Ashley Cavender made a life-long dream come true this past summer, and it began with a spur-of-the-moment purchase at the beginning of the year. “I was looking at flights with my friend on New Year’s,” Cavender said, “and we found one to Italy. It was a very good deal.”

Cavender, who had never been out of the country before, booked the flight, but decided she didn’t want to experience Italy as a tourist. She wanted to immerse herself in Italian culture. That’s how Cavender became a WWOOFer. A WWOOFer lives and works alongside a host in their chosen country, and in exchange, they receive room and board.