Stefan

From: Canada

Account Type
Individual account
Travelling to
France
Travel dates
09/03/2020 - 25/03/2020
Badges

My status
At home
Description
Hi everyone! I'm a journalist / writer / entrepreneur that's always had a passion for historic castles/chateaus. In my day job, I write about innovation, tech companies, and successful entrepreneurs. But anyone who knows me will tell you my real passion is for historic houses.

My goal with Workaway is to learn French in an immersion environment while helping/learning how to renovate or restore a historic castle/chateau. Eventually, I plan to buy/restore a chateau for myself, so I consider this learning as much as having fun.

I grew up in a family that renovated houses and moved onto the next one, so I've been exposed to pretty much everything in a typical house renovation - sanding, painting, drywalling, gardening, electrical/plumbing (watched and helped, not done it myself), etc. We've also always had dogs and cats, so I know a bit about caring for family animals.

When I'm not working, I'd need wifi as I'll likely be taking some Google/Skype calls, submitting article drafts, and managing my business remotely for a couple hours a day.

Beyond that, I am an explorer, love walking, and am more than happy to help anyone practice their English language skills (bonus if you can help me practice/learn French in return).

A bit more about me:
- I was born and raised in Canada (in the country near Toronto), but am half-Greek and the other half a mix of Irish/Scottish with a smattering of northern Italian
- I studied sociology in undergrad with a focus on workplace/office culture
- After university, I started two businesses in Toronto - a recruiting business (failed) and a media company (running it now)
- I'm also a freelance journalist in Toronto covering technology and innovation
- I'm pretty active on Twitter as well (https://twitter.com/stefanpalios) where you see a whole lot of what I do in Toronto
Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn
Gardening
DIY and building projects
General Maintenance
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Helping around the house
Animal Care
Helping with Computers/ Internet
More details about your skills
- Cooking
- Cleaning/removing wallpaper
- Website setup (wordpress, squarespace, and wix)
- General maintenance
- Painting
- Carrying/moving things
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
French: Beginner
Age
28
What else ...
I've lived in the US and Canada, but have solo travelled around Europe, North Africa, and Australia in the past so I am comfortable in new settings (and places where I don't know the native language).

As a writer and entrepreneur, I've set up multiple sites using Wordpress, Wix, and Squarespace. While not a coder, I know the general features of these platforms and would be happy to offer guidance or help.

I love kids and pets, so no worries there. While my goal with Workaway is to learn the ropes of renovation/restoration and to learn French, I try to be as helpful as possible so helping with kids / animals is definitely possible
Some more information
- Smoker
- Driver's licence
- Allergies
  No allergies
- Special dietary requirements
  No dietary restrictions or requirements

Photos

Feedback

12/04/2020

Left by host (Looking for people passionate ...) for Workawayer (Stefan)

We feel very lucky to have had Stefan as our workaway guest recently. Not only did he work non stop to help us advance in our renovations with painting and decorating and helping in the grounds, but he also gave us so much of his time and shared his expertise in business and social media strategy and gave us invaluable advise with our website.… read more

(Excellent )

22/03/2020

Left by Workawayer (Stefan) for host for (Looking for people passionate ...)

Anna, Philipp, and the whole family were absolutely amazing. The chateau is precisely as described (that is to say, beautiful) and the exchange opportunity was fantastic. I got to learn a lot about what chateau life is really like and take part in it firsthand, plus learned some French and German along the way.

Everyone welcomed me in as a… read more member of the family, meaning that family dinners with Hildegard and the two girls were a nightly occurrence and the conversation was easy and fun. As well, everyone did what they could to make my stay a happy and fulfilling one:
- Anna took me into the town of Honfleur and walked all over, playing both tour guide and friend
- Philipp shared a lot about the family's chateau buying journey, giving me tips and taking time to discuss where in France you can get amazing chateaus
- Hildegard (Philipp's mom) cooked absolutely delicious food for everyone all the time
- Lilly and Ella (Anna and Philipp's two daughters) welcomed me into play time!

It also gets interesting: I was in the middle of my workaway when the global coronavirus / covid-19 pandemic exploded. I arrived on a Sunday. By the following Friday, France was announcing a lockdown and the Prime Minister of Canada (where I'm from) started asking people to return home. By the Monday after that, trains were decreasing in service, many flights were getting cancelled, and the country was on total lockdown.

Anna and Philipp did two things for which I will be forever grateful: They first said that if I couldn't get home that I could stay with them at the Chateau for as long as needed - they wouldn't kick me out or send me to a hotel. And they also offered to drive me to the airport in Paris (2.5 hours each way) so that I didn't have to risk it with public transit all but shut down. Luckily, I got a flight out. Philipp woke up at the crack of dawn to take me to the airport. I ended up ending my workaway only 3 days early when it was all said and done, so I didn't miss out on much. The worst part though was leaving without being able to give everyone a hug.

I am beyond grateful for the opportunity of workawaying here. I'd go back in a heartbeat as a workawayer and I'm so excited for Anna and Philipp to launch their new business.

If you're interested in owning a chateau (even if it's just a dream) and you want to know what it's really like owning and running a business from a chateau, you want to workaway here. You'll be grateful.

(Excellent )

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