Great Opportunities

By Amy Bruigom

Having been at Mirasol Country Club for over a month now, I can happily say that being here has brought me great opportunities in all aspects of work and travel. One of the great things about coming to the USA on a H2B visa, with Workaway, is having the chance to go and work at an “up north” club for the summer season. I was lucky enough to secure myself a place at a club, situated 2 miles off the south-eastern coast of Connecticut.  

With all the renovations taking place at The Country Club at Mirasol, all the staff were given time off to take a small vacation before the new club reopened. A few friends and I thought to take this opportunity, and planned a trip to the Bahamian Island. When you first decide to come to America you don’t really think about all the great things in store for you when you first get here, but a cruise to the Bahamas is definitely not something that comes to mind first!

  

We took the Grand Celebration Cruise Liner that leaves from West Palm Beach Harbour and docks in the Grand Bahamas for three days. We sipped cocktails from coconuts, walked the streets filled with stalls and markets and swam in the crystal clear sea with its white sandy beaches. Life honestly couldn’t get better than this. 

Having the opportunity to not only come to America and work to broaden your knowledge and gain international hospitality experience, but to get the opportunity to travel with friends you made along the way, to places you least expected, is something you need to grab hold of with both hands.

Enjoy every minute, because who knows when you’ll get this great opportunity again.

xoxo

Are you going up North?

By Megan Nevett

So everyone keeps talking about going up North. Well when you first arrive, this is the last thing on your mind but time goes by so quickly, before you know it, the big question is asked: "Are you going up North?"

My response... Boston! In just a few months that will be my new home. The process of interviews and meetings with representatives of the new clubs was rather daunting. Lucky for me however, it ended up being a very quick and easy process.

We were fortunate enough to have a club manager who was able to get us an interview with Pine Brook Country Club in Boston, and within just two days of waiting patiently, well, trying my best to, we got the good news!

Just as things start to get a little monotonous, a breath of fresh air is within reach. A new adventure filled with meeting new people, seeing different things and experiencing more. A whole new world has opened up again.

This certainly is the greatest feeling, so bring on May and Bring on Boston! Where a whole new adventure begins :D

My future after Workaway!

Blog about Wynton Fortune

It has been just a few months since Workaway International recruit, Wynton Fortune, returned from the United States and already he has set so much in motion for himself.

Wynton graduated from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University at the end of 2013 with a Diploma in Tourism Management. After his studies he realized the difficulties of looking for as newly graduated member of the workforce and ended up bartending in at a restaurant and bar in Port Elizabeth.

It was not long before Wynton decided that he was in need of a change in order to kick start his career. This is when he decided to investigate the Workaway International program that he heard about through some friends who enjoyed the program.

His efforts were successful and at the end of 2014 he left for the United States for a season at Addison Reserve Country Club, where he was a server in their restaurant. When talking about the positions he held at Addison Reserve, Wynton said that the club was very accommodating in finding him his best fit in the restaurant so that he truly felt that he was where he belonged. While in the USA, Wynton managed to visit 10 different States before ending his time in America.

After returning to South Africa, Wynton got the Job as Duty Manager at the Beach Hotel in Port Elizabeth. Looking back at his journey, he talks about the tremendous amount of life experience and work ethic he gained by going abroad with Workaway. “You receive the tools you need to be successful, after that it is up to you to use them” he said, reflecting on his journey.

This is not the end of the road for Wynton, who hopes to further his experience in hospitality and remain in the hotel business. With some more hard work, possibly another season with Workaway and some more international exposure, Wynton hopes to accomplish his goal of building his career and hopefully becoming a General Manager of a hotel in the future.

For more information on the Workaway International program, visit www.workaway.com  or call (021) 671 8808.

By Workaway International