Is over 40 too old to be a Workaway volunteer?

My Workaway experience

Taking the girls for a walk

We usually see young women traveling when we google volunteer, solo traveler, and nomadic living. Usually in their 20s, but I am here to tell you not all of us are in our 20s; I am 43 and have been traveling and volunteering all over the world.

Am I usually the oldest volunteer?

Yes, am I usually the oldest in the hostel? Also yes. Does that matter to anyone? No.

So I want to talk about traveling and volunteering in your 40s and older.

Last week I met a 70-year-old nomad. She was fantastic; we went on a two-hour hike up a mountain. She has no plans to stop anytime soon and never to return to her past life.

She has volunteered, stayed in hostels, and even had younger boyfriends. It is possible age is only a number, and often with age comes experience and many entertaining stories to listen to.

I have been volunteering with Workaway since 2018.

My experiences have varied from working with dogs and horses in Patagonia to working at a ski lodge in Japan and with elephants in Thailand.

Volunteering with Workaway gives you a unique opportunity to interact with the locals and experience the culture differently than you would if you were a tourist. Sometimes you even work with tourists from the country to learn about the culture.

What is work away?

Workaway is a paid platform. It costs 49 dollars for a single person, or if you sign up as a couple, it is 59 dollars per year. Once you have signed up, you can see the volunteer opportunities.

Most offer, at minimum, a free bed to sleep in; sometimes, it is private, sometimes a shared room, and other hosts offer food and room and board for an exchange of work.

Typically it is 4–5 hours a day, five days a week. However, that can vary by the place. When you read the profile, most of them will tell you exactly what they are looking for

i.e., someone to take care of my dogs, cats
someone to teach English to children, clean hostels, work promoting the business, working in the garden.

It is a platform for you to exchange services, but in return, you meet people who are similar to you, usually traveling on a budget or those who want to get a more in-depth view of the local culture.

What to expect from a host.

It would be best to ask what they expect from you; I recommend doing this before you get to the work away site.

For example, what are the working hours, how many days a week, and what do you get in exchange for the work you have done?

Also, ask if you are the only volunteer or if there are others; sometimes, this is important if you want to be around others. As well as read their reviews.

However, most volunteers do not leave an honest review, so the host does not also review them negatively. In this case, you can friend other volunteers on the site and message them privately to ask. I have done this multiple times and written about my experiences.

Sometimes the place is looking for cheap labor and unwilling to compensate; that would be a no-go. It is also essential to know if you will be working with locals and will all speak the same language; usually, if the place has paid workers, you are in good hands; if not, I typically see that as a red flag, but not always. Read the reviews.

How to find the best gigs, I like to sign up for a gig at the last minute, so I always look for last-minute or new hosts.

They are usually grateful that someone is there, and you will feel they appreciate you. I typically see if they have internet, kids, and animals. I prefer not to work with children, so if there are kids that I have to watch, I do not go.

I love animals, so that is an automatic yes. However, they only sometimes want you, so I send a message and let them know what kind of work I have done, I never copy and paste, and I respond to something their profile says to let them know I read it. Please read carefully.

Sometimes they sneak in little details you will only consider once you encounter them and remember them on the profile.

Also, when I message, I ask if they have any questions for me, and also if I have questions, I will ask when we are exchanging messages.

One thing I do not do is go to the popular ones, volunteers usually run them, and I have found them to be very unorganized and a party environment; if that is your thing, then go for it; if not, avoid it.

I also read if they will charge you for food or expect you to buy your own. I will buy my food at most, but I will not go to the ones I have to give them money. I have worked at a lot that only included a bed, and then I purchase my food; sometimes, I prefer that because once I was at a WOOF and the food portions were so small, I was left hungry after each meal; I left that work away.

If you are unhappy and do not like it there, be respectful and tell them that you don’t feel it’s a good fit; after all, it is a volunteer, and you can part ways amicably.

The best gigs I have had are ones that I was either the first volunteer or one that was less popular. The worst ones I have been on were the popular ones that everyone wanted to do. There is something for everyone, and you can always leave if you don’t like it.

I usually stay longer than planned and meet amazing people or animals.

So you are not too old to volunteer at any age, and I think it is important for us older travelers to speak and let the world know we are here, and we too can volunteer, sleep in hostels (if you want), and budget long-term, free travel is available to anyone.

Not just the young bucks we see online promoting this lifestyle. I want to promote a more realistic version, which is not all glitz and glamor, but still worth it.

XOXO

S