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Informações de viagem
Eu estou
em casa
Descrição
My new years resolution entailed changing my profile on 'Workaway' and getting ready to volunteer in Europe as of May 2020. (Covid-19 made this slightly more complicated!) ;)
In 2019 I returned to Europe after having traveled through Australia, New Zealand & Brazil for 1,5 years, this to me was a life changing experience!
During my travels I opted to volunteer via 'Workaway' (by recommendation of a friend) as I found it a great way to meet locals whilst contributing towards all sorts of different activities. I'm so glad I gave it a go as I got to experience the most interesting things i.e. helping out at a sculpture park; managing a pop-up cafe; cooking healthy organic vegetarian/vegan food at a yoga retreat; pruning at a vineyard; helping disabled & elderly people; gardening & landscaping and doing all sorts of DIY jobs.
My 'journey' started back in 2016 when I decided to make big changes to my life. By 2017 I sold my little business, gave up my flat, sold my car and donated my belongings to charity & friends. The one and only thing I kept was my bicycle, that’s my real Dutch side!
I’m originally from the Netherlands, my parents migrated to Portugal (South coast, Algarve) in 1980 where they built a campsite, in fact, the first one in that region back then. I have lived in the Algarve most of my life. I tend to visit my family in the Netherlands on a regular basis.
My education was mainly in Portuguese & English and we all spoke Dutch at home.
I was lucky to live close to the ocean so I'm a great fan of the beach, sea and nature in general.
My favourite sport is cycling (mountain biking) and I enjoy long walks along the seaside.
I have an interest in various forms of art, from dance (I danced classical ballet & contemporary for many years), to photography and music. I was hoping to learn to play the piano again as its one of my favourite instruments.
"Life is a gift therefore I wish to cherish and be grateful for its journey"
See you soon!
Interesses
MontanhasPraiaNaturalezaVelejar/navegarFitnessYoga/bem-estarCiclismoDançaAtividades ao ar livreCaminhadaTrabalho beneficenteJardinagemSustentabilidadeAnimaisMascotesIdiomasArquiteturaArte e designArtes performáticasFaça você mesmo
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Habilidades e conhecimento para compartilhar ou aprender
Tenho interesse em:
Jardinagem
Projetos de construção/faça você mesmo
Fazer companhia para idosos
Manutenção geral
Ajuda a cuidar da casa
Hotelaria/turismo
Trabalho beneficente
Conhecimento de:
Cuidar de crianças/atividades criativas
Vida na fazenda
Cuidar de animais
Prática de idiomas
Poso ensinar:
Criar/cozinhar refeições caseiras
Quais são suas habilidades?
I was a landscape gardener for +/- 8 years (this was during my 20's), I then managed a small apartment complex for 3 years whereby I was involved with all various departments i.e. front office, back office, staff, customer service, accounts & finance, marketing, maintenance & upkeep.
For the past 10 years I have been a self-employed property manager and during this period I also outsourced administrative services for a couple of other businesses.
I offered catering services on weekends and holiday seasons as this was a hobby of mine. Baking and making desserts was my favourite part!
My parents used to own a campsite on the south coast of Portugal so the hospitality industry has in fact been the foundation to my skills set.
I have a honours degree in Business studies (Management) and I was awarded a 'WSET level 1 award in wines' (QCF) in London.
I enjoy the role of being a host, I'm not afraid in getting my hands dirty, I don't mind doing things on my own and I'm happy to take on new challenges.
Idiomas
Inglês: Fluente
Holandês: Fluente
Português: Fluente
Espanhol: Intermediário
Francês: Intermediário
Italiano: Iniciante
Idade
44
Nacionalidade
Dutch
Algo mais...
I can say that I'm efficient, meticulous and good at resolving problems.
Being organized and tidy is important to me.
I would describe myself as social (but enjoy quiet times), curious, friendly, humble and respectful.
Recycling, upcycling and being environmentally friendly is very important to me.
Cooking for friends and sharing nice/healthy food is something I really enjoy.
For me its a real pleasure to meet new people and to be able to help others.
Mais algumas informações
Fumante
Carteira de motorista
Alergias
Dietas especiais
I'm a pescatarian but during my travels I have become a bit of a 'flexitarian'!
Comentário
One day i woke up and received a very kind message from Linda (the owner) asking me if I was willing to come and help them out at their beautiful chateau. Despite the whole Covid-19 going on I eventually… read more
Romola has a wealth of knowledge and has experienced the most amazing things in the arts world in various parts of the world. In exchange for spring cleaning her home i got to listen to all her adventures.
We shared many conversations whilst enjoying healthy and delicious food.
Romola thank you… read more
Christina & Kelly are a very special couple with great sense of humour.
Working out in the garden was a joy, either with Kelly or with Christina.
All meals were shared together mixed with lots of laughter and great conversations.
During my free time I got to play the piano, go on nice long bicycle rides (there are… read more
Amigos
Comentário
One day i woke up and received a very kind message from Linda (the owner) asking me if I was willing to come and help them out at their beautiful chateau. Despite the whole Covid-19 going on I eventually… read more
Romola has a wealth of knowledge and has experienced the most amazing things in the arts world in various parts of the world. In exchange for spring cleaning her home i got to listen to all her adventures.
We shared many conversations whilst enjoying healthy and delicious food.
Romola thank you… read more
Christina & Kelly are a very special couple with great sense of humour.
Working out in the garden was a joy, either with Kelly or with Christina.
All meals were shared together mixed with lots of laughter and great conversations.
During my free time I got to play the piano, go on nice long bicycle rides (there are… read more
On the day of my arrival Tinne was very kind to pick me up from Lilydale train station along with 2 other workawayers.
Once we got to the farm we were introduced to all the animals (cows, sheep, lambs, chickens, dogs) and then got to… read more
I got to cook some nice meals with delicous organic veggies from the garden.
Suzane is a very busy lady buts she always managed to find time during the weekend to make some amazing food too.
I spent a fair amount of time doing all sorts of jobs around the garden which I really… read more
I'd highly recommend Naomi, she is pro-active and respectful and follows through with everything assigned to her plus more! It was nice to have someone around who took the initiative!
Such encounters emphasise all the reasons why opening ones home to a person travelling past can be so very rewarding.
Not only was Naomi a joy to have around, but she was truly an exceptional help in all domestic matters as needed.
There wasn't a task Naomi could not… read more
Antonella is a very mindful and respectful person.
I had the pleasure to help her with various tasks around the house and in the garden.
Her two children are great little characters whom I became very fond of.
Thank you Antonella + kiddies for this beautiful exchange!
I miss you already!
Ciao
There were plenty of landscaping jobs for me to tackle during my stay.
The weather was quite stable so it was nice to be working out in the sun.
Phil was very kind to fix up his bike for me so I managed to do quite a bit of biking in the surrounding areas.
Ballan feels remote but once I got… read more
A slice of paradise!
During my stay I did a lot of prunning and garden clearing, there is plenty to do.
In my spare time I got to go for a swim at Otaki beach, the water temperature was amazing.
Victor is a very kind and gentle host, he cooks very… read more
Did all sorts of jobs around here home and helped preparing some meals for other work awayers.
This had been my first 'workaway', I really enjoyed the experience and I'm glad I gave it a go.
Ivanhoe is a beautiful suburb, very easy to get into Melbourne CBD.
There is a stunning… read more