or cream., but butter, eggs, and aged cheese are fine (as are goat/sheep cheese).