Help us with house and garden projects and experience life over the Arctic Circle in Vittangi, Sweden

Details

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  Description

  Hej!
  
  We are a Swedish-French family, Anton (31), Cora (33), Lova (3) and Leo (1,5 year). We live in Lappland, in Vittangi, 150 km north of the Arctic Circle. In this winter paradise we bought three years ago an old house with a big garden and many outbuildings, that we are renovating slowly while life flies by with two small kids.
  We are located just outside the village, surrounded by two rivers and the forest.
  
  We live in a land of extremes. In wintertime this is the real winter wonderland, trees heavy with snow, frozen rivers, northern lights in the garden while the fire crackles in the fireplace. An invitation to peace and slowing down. Summertime is a season full of light and energy when projects come to life. This place offers an amount of outdoor activities, fishing, swimming, gardening, cycling, running, walk in the woods, pick berries... Just take a good mosquito repellent with you!
  
  I (Cora) have been a volunteer and a traveler, and i still love meeting new people and share our experiences. We live by the only road that goes north in the area and we often greet travelers and offer them to stop for a coffee, take shelter from the rain, set up their tent in our garden... We love to talk about our life here, our projects, share about the culture we live in...
  
  That's how we decided to open our doors for longer periods to people interested in discovering Lappland from the inside and who want to help out during their stay.
  
  By -30°C or +25°C, you'll always get a warm welcome at our place!

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Babysitting and creative play

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  We live in a place that has a strong cultural heritage which is tightly tied to our natural environment. When coming to Lapland you experience not only the Swedish way of living but also the culture of people who have learnt how to make the best out of a not very welcoming land to the human kind. Handicraft, outdoor activities, fishing, berry picking, people here live close to nature and we naturally do too and have a lot to share about it.
  Lapland is also the land of the Sami people, the reindeer herders, which is obviously unique.
  
  And in general, living 8 months a year in the snow, 70 km away from the nearest town, and with moose coming to say hi at our window and northern lights dancing over our garden, we can say that we live a life that is quite far from what most people are used to in their everyday life, so there is definitely a lot to exchange about!

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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

  We have different projects going on, both in the garden and in the house.
  
  Next summer (May until September) we would like to repaint the house, put up a fence, we have a cabin in the garden which we would like to renovate, and we would love to build a greenhouse. We are also trying to tame some invasive plants, we need to split wood for winter, we also have a canoe that we need to fix before being able to use it on the river just a hundred meters away... Along with the everyday tasks (walking our dog, mowing the lawn, watering the vegetables, picking berries and make jams...while taking care of the kids), so no matter what you can do or what you like most, there is something for you!
  
  Wintertime is more about plowing snow, bringing wood from the storage, dog walks in the snow, making our walking trails in the forest. And most of the time is spent inside where we always have some renovations to be done as well as kids to be entertained.
  
  If you are comfortable with kids, it is also gold for us to be able to do other activities just the two of us for a couple of hours, which very rarely happens anymore.
  
  As of today we feel that stays up to 3 weeks fits us best but that can be discussed and adapted depending on the projects going on and how we are getting along.

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  Languages spoken

  English: Fluent
  French: Fluent
  Swedish: Fluent

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  Accommodation

  We have several options for sleeping. Unfortunately none of them offers both full privacy and comfort together so you'll get to choose which one you prefer.
  
  We have a very confortable double bed in a room downstairs (where we live during the day) that you can close with sliding doors but they won't stay closed very long as soon as the kids are up.
  Otherwise, summer time you are welcome to sleep in your tent or camper van in the garden, or to use one of our (not yet equipped, one more project!) outbuildings. We can fix so there is at least a bed, a lamp and a heater put in there for you if that's where you'd like to stay.
  Bathroom in the house is available of course any time. We have 2 toilets and 2 showers.
  
  Since recently (March 2024) we are both working 7-16 with our kids at daycare, with some exceptions. When we started being hosts during summer 2023 we were both at home on parental leave and studies so we had a lot of time to enjoy our guest's presence and share our family life. Now we are entering a new rhythm where unfortunately we don't have the same amount of time to spend together with you, so you need to be comfortable being on your own for most of the day and then having the whole family life rush storming in at 16.30!
  From then a bit of help is also welcome.
  
  We usually out the kids to bed around 18.30 then have dinner. Anton loves to cook and does it amazingly! And vegetarian recipes are welcome!
  If you have any diet requirements please let us know before you arrive so we can get what's needed in the big town.
  We are happy to eat together with you, that's when we can talk best and share some nice moments!

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  What else ...

  On your free time, nature is yours! In summertime the sun doesn't set here so there is plenty of time to enjoy! We live next to the village's "beach" (do not expect too much!) where you can go for a refreshing swim or go fishing. There is a more private swimming spot that you can walk or bike to, and the village is 2 km away. Unfortunately there is no restaurant or pub there but you are welcome to join the village's sports club activities for example.
  
  Wintertime is more easy to be cosy inside, but you can also get some outdoors adventures! And of course, you will want to keep an eye out for the northern lights!
  
  You may borrow our car for a day when it fits. Kiruna is a city worth a visit, and we can only recommend you to take several days during your stay to go to the mountains or on a Norway trip while you're in the area, but then you need to have your own vehicle or use public transportation.
  
  After our first summer on Workaway and a few visits it has been working fine with making together a list of projects and daily activities and to see day by day what we can aim at and adapt so everyone feels comfortable with how things are set. We often welcome friends and family so we are used to sharing our life with people but not to have them help on projects when they're with us!
  We just expect you to be a positive person, curious about life here, ready to give a hand and to communicate with us on your expectations and how you feel while you're here.

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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

  Internet works fine

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  Space for parking camper vans

  We have a lot of space, vans are welcome!

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  Can possibly accept pets

  We have a super easy going dog who loves to meet new people and dogs, then he usually calms down quickly and goes back to his peace and quiet. So if your dog is good with children it is fine by us! But no cats since Anton is allergic.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  Hours expected

  4/5 hours per day max, 5 days/week.

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