updated  

Simple living and contact with nature in Telemark, Norway

Profile information

  • rating

    Host rating

    100 %

  • Last replied

    Last replied

    13 Dec 2025

  • Reply rate

    Reply rate

    100.0 %

    Usually responds within 1 day

  • feedbacks

    Feedback

    5

  • Email verified

    Email verified

Country info

IF you are not a Norwegian or EU citizen and are planning to visit to work, volunteer or study, YOU WILL NEED THE CORRECT VISA / AU PAIR PERMIT (if applicable). To find out more information please contact the embassy in your home country BEFORE travelling.

Badges (3)

Good Host
Email verified
Give the gift of Workaway
read more

Availability

  2025 

 Min stay requested: No minimum

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Details

  • Description

    Description

    🔸 Update: we would like to welcome someone in the period that goes from now to December 18th as we have no Workawayer staying yet in that period. Dates can be extended in both directions.🔹

    We are a family of 3 working towards living in an eco-community. Now we landed in Hørte, a small town in the county of Telemark. At the moment we live in an old house we recently bought. We want our home to be renovated to be as self sufficient and off the grid as possible. We hope to inspire others to take these types of choices as well.

    We make decisions following sociocratic processes. So that everyone in the group will share some power and decide.

    We also have a cat by the way!

    We do own and electric car. Our house is 4km from the train stasjon of Bø i Telemark. There is a road to Bø mostly on bike lines and we sometimes walk to town.

    We are used to and super interested in cultural exchange, especially we love to learn from cultures who still have a deeper connection to nature.

    We speak Norwegian, English and Italian.

    We eat and serve plant-based food.

  • Types of help and learning opportunities

    Types of help and learning opportunities

    Art Projects
    Help with Eco Projects
    Gardening
    DIY and building projects
    Animal Care
    Babysitting and creative play
    Creating/ Cooking family meals
    Help around the house
    General Maintenance
    House and pet sitting
  • Interests

    Interests

    Hiking
    Fitness
    Camping
    Cycling
    Yoga / Wellness
    Music
    DIY & crafts
    Culture
    Events & social
    Farming
    Self development
    Politics / Social justice
    Technology
    Vegetarian or vegan
    Sustainability
    Pets
    LGBTQ
    Charity work
    Languages
    Gardening
    Cooking & food
    Books
    Animals
    Dancing
    Nature
  • Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    We have a personal library with some interesting topics and books to be read and discussed. Among other topics: permaculture, contact with nature, brain development, floras, mushrooms...

    Thomas has trained as a teraputic game master and if you're interested we can play role play together.

    Hørte has a public space which is an art gallery open at summer time

    Not too far away there's a food garden which up to last year was also a communal place. Maybe it could return to that?

    We are involved in making an old school becoming a wood carving communal space.

    Bø i Telemark has an university campus

    There are plenty of possible tours in nearby nature. And we could drive you where it's harder to get by public transportation

    In Bø there are:
    - a swimming pool
    - multiple gyms
    - a public library and a university library
    - a couple of thrift shops

    The train station will bring you in 2,5 hours to Oslo. This line goes all the way to Stavanger via Kristiansand.

    -------------

    We are used to and super interested in cultural exchange, especially we love to learn from cultures who still have a deeper connection to nature.

    We speak Norwegian, English and Italian.

    We would love to learn a Sami language one day.

    ---------------

    We are training to become sociocratic facilitator and trainers. This is a useful skill you would pick up by having meetings with us.

    We do organize work to do around on a Kanban.

  • Projects involving children

    Projects involving children

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

  • Help

    Help

    In this first year there would be quite some work for planning the next year, making systems that work for us living under the same roof and that will facilitate keeping the house tidy and organised.

    Examples of projects to be done:
    - sun ventilation on walls
    - design of permaculture garden
    - fixing 5 old bikes on the property
    - painting walls with flaxseed oil paint
    - making the chicken house in stand for our 7 chickens (they live at a family member's place at the moment).
    - eventually feeding and cleaning the chicken coop
    - making food especially from organic food
    - finding and training in conflict resolution processes
    - make a pole lathe to carve bowls
    - carving bowls
    - wood carving
    - write bylaws for a cooperative
    - getting to know our new neighbors
    - chopping wood
    - diverse building projects

    We make decisions following sociocratic processes. So that everyone in the group will share power and decide together.

    Tasks get done together, or in proximity, if everyone is comfortable with that.

