Profile information
Travel information
I am currently
Travelling
Activities i am interested in:
On an open-ended Big Journey 🌍 traveling freely couch-surfing and volunteering on the way to experience life and meet interesting, inspiring people. 😊
My next destination:
Puglia, Italy - from Oct 2024 until Nov 2024 View allDescription
Hello,
My name is Peter. I'm from Szeged (Hungary) and I worked as an EU project-manager for almost 15 years. My projects ended in 2023, hence I quit my job, took a leap-of-faith and started my open-ended Big Journey 🌍 in February 2024. 😊
In the last few years I felt I hit walls both in my professional and private life (I could call it mid-life crisis, but that’s so over-used 😊), so I needed an out. After quitting my job and taking a leap-of-faith I now want to rediscover myself, learn more about who I am and gain some real-world experiences. After spending years in a 9-to-5 job now I want to try out new things. I also need to be outside, closer to nature to refresh my mind and enrich my knowledge outside the office… 🌿
For 1,5 years I have been hosting travellers on CS, BW and TR in my hometown Szeged. I was lucky to meet interesting, like-minded wanderers, exchange travel stories and grow my bucket-list. I really enjoyed showing my guests my city and taking them to my favourite rooftop bar to see the sunset or a small pub with live music...
In February 2024 I myself grabbed my backpack and started travelling freely couch-surfing and volunteering on the way to experience life and meet interesting, inspiring people. I sincerely believe that couch-surfing and volunteering provides great opportunities by bringing me into contact with people from whom I can learn and make friends with anywhere I go.
I'm independent, tidy and easy to get along with. I tend to be sociable but I also like quiet moments. I will be curious about the life you live and will also be happy to take my independent free-time by myself.
I have to admit that I’m not a ‘kitchen person’, but I want to grow in this aspect as well, so I‘ll gladly cook a local dish with you, help you bake bread or take care of the garden.
I only started volunteering a few months ago, so most likely everything will still be a ‘first’ for me - sorry. 😊 I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty and I’m eager to try out and learn new things, so I hope I could be of use to you too if you need a helping hand around the house and garden or construction/DIY. 😊Interests
MusicHistoryPhotographyHikingSustainabilityPetsMountainGardeningVideographyDIY & craftsOutdoor activitiesCyclingCultureAdventure sportsLanguages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Hungarian: Fluent
German: BeginnerMore details about my language interests
This workawayer has indicated that they would be interested in sharing their language(s) or learning a new language. You can contact them directly to discuss this.Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn
I'm interested in:
Eco ProjectsGardeningAnimal CareHospitality/TourismGeneral MaintenanceCharity WorkArt ProjectsLife at a FarmstaySome knowledge of:
DIY and building projectsHelping around the houseMore details about your skills
Börm, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany (August 2024):
My two weeks in Börm want by in a flash. I was mainly weeding the veggie-garden and harvesting apples. We also made apple puree on a wood-fire stove and used a 3-in-1 apple peeler-slicer-core remover tool.
Bremerhaven, Bremen, Germany (July-August 2024):
I spent three weeks in Bremerhaven, we were mainly working on the concrete floor of soon-to-be vegan café on the ground floor. I joined into the removal of the old concrete floor and steel mesh, it was my first time working with a jackhammer. We then shoveled up the debris and wheelbarrowed it to a container outside. After the cleanup we put down the new insulation and floor leveling material and also the tubes for the floor heating. In the end the new concrete followed, which we mixed on-site.
Nieklitz, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany (June-July 2024):
I spent four fantastic weeks with a community project in a quite busy period with events, workshops and retreats almost all the time.
We had weekly schedules with the work and roles divided up. I had my shifts as part of the team doing various tasks. I did different tasks and helped with event organization, lights, sound & stage equipment. I helped out in the kitchen or did the dishes (it was my first time in a professional kitchen working with a heavy duty dishwasher). Other times I cleaned the common areas and glamping tents/tiny houses. I even used a drop-saw and constructed festival pissoirs out of wood and rain-pipes. 😊
Kaina, Crete, Greece (April-May 2024):
Various general woodworking and gardening help on a farm with another volunteer. We cleared stones and leveled the ground for a big tent. We built the wooden part of a compost toilet from a wooden pallet, leftover planks and green plastic mesh. We removed stones as well as weeds & plants from footpaths and covered the paths with straw so one could walk them barefoot. We planted trees. Turned a wooden pallet into garden furniture by sanding and glazing. Made a raised garden-bed from straw-bales. Filled it and a stone-rimmed raised garden-bed with sheep dung and soil. Cleared stones and vegetation with pickaxe and shovel for a chicken coop and foundation of a yoga platform.
