We spent 2019-2021 mainly in lockdown. No overseas travel for 2 years and only one local road trip to see family in Sydney between lockdowns. This made me re think about life.

What are we doing? What’s is life really about? What do I really want to do?

I want to really live in the now, travel with my kids, experience new cultures, learn and teach my kids things that the schools can’t teach.

So how am I going to do this? I am taking the kids out of school next year (2022) and we will travel to learn about other cultures and places. Meet new people, see and experience how they live.

This plan only involves myself and the kids. I want kids to get a real cultural experience. I have always wanted to live in Provence France. But I don’t want us to just be tourists there. I want to be involved in the way of life and really immerse ourselves in the daily provincial life.

In order to do this, in my opinion, there’s really only one way, WORKAWAY. I love the concept of Workaway. You exchange your time and expertise for accommodation and cultural experiences. So in away you help out someone for free accommodation. It’s not a bad deal if you like helping people and connecting with others.

All you do is create a profile on the website either as a host (free, if you like to provide accommodation in exchange for services) or as a Traveller (there’s a small yearly fee, if you want to experience a culture, get accommodation in exchange for your time and effort and explore that part of the world as a traveller).

I myself have hosted Workawayers at our place where they helped me with my gardening, teaching kids, and in the process we have made really wonderful friends.

I believe the best way to immerse ourselves in a new culture is through Workaway. So I have registered as a traveller this time to see if we can organise a stay with a host in Provence, France, where we can really experience living like a local.

If you are keen on this type of cultural exchange travel or you want to welcome the cultural experience to your own home while you get some chores done, you can checkout their website with this link to Workaway.

I will update my progress after I have some responses. Wish me luck and let me know what you thought of Workaway.

Enjoy your travels!

Shani