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This blog was first published on Seats2Meet's online platform Mindz in Dutch.
Index
Index
Wwoof, The Official Swapping Community Around The World
Wwoof, The Official Swapping Community Around The World
It started with my dream to roam the world for a longer period of time. Googling I came across the organizations Wwoof and SkillStay where you help people with their home and business in exchange for accommodation and food. Wwoofen is with companies and people who produce as organically as possible. SkillStay is more about your skills as a service. This was my first introduction to the concept of swapping.
My 5,5 Month Sabbatical In 2013/2014
My 5,5 Month Sabbatical In 2013/2014
These organizations enabled me to make much of my journey through Singapore, Australia, Bali, New Zealand and Hong Kong. In exchange for lodging and food I helped with:
the garden
selling pottery at a Christmas market
in the kitchen in a lodge
behind the cash register in a lodge
making tourist brochures for a lodge.
Very diverse tasks. An advantage of such trip is that I become part of the daily life of the residents and have contact with the locals. I also have time to be a tourist and see the area. Mostly remote areas which are not touristic yet or only touristic to the Australians themselves. In the travel world, a lot is possible on the basis of swap. Be careful with volunteer work abroad, because in some countries this is not allowed, or you have to have a special visa or permit. I only volunteered in Australia on a special visa, but would have loved to have volunteered in New Zealand. In New Zealand volunteering is not allowed on the
tourist visa.
Swap Balance Sheet
Swap Balance Sheet
When I was back in The Netherlands, I continued swapping my skills:
I built a website in WordPress for nutritional advice and nonviolent communication training
Transferring a Wix website to WordPress for a reading
I had connective tissue massage (bindweefselmassage) from a physiotherapist and a hike in Rotterdam in exchange for changing things on her WordPress website
I had a few Ashtanga yoga lessons in exchange for painting the 'bakfiets' of the yoga teacher.
How Far Can Bartering Go?
I was wondering how far I can go with bartering? Well pretty far! From September 2014 I built a website and did the marketing for a number of books in exchange for housing for a few months. It is possible to swap for the basic necessities in Maslow's pyramid. I even asked the 'belastingdienst' (IRS) how to put this in my books. Is more bartering possible in the future? Can the financial statement be swapped by a swap balance sheet? That depends if people can arrange a swap by negotiate respectfully with each other, and the law permits swapping as a financial model.
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