Help out and find lots of nature and space for you and your energy in Söhrewald, Germany

Details

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  Description

  We're a binational, patchwork family: Samuel, 37, originally from Guatemala, and Marieke, 42, from Germany. We have two children, Jette (nine) and Enno (seven) — the younger of whom lives with a disability and is looked after by a team of caring nurses. Over the years we've welcomed short- and long-term guests through Workaway, and hosting has become a meaningful part of life here.
  
  Our home sits peacefully at the edge of the woods, about 400 metres outside the village, on a spacious 5,500 m² property with rich nature merging into its surroundings. Alongside the main house, there's a large outbuilding with a workshop, two cozy tiny houses, and a cabin — and four cats who roam the grounds outdoors.
  
  In our rare stretches of "free time," we love getting out into nature, playing with the kids, or simply pottering about. The surrounding woods are vast, perfect for hours of wandering, and two lakes nearby — reachable on foot or by bike — invite a swim whenever the mood strikes. We genuinely love having people around and welcoming friends to visit. Things can get lively at times, but once everyone settles in, a calm, peaceful rhythm usually takes over.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Language practice

  Light gardening

  Creative DIY projects

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  Light maintenance

  House & pet sitting
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  Interests

  

  Vegetarian or vegan

  

  Self development

  

  Sustainability

  

  Gardening

  

  Music

  

  Languages

  

  Carpentry

  

  Cooking & food

  

  DIY & crafts

  

  Books

  

  Cycling

  

  Beach

  

  Mountain

  

  Water sports

  

  Hiking

  

  Outdoor activities

  

  Camping

  

  Nature
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Staying with us offers a genuine two-way cultural exchange.
  
  From Marieke, guests can pick up hands-on skills in baking and pastry-making, sewing, and various DIY know-how around the house and garden — she's largely self-taught and happy to pass on what she's learned. Since she teaches English and biology, everyday conversations naturally turn into language practice and curiosity about the world around us.
  
  From Sam, travellers get a taste of a genuinely varied working life: he's done everything from customer service and childcare to summer camp counseling, gardening, and construction, always picking up something new along the way. His time living in the UK and travels through Belgium, France, England, the Netherlands, Austria, Ireland, and Scotland make him an easy conversation partner on different ways of living and working across Europe.
  
  Beyond specific skills, guests get to experience daily life in a binational household, first-hand — a chance to practice languages, swap stories, and see how two quite different backgrounds, Guatemalan and German, come together under one roof.
  
  For an extra: our large, well-equipped workshop, stocked with gardening and carpentry tools, is open for guests to use — a good place to learn something new, build, or simply get creative with your hands.

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  Au Pair Help

  Further details can be found here

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  Projects involving children

  This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

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  Help

  For late summer and into autumn, we'd really appreciate help outside on the grounds — this isn't only light gardening, but also heavier outdoor work: tidying up, general maintenance, and getting the garden and grounds ready for the colder months ahead. You'll need some physical strength and stamina for this kind of work or a genuine willingness to learn as you go.

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  Languages spoken

  German: Fluent
  English: Fluent
  Spanish: Fluent

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  Accommodation

  You'll stay in one of the two tiny houses or the cabin on the grounds, giving you your own private space. The main house is where you'll find the large kitchen, living room, and games room, with books, a billiard table, and board games.
  
  We do our main grocery shopping once a week, along with a delivery from a local organic farm, and like to cook fresh meals when time allows, we take turns cooking and cleaning up afterward, and love a big table full of hungry people
  
  PLEASE NOTE: we don't buy, eat, or keep any meat in our home!

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  What else ...

  At the moment, Marieke works part-time from home, and the kids are at school during the week. Sam is on a sabbatical right now, so he's usually around, keeping an eye on the house and grounds.
  The nearest city has plenty to offer culturally, while Melsungen, a smaller town close by, has ice cream parlors and a weekly market. Groceries are a few kilometers away, and while public transport is easily available, we also have bikes on hand for exploring the area.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Space for parking camper vans

  This host can provide space for campervans.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  My animals / pets

  Pan

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