Agios Nikolaos, Crete, Greece (April 2024):
My host wanted to make a drip watering system for her trees (~20) in the garden that also kept the ground moist for longer. After loosening up the rocky soil with a pickaxe, I laid large cardboard sheets on the ground and weighed them down with rocks, then covered them with straw and plant clippings (the watering system itself was made by a professional). I also did some weeding of a rock garden and cleared out a flower patch.
Sision, Crete, Greece (March-April 2024):
I was helping open up an Irish bar at a new place, so I tried out myself with various DIY and remodelling tasks: I plastered and corrected smaller surface imperfections. I filled gaps with cement and broke concrete with an impact drill. I painted walls with brush and paint roller and glazed wood, etc.
Zaros, Crete, Greece (March 2024):
I helped around the house and garden as well as the olive fields. I helped cut the floor planks to size and fix them in the soon-to-be yoga room. Made a stone path in the garden. Collected and bagged rubble and all kinds of things from a back yard and took it to the waste yard. Made a sprinkling system for the olive trees in the fields. Burnt the dry olive branches.
Back at home before I started off on my Big Journey:
- I have a friend who inherited an old mud-brick house and garden. From time to time, I helped him with all kinds of repair stuff like painting, fence-building or dismantling an old, unused pigsty.
- I didn’t have a garden myself, but I also helped my friend with weeding and tending his garden. However I will ask to make sure which plants I shouldn’t pluck. 😊
- I helped other friends with repairing a roof and tiles. I'm not afraid of heights and I'm confident on the ladder and rooftop beams.
- I did DIY and feel fairly comfortable with power tools.
- I used to do airplane and railroad modelling 😊, so I believe I have a knack for accurate and meticulous work and details.
- I enjoy taking pictures with my camera. Maybe it's because I'm old and started photography on film, for me a camera is about pictures and not video. However I'm interested in learning videography and video-editing as well and maybe try out vlogging during my Big Journey. 😊Age
42
What else ...
Even before setting out I preferred to spend my free time outside: running, cycling, backpacking, hiking, via ferrata and everything related to mountains, city visits, local cuisine and drinks…
When I wasn't outside, I watched documentaries and travel vlogs, daydreaming about the places I'll myself visit.
Most of the time I listen to electronic music (trance, goa, psy trance, oldschool hardcore and rave, etc.), but I'm open to other kind of music as well - jazz and lounge, ska, nordic rock...
I like sci-fi, fantasy and steampunk films and books, however can't find the time to immerse myself into new worlds as much as I would. I haven't even seen one episode from Game of Thrones - shame on me I know! :-)Some more information
Smoker
Driver's licence
Allergies
Special dietary requirements
Feedback
I joined into the removal of the old concrete floor and steel mesh, it was my first time… read more
I was mainly weeding the veggie-garden… read more
I found their decision to move to Crete and start a new life gardening and building the straw clay house real motivating! 😊
One of their friends from the Netherlands was also there, so we were four altogether.
During the two weeks we did… read more
Photos
Friends
Feedback
I joined into the removal of the old concrete floor and steel mesh, it was my first time… read more
I was mainly weeding the veggie-garden… read more
I found their decision to move to Crete and start a new life gardening and building the straw clay house real motivating! 😊
One of their friends from the Netherlands was also there, so we were four altogether.
During the two weeks we did… read more
Right on the first week we hosted a huge retreat festival. It was great to already participate in the preparations, since I already had friends and good memories by the time the… read more
You jumped right in and seemed to have absolutely no fear or weren't hesitant.
I also enjoyed your honesty and your capability to speak about you and also your feelings.
Thanks also for staying longer and helping us out, when we really needed it.
We… read more
She wanted to make a drip watering system for her trees in the garden that also kept the ground moist for longer. After loosening… read more
I spent two weeks in March-April 2024 helping Cavan prepare his pub for opening… read more
Maria and her family were really friendly, they took me in right away and my fellow volunteers were awesome as well.
We worked Monday to Friday between 9-13, which wasn’t hard, we distributed tasks… read more
He helped us clean the whole garden, build a wooden floor, create a stone path and
do a lot of farm work. He is strong, resilient and reliable and a good teamplayer.
I totally recommend him.