Evelien

Travel information

I am currently

Description

I'm a 39-year-old freelancer running a guesthouse in France together with my husband Dorian, whom I've been doing most of my traveling with for the past 19 years. We started out backpacking throughout Europe & South-East Asia in our twenties. In 2016 we set out for one of our greatest adventures so far: a year-long road trip through North America in a 20-year-old RV, an experience that we'll cherish for the rest of our lives. We went wwoofing in several states (Florida, Montana, California...) and had many other interesting encounters by means of house/pet sitting, boondocking etc. Gradually, the idea of what to do once we got back home, took shape. Although we had both been city dwellers for most of our previous lives, we no longer felt at ease in the city of Antwerp, after having lived in the American and Canadian vastness for such a long time. Upon our return in Belgium, one of the first things we did was buy a minivan and convert it into a campervan, allowing us to escape the city from time to time. We moved to a campground in the countryside and lived in a trailer for 2 years. We finally returned to nature and started a new life in the hospitality business on the Stevenson hike in the South-East of France. We now run a small-scale guesthouse with restaurant on the GR70 and are very happy with this change of scenery and lifestyle.
Since we spend almost all of our time together (both professionally and privately), we have recently decided to start traveling separately. Me personally, I like to go on multi-day hikes and trekkings and I love to make my travels more interesting by engaging in volunteer work, exchange programs and all sorts of workshops.

Interests

Charity work

History

Yoga / Wellness

Videography

Van life

Sustainability

Self development

Politics / Social justice

Plant care

Photography

Outdoor activities

Nature

Music

Movies & TV

Mountain

Languages

Hiking

Gardening

Farming

Events & social

Dancing

DIY & crafts

Culture

Cooking & food

Camping

Books

Languages

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

More details about my language interests
I'd like to freshen up on my language skills (especially Italian) and am interested in learning Spanish.

Find a language buddy

Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn

I'm interested in:  

DIY and building projects

Life at a Farmstay

Eco Projects

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Some knowledge of:  

Gardening

Being an elderly companion

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Able to teach about:  

General Maintenance

Creating/ Cooking family meals

Helping around the house

Hospitality/Tourism

Languages

Teaching

Helping with Computers/ Internet

House sitting

More details about your skills

I used to work as an English and Dutch language teacher in various settings: secondary education, adult education (expats, asylum seekers...). I used to be a translator and interpreter in both English and Italian. A few years ago, I've decided to switch things around and, together with my husband, set up a hikers' guesthouse in the South-East of France. I have a hands-on mentality and I like to get things done.
Dorian used to be a social worker with lots of experience with youths and disabled people. He used to work in a residential organisation for visually impaired people and taught them ICT skills in the associated school. He's also finished his degree as a sous-chef (French/Belgian cuisine) and is now running his own kitchen in our B&B.
Through our wwoof and workaway experiences we've both developed some gardening skills (weeding, mulching, planting, shoveling) and now have our very own little kitchen garden in our backyard. We can also do some odd jobs around the house: painting, decorating... We love DIY projects and by converting our minivan and upgrading our trailer Dorian has gained some experience with solar power and other technology.

Age

39

What else ...

truck driver's license (class C, no CDL)

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