Karolien is a Belgian restaurateur who has long been bitten by the travel bug, criss-crossing the globe alongside her husband. However, this time she was looking for a chance to set out on her own and go on a solo trip without her husband or a friend by her side. When she found out she could visit a new country and learn something new on a VAWAA, with a local artist to guide her so she wouldn’t be totally alone, she knew she had found the perfect trip for her solo journey.
I really needed to be inspired again by a hobby I started years ago, but wanted to take it to a more serious and creative level. So, after hearing about this amazing experiential way of traveling from my friend Judith, I decided a photography VAWAA in Gran Canaria with Tomás was exactly what I needed to include in my vacation travels.
Tomás gave me the encouragement to try new ways of seeing and the opportunity to explore the island and my own creativity, which I could not have done without an outsider looking in. For me four days were not…
I decided to do a VAWAA because I like to travel, and I like to feel at home while traveling.
There are so many reasons why this was a fit for me: I live for creativity, I hope to meet creative people, I like to learn from people, I like to be surprised, I am curious, I like crafts and materials, I want to explore…
And I wanted to escape from the daily rhythm at home, to get into a new environment and learn from new horizons.
At the same time, however, I am slow and rather quiet, and I…
We are both very busy. We also both love art and travel, and we are both creatives at heart.
We heard about VAWAA from a relative, and the opportunity to explore a new country while learning a new skill seemed liked the perfect antidote to the grind of city life in London. We were immediately drawn to Katja’s beautiful studio in its picturesque mountainside setting.
From the moment we landed and throughout the trip, we were blown away by the absolutely stunning backdrop of the Julian Alps and the country we were to call home for nine days. …
Street art was on Dutch painter Marleen’s bucket list for years, but she kept finding a reason to postpone it. When a trip to Bali with a friend got cancelled, however, she knew it was time to make the leap. A VAWAA in Buenos Aires with renowned street artist Pum Pum would give her the opportunity to learn the entire mural process from start to finish and create her own piece of street art. …
Art runs in Gabriella’s blood. Between studying art at university, practicing art forms such as painting and writing, and teaching herself photography, she’s a curious soul drawn to creative expression. A self-described “kinesthetic learner,” Gabriella isn’t content to learn by simply having someone talk to her. Instead, she needs to work with her hands and learn by doing.
Eager to learn more about photo developing and processing, skills she had only taught herself, she travelled to Berlin for a VAWAA to learn cyanotype film development with photographer Sehera. There, she shot photos on her daily wanderings through the streets of…
Formerly a businesswoman and now a life coach, Sajili has spent the last several years living with curiosity and nourishing her spirit. Up until a few years ago, she had never been much of a traveler. Now, however, she is keen to explore the world and its infinite possibilities for personal growth. From an animal communication workshop in South Africa to a cycling trip between Prague and Dresden to a horseback riding excursion in Mongolia, she’s living freely and unapologetically.
Recently, Sajili traveled from her home in Mumbai, India to the small hilltop town of Guardia Sanframondi in southern Italy…
In the age of massive — and often unexpected — layoffs, how often do we wish we had practical skills that would provide us with income and give employ during hard times? Meanwhile, more and more people are willing to go back to a simpler lifestyle, consuming and spending less; not striving to earn millions, but enough to live a comfortable life without luxury. With this shift, an obvious new trend is emerging as many new boutique proprietors, local farmers, artisans and a slew of handy people offer their services and crafted objects to their communities.
Industrialization took people away…
Melissa Hamlyn recently embarked on her first VAWAA: a clay and pottery getaway with Thomas at his Goa studio set amongst a beautiful rainforest. In addition to learning how to hand pinch and decorate clay, she partied with a Maharaj and some top notch local musicians at his prime beachside hotel and took numerous exhilarating motorbike rides to Goa’s many beaches. This was Melissa’s second time wading through the polarizing experiences India offers you; below, she attempts to manifest in words the challenges, observations and lived experiences that keeps India on her favorite destinations list.
#Mumbai Diaries
Mumbai is a 24-hour city…
Melissa Hamlyn recently embarked on her first VAWAA: a clay and pottery getaway with Thomas at his Goa studio set amongst a beautiful rainforest. In addition to learning how to hand pinch and decorate clay, she partied with a Maharaj and some top notch local musicians at his prime beachside hotel and took numerous exhilarating motorbike rides to Goa’s many beaches. This was Melissa’s second time wading through the polarizing experiences India offers you; below, she attempts to manifest in words the challenges, observations and lived experiences that keeps India on her favorite destinations list.
