The COVID-19 pandemic has led many people to make decisions and try things that they wouldn’t have otherwise. With this summer’s travel restrictions, it led me to Workaway, a website that facilitates cultural exchanges where “workawayers” stay with hosts, trading labor for room and board. 

I spent two weeks on a workaway this summer on an estate in rural Wales. The hosts were a couple with a young child, along with the mother/grandmother who owned the estate. It was a working bed and breakfast that had a large garden and some livestock (pigs and various types of birds). It couldn’t have been a bigger change from the hustle and bustle of London! 

I grew up in the country, and being back in a rural setting felt certain ways like coming home. I knew the berries. I knew how to weed the garden. I also enjoyed the differences. I certainly didn’t grow up with beautiful stone houses and peacocks!    

Doing a Workaway is a fascinating way to get to know a new place because you’re integrated socially. You have a role, a job (while most stays are volunteer, some Workaways operate as businesses and pay for income-earning tasks), and a host family. I liked getting to know the people I stayed with while I got to know more about Wales. The family hosted relatives for much of my stay, and they often had friends over for large shared dinners, so there was always a rotating cast of people to talk to. They were all very welcoming, and with self-isolation such a recent memory, it was great to have a built-in social circle around. 

Workaway is intended as a cultural exchange. Many Workawayers take the opportunity to travel and experience daily life in different countries or regions. There were certainly differences between my life on the workaway and my daily life at home, as well as differences in social norms and attitudes. 

My advice for others interested in trying a workaway is to be open to these differences, to be open socially (even if you’re an awkward introvert like me), and to learn from others. Also, expect the unexpected! No matter how well you pack or how carefully you research the area you’re traveling to, you will likely encounter difficulties and joys during your stay that you haven’t prepared for. Be prepared to work hard, pitch in, and help out. Get ready, too, to have fun.

If you’re thinking of trying Workaway or something similar, go for it! It’s a good way to get out of your comfort zone, experience a different way of life, live in a different place for a time, and forge new connections.