27 June 2011
WWOOFING: IT BEGINS!
Yesterday we bought our WWOOF membership! Now it's time to start seriously thinking about where we'd like to go and what we'd like to do. Have you done any WWOOFing, friends? What did you like/dislike? Any tips for finding, booking, and getting on with hosts? Any suggestions about dealing with your personal requirements (e.g. diet) or avoiding people who don't like your kind (e.g. queers)? I'M EXCITED! :D
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Very exciting :)
ReplyDeleteWhere are you planning on heading on heading to first? We were only thinking of UK and had to find hosts happy to take us with children so that defined our search a little. We then wanted a diverse mix of hosts with growing and livestock and alternative technologies so tried to get a good mix of those. Over and above that we just read through all the hosts listings and had a big vote on each with any hosts making it through to the 'next round' needing a yes from all four of us.
We send a lengthy email giving a very honest account of who we are and what we want to get out of WWOOFing, which clearly put lots of hosts off but at least meant the ones we got a yes from knew what they were letting themselves in for! Having chatted to over 10 hosts now about how they make their selection and why they chose us that seemed a good plan. Some hosts seemed to want to engage by email over and above the initial exchange so we had already built up a little bit of a relationship by email but others just sent brief messages confirming dates. I definitely think giving as much info about yourselves as possible is the best way. I'd much rather have had a 'no thanks' email reply than find ourselves somewhere that clearly didn't work.
Hello! Thanks for your advice! We're writing up a document with a brief description of who we are (where we're coming from), why we're interested in WWOOFing, what we'd like to learn, what we're happy to do/not happy to do, our other interests and our dietary/accommodation requirements. I agree that I'd rather get a no/no response from people than for them to say yes and then end up somewhere awkward (oh, the lulz we've had at B&Bs sometimes: "It's a big bed, so you won't have to touch!").
ReplyDeleteWe are not going to be as full-on as you four, though! We just want to book a few stays in during October and November, then maybe some more in the first half of next year. I guess, as you guys have found, even if we end up somewhere not that great, it's only for a week or so and then we can head off.
Oh, P.S. we have no idea where we want to go first. It's all rather up in the air! Somewhere with good walks nearby, though.
ReplyDeleteSo are you UK bound then? We're in Scotland October / November. Hoping to see salmon leaping, maybe the Northern Lights...
ReplyDeleteYes, we are! We're moving (DB is repatriating, I am emmigrating), arriving at the beginning of October. We'll be spending most of October in the south (London with family, Bristol with friends, walking), but after that we're hoping to WWOOF and travel a bit more. Maybe we'll bump into you somewhere! (Seeing the Northern Lights would be amazing!)
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