Omar

I’m a frequent traveller, and have been since I was a child going on trips with my family. As I grew older, I wanted to gain a better sense of the essence and spirit cities and towns I visited. People often talk about wanting less touristy trips and spots, and that attracted me as well. In addition to wanting to visit and stay in areas where I could experience places the way locals do, I also began taking workshops and classes in local arts vocations.

I am an avid reader and writer, so the idea of building my own notebook out of reclaimed wood was very appealing. It was a fusion of the two skills I was really wanting to learn: bookbinding and woodworking. It was what drew me to Hana’s VAWAA in particular, and I’m very glad I chose it. It was everything I hoped it would be and more.

I've taken workshops while travelling before, but this took it to a whole new level. The combination of taking a few days to immerse yourself in the art instead of a couple of hours, in addition to staying with the artist in their own space off the beaten track made was a complete game changer. I honestly can't imagine taking a trip without something like this now, and plan to work my next travel itinerary based on what artist stays are available in areas that interest me. I'm very glad I took this trip.