Cultural exchange and family life in Nøtterøy, Norway

Details

• 

  Description

  We are an active, open minded family of four: Helen (49), Kenneth (56), and our two teenage sons aged 16 and 17, who are always actively involved and ready to lend a hand.
  
  In 2013, we chose a different path for our family and lived abroad for 12 years. From 2013 to 2020, we lived full time in Thailand as our base, traveling extensively across Asia and connecting deeply with international expat communities. After covid, we joined the global worldschooling community, living in Spain and spending three winter months in Bansko, Bulgaria with other traveling families. We later returned to Thailand, welcoming worldschooling families and traveling friends into our home to guide them before spending a winter season with the community in Switzerland. Experiencing different cultures and welcoming open minded people into our lives is a fundamental part of who we are.
  
  Now back in Norway for about a year, our sons attend an English international school. Our everyday life is split between two places that are very dear to us:
  
  Our family home in the coastal Tønsberg / Nøtterøy area: Our main residential house with a pleasant family garden.
  
  Our ancestral family farm in Uvdal: A traditional mountain farmstead that has been in our family for generations, situated near Uvdal Ski Center, along with our private mountain land.
  
  Having lived abroad for 12 years, both properties now welcome gentle care, thoughtful attention, and light seasonal love. There are no animals or commercial activities here, and everything is strictly for our own private family life.
  
  We host on Workaway to keep an international network of friends and travelers around us, share stories, cook wholesome food together, and exchange practical ideas and cultural perspectives. Solo travelers, couples, families with children, younger and older generations, and digital nomads are all warmly welcome.
  
  Depending on the season and where our current projects are, you will stay with us either at our private house in Tønsberg / Nøtterøy or at our traditional family farm in Uvdal.

• 

  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Language practice

  Help with Eco Projects

  Light gardening

  Creative DIY projects

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  Light maintenance
• 

  Interests

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Architecture

  

  Carpentry

  

  Photography

  

  Self development

  

  DIY & crafts

  

  Water sports

  

  Cycling

  

  Outdoor activities

  

  Yoga / Wellness

  

  Winter sports

  

  Sailing / Boating

  

  Nature

  

  Mountain

  

  Hiking

  

  Fitness

  

  Camping

  

  Adventure sports
• 

  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Social life and local connection:
  We love including our helpers in our everyday family life. You will start the day with a shared morning breakfast and coffee, and join us for wholesome home cooked meals around the dinner table.
  
  Depending on where we are based during your stay, there is plenty to explore:
  At our mountain farm in Øvre Uvdal: You can experience traditional mountain life, scenic hikes, and fishing in local waters. Autumn is especially great for harvesting wild berries (blueberries, lingonberries, and cloudberries) as well as foraging for mushrooms.
  
  At our coastal home on Nøtterøy (an island located 1 hour south of Oslo): We can take you out to the sea and the archipelago to enjoy coastal walking trails, swimming spots, and relaxed island living.
  
  You are always welcome to join us on hikes, runs, or light workouts, or simply unwind by the fireplace or in the hot tub after an active day.
  
  Knowledge and cultural exchange we can share:
  Having lived abroad and returned to Norway, we are very passionate about sharing Norwegian lifestyle, local history, mountain safety, and traditional home cooking. We can also share practical knowledge about organic vegetable gardening, caring for a family homestead, stacking firewood for winter, and living close to nature.
  
  What we hope to learn:
  Having traveled extensively, welcoming people from diverse cultures is an essential part of who we are. We look forward to learning about your traditions, life stories, perspectives, and languages. If you have knowledge about wild edible plants, foraging, or gardening, we would love to learn from your experience and explore what grows locally together. Hosting Workawayers is a wonderful opportunity for our family and our two teenage sons to maintain international friendships, exchange creative ideas, and welcome new friends into our home.

• 

  Help

  We love spending time together as a family on practical and light seasonal activities. We appreciate helpers who enjoy hands on light projects, taking initiative, and sharing good advice, ideas, and cultural perspectives on how to care for our family spaces. All activities are done together with guidance, regular coffee breaks, and shared meals.
  
