31 yr old Female Looking For Opportunity Near/On Beach!

Hello! My name is Brooke, I've been researching sustainable living farms (work exchange) all night, then stumbled on community living options. I'm looking for something near or on a beach (mostly Florida just because it's close to me so it would be cheaper & easier to get there than a flight to CA or HI) without strict rules but still safe, non-cult-ish but still open to spirituality, and laid-back but with purpose. I have no preference for what I would be doing, I would like to just live in a natural environment, hopefully learning new skills, while around people who are kind and loving. I guess I just don't know where to start, what is most important, etc. I'm looking for something ASAP. Any advice? In summary: I really want to find a place with a pretty well-known & good reputation that is near or on a beach with kind people. My biggest concern is safety, since I will be traveling alone, I am attractive, & I can be sort of naïve even at the ripe ole age of 31! Thank you so much for any & all advice! ~Brooke p.s. Anyone know anything about the Odyssey communal living in Orlando?

Hi Brooke we are looking for a few people 3 or 4 to join us in creating a self sustaining homestead on a large 2000 place I have in Oklahoma...we want to start an organic orchard and some permaculture with organic gardening..canning...chickens...we are currently restoring the old barn..it is a beautiful place......what kind of skills would you have to contribute or be willing to learn?

Hi James, thanks for reaching out & I appreciate the possible offer. I've better researched & narrowed down what I'm looking for since my original post (sorry so long!):

-I'm 100% set on WWOOFing/working/interning/whatever you want to call it in a setting within walking distance to a beach where it is warm most of the time. That being said, the only states I'm looking at are southern CA, HI, & maybe FL (though I've yet to see anything in FL). I'm also very interested in going out of the country, specifically Southern Europe or South America.

-Because I'll be traveling alone, proven safety/well-established/good reputation are important to me in picking a place.

-I'd like to work & live with people who are kind, loving & accepting.

In terms of what skills I have to offer/what I'm wanting to learn: I'm a dedicated & enthusiastic worker & I enjoy learning new skills. Ideally I'd like to learn how to grow my own food (veggies, fruits, nuts, beans, non-GMO anything).

I've had a myriad of professional experiences that taught me valuable skills. Here's a few: Outward Bound Wilderness Program: how to survive in the wilderness, how to learn to tolerate & cope with difficult living conditions (i.e. Living under a tent in very cold temps & rain, drinking iodine-treated river water, eating the same unappetizing food for every meal that you must also fit & carry in your heavy hiking pack), Master's degree in Social Work: how to relate to & help different types of people, how to be a leader, how to problem-solve, how to be a team-player. Also: basic cooking & cleaning, creative projects & ideas, administrative work, beautifying any thing or anyone, writing, teaching, foreign language experience in French & Spanish, the gift of gab, I can talk to anybody!

Do you know of any type of environment that fits pretty close to what I'm looking for? I'm considering joining the WWOOF site soon, but thought I'd try here first. Thank you so much & good luck with your farm!

Brooke LaBarbera wrote:...a setting within walking distance to a beach where it is warm most of the time. That being said, the only states I'm looking at are southern CA, HI, & maybe FL

Hi Brooke, I am pretty familiar with Southern California, and I can say pretty surely that there are no farms walking distance to the beach. Real estate costs are sky high, and I dont think what you are looking for really exists there. Hawaii, would be more possible, but most of the farms are going to be more upland than right on the sand.

It's nice to dream though. I would love to farm in the morning and surf in the afternoon, without hopping in a car. Maybe someday....somewhere....somehow....

good luck!

This may be able to give you some leads: Simple Living Institute

Hi Brooke,

If you look in to Southern Europe with the climate you want, you're going to want Algarve in Portugal or Valencia, Malaga or the Canaries in Spain. Even islands in the Mediterranean, like Sicily, Malta or Mallorca can get some cold and frosts in winter, not too many, but not warm. For year-round warmth, you're going to want Southern part of the Iberian peninsula or the Canaries.

I have my own project in Northern Spain (frost free here but wet and cool always) but I have friends in the warmer parts of Spain who I plan on helping out in the future and spending some months with.

When are you looking to travel? I can ask around and probably find something close to what you are looking for but it would be tough to find something within walking distance of the beach, like California, beachfront is prime real estate and expensive for farming. You could probably find something within a short drive though. For example, I have friends in Malaga here http://www.espacioconviven.org/en/, zone 10, with Mangos and Avocados and they are a 20 minute drive from the shore.

Feel free to pm me if you have questions about places in Spain.

Un Saludo,

Jose

I'm coming from California, and believe it or not, there really are quite a few farms located in close proximity to the coast/beach- Past Santa Barbara up to Northern California.

On a side note- check out Esalen workstudy http://www.esalen.org/

Thanks