A cultural exchange with our family in beautiful western Massachusetts, USA

Details

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  Description

  Hi! Im Julie. Myy wife Renee and I live here in our beautiful 200 year old farm house in western Massachusetts with our 16 year old son, our dogs Delta and Shadow, and our parrots Tikal and Corona. We are vegetarians and grow organic blueberries and raspberries.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Gardening

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  As a child we had several foreign exchange students in our home. I spent a summer in Spain when I was 13 and a semester in Italy when I was in college. These experiences provided some of my best memories and made me who I am. I am eager to provide opportunities like these for others. A cultural exchange benefits all whether the cultures are different because of different languages and home countries or more local differences like city/rural living.
  
  There is a lot to learn about the diversity of rural American culture in our home. We are Jewish, vegetarians, lesbians, our kids are from Guatemala, we speak Spanish and English, we value community, family, music, positivity, conservation, sustainable living and farming, and kindness. We have dogs, parrots, and goats. The dogs are sweet, the parrots are loud and the goats are adorable.
  
  We would be doing tasks alongside our visitors for many tasks as they help out and they may learn about country living, organic farming and rural life. We are also good teachers and happy to help new language learners with English or Spanish.

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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

  As a member of our home community we would expect you to chip in! We are open to the ways in which you would like to do that. Yard work, gardening, pet care, household chores, cooking and other projects are all options.

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  Languages spoken

  English: Fluent
  Spanish: Fluent

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  Accommodation

  An attached apartment with a bedroom (king bed) living room with a couch and 70” screen TV, private bathroom and a kitchenette with fridge, sink, and air fryer. The apartment is about 850 square feet.
  We all make and eat breakfasts and lunch at different times depending on when we wake up and what we have planned for the day. Dinner is usually at 6pm which we eat family style around a big round table.

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  What else ...

  There is a lot to do and see very close by as we are near 5 colleges and many adorable towns with good restaurants, venues and museums; there is easy access to beautiful hikes and trails; there is a 3 hour train to New York City and an 2 hour bus to Boston.
  
  We expect kindness and positivity in our home and value cleanliness.

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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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  Can host digital nomads

  Great WiFi and a desk in a quiet space.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  Hours expected

  Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week