  Weather and daily flexibility:
  The weather in Norway can change fast during autumn and spring, so we always adapt our projects to the weather. On nice days we focus on outdoor tasks, but if it rains we shift to indoor activities. We try not to work outside in the rain, and being flexible with daily plans is a natural part of Norwegian living.
  
  Autumn Activities (Ancestral Mountain Farm in Uvdal: September, October, November):
  
  Helping hand with light diy support: Being a helping hand holding wooden planks while Kenneth builds a roof over our outdoor hot tub and railings in good weather, or works on a new entrance indoors on rainy days. Kenneth handles all power tools and machinery himself.
  
  Assisting Helen with interior care: Helping Helen with light interior brush painting in our small guest annexes.
  
  Firewood stacking: Stacking pre cut firewood neatly inside our woodshed for our family stoves and for my elderly parents to keep warm through the winter. No tools or heavy equipment are used by helpers.
  
  Tidying the traditional barn: Light tidying, organizing, and clearing space inside our private family barn.
  
  Collecting twigs and branches: Gathering fallen branches and twigs from around the private grounds and clearing overgrown walking paths by hand.
  
  Campfire area: Tidying and arranging the outdoor seating area around our private fire pit.
  
  Outdoor family areas: Cleaning outdoor family furniture and tidying up seating zones on our private grounds before the winter season.
  
  Winter preparation: General seasonal cleanup around the private family grounds before the snow arrives.
  
  
  Spring Activities (Coastal Family Home in Nøtterøy / Tønsberg: April, May, June):
  
  Family garden care: Our garden welcomes extra love and care after our 12 years living abroad. We enjoy light garden maintenance, weeding, raking, and sharing gardening ideas.
  
  Vegetable and herb garden: We grow tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, kale, salads, and various herbs. In Norway, we start this process indoors and move the plants outside in May or June once cold nights pass. Every year in early May, we visit the local Steiner school plant sale to pick up organic plants for our garden.
  
  Grapevine relocation: Gently moving a grapevine that is climbing up our house wall to a better spot in the garden so it does not harm the wall structure.
  
  Outdoor family areas: Cleaning outdoor family furniture and tidying up seating zones on our private grounds for the summer season.
  
  Family and International Atmosphere:
  Our two teenage sons attend an international school in Norway, so our home is frequently visited by youth from various countries and cultures. Since our boys have friends from all over the world and we have spent 12 years living abroad, we love having an open, global atmosphere in our 2 houses.
  
  Cultural diversity is a natural part of our daily life, and that is why we are excited to welcome you as a guest in our home.

• 

  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Norwegian bokmål: Fluent
  German: Beginner
  French: Beginner
  Thai: Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  We speak fluent Norwegian and excellent English, having lived in Thailand for 12 years. Our two sons have attended English international schools all their lives and are completely fluent in English. We are very accustomed to international environments and have friends from many different countries and cultures. If you are interested in learning or practicing Norwegian, we are happy to help you with everyday conversations. We are also completely comfortable communicating in English, and we always enjoy learning a few words and phrases from your native language as well.
• 

  Accommodation

  When staying at the Mountain Farm in Uvdal:
  You will stay in our spacious family farmhouse. You will have a private bedroom and a private bathroom. The farm has multiple living rooms, so there is always a quiet space to relax undisturbed. Here we can warmly welcome families as well.
  
  When staying in Tønsberg / Nøtterøy:
  You will stay in our private family house (we have space for 1 to 2 guests here). You will have your own comfortable private bedroom with shared access to the bathroom, living rooms, and kitchen.
  
  Bedding:
  Clean bed linen and fresh towels are provided at both locations.
  
  Campervans and Vans:
  At our mountain farm in Uvdal, we have plenty of flat space to park a campervan or caravan, with electricity hookups and full access to the house bathroom and kitchen facilities.
  
  Meals:
  We provide all daily meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). We enjoy cooking and eating together, and you are always free to use the kitchen to make coffee, tea, snacks, or other meals whenever you wish.
  
