Experience the Swedish-Finnish cottage life in Lapland, Sweden

Details

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  Description

  Hi! I invite you to experience cottage life in the north in the summer 2024! This is an old timber house that used to be a working farm with a cow house and a barn. Nowadays the place is my second home, my summer cottage. It is located in Swedish Lapland in the municipality of Pajala, in a remote village. The house sits by the Tornio River - the border river between Finland and Sweden. I am actually Finnish so I can help you explore both cultures.
  
  In the summer I would need a little help around the house and the garden. I work full time on my laptop (in the field of tourism development and culture) and could use an extra pair of hands maintaining the garden and the house during the growing season.
  
  I would describe the place to be a little bohemian - you will find overgrown rose bushes and trees as well as recycled elements around the yard. It also brings an air of freedom and relaxed vibes which I hope you'll enjoy.
  
  You will be staying in a big cozy room at the other end of the main house. Kitchen and toilet in the house are shared. I have a lovely old-fashioned wood burning sauna where you will be washing yourself - there is no shower in the house.
  
  There is also another option for staying: it's a quirky separate "flat" in one of the yard buildings. You can make a choice when arriving.
  
  About transport: the public transport connections do exist but they are sparse. There is actually a bus stop right in front of the house for buses driving between Haparanda in the south and Kiruna in the north. However, you should also consider arriving through Finland as there is both a train and a bus connection from Helsinki all the way to Pello on the Finland's side of the river (25 km from the house). You could also find a flight to Rovaniemi (120 km away) or Oulu (250 km away) and continue from there. I have a possibility to pick you up from a convenient distance and I am more than happy to help you find the best connections! There are many more than the ones above.
  
  Locally, you could borrow my two bikes and go bike around. There are no services in the village. Houses sit by the main road, locals are mainly older people, active and friendly. The views to the majestic Tornio river are beautiful, there is a small secluded beach around 5 km away, lovely forests invite for walks... We can hop in the car and do our groceries together so you would also see a little bit of the closest village Pello.
  
  I have certain things (see below) that I would especially need your help with this coming summer. It would be about 4 to 5 hours a day and I would be providing you with accommodation and meals. The food would be mainly vegetarian, sometimes fish. You will obviously also have space in the fridge/freezer for the extra snacks of your choice.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  You would have a chance to familiarize yourself with cottage life in the north! You would be staying on the Sweden's side of the river with a Finnish host. My place might not be the most standard cottage but here you could experience one chosen lifestyle among many. :) We would probably have many nice chats about our experiences while working or having meals together.

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  Help

  Painting the outside of the house is my main priority for the summer of 2024. I could also use your help in cutting the grass, trimming the trees and bushes, helping with the vegetable garden, collecting some wood...
  
  If you have special skills there's also a couple of door frames to be built and other small scale renovation work. On a rainy day you could give inside windowsills and frames a coat of paint. Depending on the season also picking berries with me would be a great help. I am thankful for your help in any shape and form!

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  Languages spoken

  English: Fluent
  Finnish: Fluent
  Swedish: Intermediate
  German: Beginner
  Spanish: Beginner
  French: Beginner

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  Accommodation

  A big room in the house or a summer room in one of the yard buildings - see above!

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  What else ...

  I am primarily looking for you who are happy to spend a shorter time workawaying as the place is not my primary home and I am not able to host for long periods of time. I am hoping you would stay at least 5 working days, maximum being 3 weeks if our timetables match well.
  
  I would be happy to host a couple or two friends - in this case you would also have the company of each other as I am the only person in the house and busy working long hours at times.
  
  We would also be respecting each other's privacy - certain spaces in the house are shared but being able to have non-social time is also of high value.
  
  ***There is no wifi in the house! I can share the internet connection from my phone while I am there or maybe you have your own that you can also use abroad?

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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

  The yard is big and easily fits a campervan.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  Hours expected

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