Why We WWOOF

Me, taking a break from gardening

 Okay, so we actually use the Help Exchange database instead of WWOOFing, for a variety of reasons, but I didn’t want to ruin the alliteration. My interest in WWOOFing began many years ago when I began to research traveling, but it wasn’t until last year, when I learned about Help Exchange, that it became the basis for our travel plans. It began simply as a way to travel inexpensively, as well as to experience cultural immersion for a short time in many different places. However, it soon became much more.

Help Exchange is a work trade in which a helper stays with a host. The helper works an agreed-upon number of hours per week (usually between 25 and 35) and receives food and lodging in return. The work is often, but not always, outdoors-based: gardening, farming, helping with the animals, and building various structures. However, it often includes cooking, cleaning, organizing, childcare, and whatever other work the host and helper agree upon.

We love Help Exchange because:

–We get to experience life with different families, in different cultures

–We gain skills that can be applied to our future life, or added to our resumés

–We stay fit!

–We make friends

–We have a home base for exploring an area

–We get to experience life in different geographical areas with different climates: big cities, out in the country, and everything in between

–We can live and travel without needing to own a lot, and without being tied down to our possessions (house, car, etc.)

–We can travel long-term for very little money

–We can travel slower, allowing us to really get to know the area in which we’re staying

–In many countries we can Helpx on a travel visa, since it counts as volunteering

–We can live a simple, balanced life on the road. We don’t need much money and we have more time to just be.

–We are exposed to many different experiences! While exploring the variety of hosts available, I have found an ashram, several retreat centers, many B&Bs, sailboats and yachts, cafés, ecovillages, ranches, a mansion, and many farms and small homesteads.

A few words on why we choose to find hosts through Help Exchange rather than through the WWOOF organization: firstly, WWOOFing is limited to farming experiences, while Help Exchange can cover a variety of different work experiences and living situations. We love farming, but we like doing different things as well, and we like having the ability to Helpx within a large city, which is difficult to do while WWOOFing. The Help Exchange website is also much better set up, provides the opportunity for hosts and helpers to leave evaluations for each other (very helpful!), and provides a two-year worldwide membership for one small fee. There is a similar work exchange organization called Workaway, and although they look very promising, we have found that they don’t have nearly the number of hosts around the world (yet) that Help Exchange does.

So, are you hooked yet?

The Dirty Details:

World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms or WWOOF (it used to be Willing Workers)

http://www.wwoof.org/

$30 for one-year membership for WWOOF USA, comparable for other countries

Must pay and register separately for each country or geographical area

Help Exchange

https://www.helpx.net/

20 Euros for a two-year membership for a single or couple/two people (about $25 at the time this post was written)

One fee provides access to the entire website, which lists hosts all over the world

Workaway

http://www.workaway.info/

22/29 Euros for a two-year membership for a single/couple

One fee provides access to the entire website, which lists hosts all over the world