  Photos note:
  The photos displayed on our profile show our mountain farm in Uvdal due to upload limits on the platform.

• 

  What else ...

  Depending on where you stay with us, there are wonderful historical sights, cultural excursions, and outdoor adventures to experience:
  
  
  When staying at our Mountain Farm in Uvdal (Mountains and Nature):
  
  Outdoor Activities: Mountain hiking trails start right at our doorstep. Autumn is fantastic for mountain walks, fishing, cloudberry picking, and mushroom foraging.
  
  Historic Stave Churches: The area is famous for traditional Norwegian wooden architecture, including the historic Uvdal Stave Church.
  
  Langedrag Nature Park: A short drive away, where you can experience Norwegian wildlife such as wolves, lynx, moose, and arctic foxes, alongside traditional farm animals.
  
  Iconic Day Trips: We can take trips to Gaustatoppen (one of Norway most iconic mountain summits), the majestic Vøringsfossen waterfall on the edge of Hardangervidda, or the historic Kongsberg Silver Mines.
  
  
  When staying on Nøtterøy / Tønsberg (Coast and Viking History):
  
  Viking Heritage and Local History: Tønsberg is Norway oldest town, right at the center of rich Viking history. You can visit Slottsfjellet, local Viking heritage sites, and museums showcasing the famous Viking ships discovered in this region.
  
  Coastal Life: Walk along coastal trails, go island hopping, swim in the sea, or visit cozy local harbor cafes.
  
  Day Trips to Oslo (approx 1 hour away): We can easily visit the capital together or help you plan day trips to see the Holmenkollen Ski Jump, Vigeland Sculpture Park, the Munch Museum, and the Oslo Opera House.
  
  
  Transport and Arrival
  When staying at our Mountain Farm in Uvdal:
  
  We can pick up up at the Airport Oslo or Torp and you can drive with us up to the mountains.
  
  Or you can go by Train or Bus: You can take the train from Oslo or Bergen to Geilo station, or take regional buses via Kongsberg then to Uvdal.
  
  Pick up: We will gladly pick you up at Geilo train station or at the local bus stop - Hagenkrysset in Uvdal.
  
  
  When staying on Nøtterøy / Tønsberg:
  
  By Air: Sandefjord Airport Torp (TRF) is just 30 minutes away, and Oslo Airport Gardermoen (OSL) has direct train connections to Tønsberg.
  
  By Train: Frequent regional trains run between Oslo Central Station and Tønsberg.
  
  Pick up: We are very happy to pick you up at Airports, if you are a solo traveles, couple or small family.
  
  
  Lifestyle and house rules
  
  We live an active, welcoming, and healthy family life. Alongside our hands on projects, several of us enjoy daily fitness and strength workouts, and you are always welcome to join our workout sessions. After a productive day, we value cooking together, sharing stories around the dinner table, and relaxing.
  
  Our house rules are simple and based on mutual respect:
  
  Cleanliness: Please keep shared living areas, bathrooms, and the kitchen clean and tidy after use.
  
  Strictly smoke free property: We are a non smoking family and maintain a 100 percent smoke free environment indoors and outdoors at both our properties. We host non smoking guests only.
  
  Quiet hours: Please respect each other need for quiet time, personal space, and rest in the evenings.
  
  Communication: Please let us know in advance if you plan day trips or weekend travels so we can coordinate family meals.

• 

  A little more information

  • 

    Internet access

  • 

    Limited internet access

  • 

    We have pets

  • 

    We are smokers

  • 

    Can host families

• 

  Can host digital nomads

  We have a reliable Wi-Fi connection throughout the house and comfortable, quiet spaces/desks where you can sit and work during your free time.

• 

  Space for parking camper vans

  We have plenty of parking space for small to medium-sized campervans. You will have access to electricity, water, and the bathroom/shower facilities inside the main house.

• 

  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

• 

  My animals / pets

  

  Sushi (11 months)

  

  Tussi (11 months)

Website Safety