Woofing

Barcelona was good but I was in Spain to woof. Time to move on. I quickly photo shopped a photo of me to make me extra appealing to all of my potential hosts and then sent out my request...

Hola (insert name) (o:

My name is Mark and I am a 23 year old student from New Zealand. Along with a friend, I have been travelling the world for one year now and have just recently arrived in Spain. I am currently staying as a couch surfer in Barcelona but hope to soon move on into trying out woofing.

I left New Zealand after completing my university studies (Bachelor of Science in Zoology and Ecology and a Postgraduate diploma in Wildlife Management) and began to travel to experience new ways of living, see what else this world has to offer and most importantly, to enjoy myself along the way. When my travels are complete, i plan on returning to New Zealand to complete my masters in Wildlife Management.

I have recently joined wwoofing as it seems a great way to see a local culture first hand while also picking up some valuable lifestyle experiences. I would also love to learn Spanish as I hope to travel to South America next year.

Back home I live on a small farm where we graze horses and keep a few chickens, cows and sheep on a non commercial basis. As such, from woofing, it would be nice to have something to take back home when I finish my travels that could be put into use there.

Before leaving for travel, I worked for 3 months with an environmental consulting firm (Wildland Consultants) back in New Zealand and during my travels I have taught English on a volunteer basis for 2 weeks and worked as a builder in Germany for 2 months. I also helped a Thai friend restore and renovate a house in Thailand which he hopes to now put into use as a school for kids with fewer opportunities in life. In New Zealand, I have had numerous summer jobs labouring, painting, gardening, working in a petrol station and for our local government conservation group the Department of Conservation (DoC).

As a helper on your property, I promise to work hard and well. I am a quick learner and most importantly, I am keen. I am fit, smart and capable and am looking forward to doing something productive once more. Your farm sounded especially appealing to me as (insert favourable sounding reasons related to what they are offering).

I am available to work for (insert offered time frame). I have no time frame on this trip and so am easy to mould to whatever suits you. My friend I am travelling with can also help out if you would prefer a team of 2 people (he is 23, fit, studied Zoology and VERY capable with most things. He has worked as a builder on and off for years during university breaks and will join me in South America next year too).

I am sure you have questions you would like to ask me and I would love to answer them all so please don´t hesitate to ask!

I look forward to hearing from you, hope the weather is beautiful in (insert city),

Sincerely,

Mark A. Turner
a.k.a Kiwi!

Being told it usually takes one to two weeks before a reply was recieved and that you often had to call the people to get one, I was pleasently surprised to get a response from all three requests I had sent out within two days! And so now I am today heading off to Tolva where my first host Mike Fenton is.

Will he work us 12hrs a day slave labour?
Will we be in a hippy commune, eating raw turnips and composting trees with our own wastes?
Will the hosts be border line psycotics and have us fearing for our lives every second we are there?
Will we be treated like royalty and fattened up on the fruits of the gods?
Or will it just be plain old farm work?

Only one way to find out...