By Alesha Capone
Anne Tachado will soon head overseas for an “Italian Sabbatical” trip of a lifetime.
The Truganina resident, 24, is one of five people from around the world selected to participate in the Italian Sabbatical, a collaboration between Airbnb and the non-profit Wonder Grottole.
More than 280,000 people applied for the sabbatical, which asked for volunteers willing to stay in the small village of Grottole, in Italy’s south, for three months to learn about Italian culture, food and language.
The participants will also help to renovate buildings, maintain Grottole’s village vegetable garden and host tourists for Airbnb experiences.
Miss Tachado said she found it “really unbelievable” she had been picked for the Italian Sabbatical, after submitting an online application and being interviewed.
“I’ve been wanting to go to Italy for many years now, I entered but I didn’t have any expectations,” she said.
Miss Tachado, who holds a university degree in agriculture, will fly to Italy on June 4.
She said she was looking forward to learning about Grottole’s history, family recipes, beekeeping and agricultural tourism.
Miss Tachado, who also works as a freelance photographer, said she was also planning to take photos and make documentaries about the village, to share on social media.
Details: www.italiansabbatical.com