    We also have a 21 months old at home with us, so there would be more or less constant interaction with our toddler. We don't look after someone else than us parent to take care of the kid, but of course having a small one around requires for everyone in the household to pay extra attention (e.g. don't leave warm tea cups or sharp knives around!) :)

  • Languages

    Languages spoken
    English: Fluent
    Italian: Fluent
    Norwegian bokmål: Fluent
    Spanish: Beginner
    Portuguese: Beginner
    Sami: Beginner

    This host offers a language exchange
    We are a bilingual family. My partner knows very basic Italian. Our child is growing to be trilingual. We do speak English very fluently. And my level of Norwegian is also high. I do have a lot of resources for Norwegian learning. We would love to have more Sami language around us. We have dreamed about teaching ourselves and move.

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation

    We find together the solution for accommodate your needs!

    If you're the only workawayer at this moment, you would have your own room with a door. Else the room will be shared between you, there are some curtains to divide the spaces.

    The other spaces are common. We have a living room on both floors. In case of need these areas can also be used as sleeping areas.

    At the time of writing we still have to start work to build a bathroom inside. Maybe done by spring 2026. So there is only cold water available on both floors at the moment.

    The toilet is in the garage at the moment. During summer we shower at the nearby river. Now we use a camping place 6 minutes away by car.

    We have a dishwasher in the basement.

    The house is not well isolated. We do have 2 wood oven we use (also in the coldest day of summer), to warm up the house.

    We would like to add one oven to have a wood stove in the kitchen - and learning to cook on that instead (but we're not there yet). We have kitchen machines: mixer, deydrathor, instant pot, bread machine and water boiler. And at the moment we still have an electric stove we use to cook food.

    We also have a small dish washer, so that it's only bigger items who needs hand wash with the cold water mentioned above.

    There is also a workshop in the garage and other rooms at the second floor in the garage who can be used. They aren't very well isolated though, so I'm not sure how they are during winter. Also they need to be reorganized before using them.

    We do eat primarily plant based.
    We can provide gluten free alternatives (we have a couple of friends with celiac disease and we can make our kitchen gluten free if needed).
    I like prepping food for multiple days in a row.

    There's always newly baked bread available, dried fruits and nuts, and other type of cereals to be eaten whenever you feel hungry. We try to gather at meals. We tend to make one warm meal per day, either for lunch or for dinner. Possibly more warm porridge for breakfast in the coming season.

    We like to start our day early, but sometimes our child sleeps in. Then the breakfast happens later.

    There is variation in what we eat, and we will find a routine that works for everyone.

    We've also started eating around the fire in the garden when we feel like it.

  • What else ...

    What else ...

    We value self-care in this household. Take breaks, go and do a sit spot in nature, be active with you body, take care of your needs, give feedback.

  • A little more information

    A little more information

    • Internet access

    • Limited internet access

      Limited internet access

    • We have pets

    • We are smokers

    • Can host families

  • Can host digital nomads

    Can host digital nomads

    We have fiber.

  • Space for parking camper vans

    Space for parking camper vans

    We don't have limitations on size of the vehicles parked.

  • How many Workawayers can stay?

    How many Workawayers can stay?

    More than two

  • My animals / pets

    My animals / pets

    Profile photo of Kin

    Kin (9 years)

    Forest cat. Kin (for kinship) likes to be on his own. He also loves to get good bites. He gives clear warnings if he doesn't like something you do. Just follow his cues and you won't get any scratches.

    East, Miselin, Ndege, Jua, Fuzho, Moti, Maisha, Mvula (3 years)

Host ref number: 835769762492

Website Safety

Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host

Feedback (3)



Photos

A smiling couple stands outside, one waving. The man holds a child with a frog emoji covering their face. All wear boots near a green house.
A green house with white trim sits near a forest, under a blue sky with fluffy clouds. A pink border frames the serene rural scene.
A scenic rural landscape with a few houses along a road, small trees, dry grass, mountains in the background, and a bright blue sky.
A joyful family celebrates together in a cozy kitchen, smiling over a homemade cake decorated with “500” in red, highlighting a special milestone or achievement.
The image shows three modern, accessible bathrooms with walk-in showers, toilets, and safety features. All have gray tiles, glass partitions, and a vibrant green border.
This sunlit room has pink wooden walls, many large windows with outdoor views, white ceiling, green floor, glass bottles, woven chair, hanging planter, and rug.
This image shows a green wooden house and outbuilding under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds, surrounded by trees and grass, framed by a purple border.

Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host

Feedback

These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.

Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)

Cultural exchange:
(5.0)

Communication:
(5.0)





Join our non-profit campsite near Oslo, Norway
Welcoming all dog lovers to my cozy home in Norway