Learn new skills and recharge your batteries in Le Marche, province of Ancona, Italy

Details

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  Description

  Update for March 2026:
  I might need some green thumbs to get the veggie/flower garden up and running. I have a pile of what might be compost on the bottom that needs to be "harvested" and spread on the little garden patch.
  
  I will be away for a week near the end of March - but just in the next town over taking care of my daughter's dog - so you will have the house to yourself for most of that time.
  
  Standard info:
  Hello, my name is Kelly. Originally from the US, I have lived in Italy for over 30 years now. I have 3 adult children; two live nearby and one lives in Tenerife. I have been a workawayer (also woofer, SCI/IVS, and similar type things) guest and host for many years.
  In theory I work from home as a translator. Practically speaking, this job has tanked so I am trying to figure out what to do next.
  I enjoy dabbling in arts and crafty sorts of things - none of which I am good at, but I do have fun trying.
  
  Important to note is that we (right now just me) do smoke in the house.
  
  We also eat everything (no special diets) so you can expect that there will be pasta, meat and vegetables in the house. I prefer to have omnivore workawayers, vegetarian/lactose intolerant is doable, celiac disease might be a little difficult to manage at my house, but that is up for you to decide, vegan is kinda annoying (sorry).
  
  Sometimes we eat together and sometimes we don't . Sometimes the kids and friends come over for lunch or dinner (chaotic but usually a good time is had by all)
  There are no special rules about it. It just depends on what's going on during the day. At any rate, I provide all the basics (basics would be food I like hahaha) that you are welcome to use.
  If you want any special food, you will have to take care of it yourself.
  
  Finally, many people ask but no I cannot help with getting residency here in Italy. It is a total hassle and comes with a bunch of rules and regulations and costs that I don't want to deal with. Thank you for understanding.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Art Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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  Interests

  

  Events & social

  

  Plant care

  

  DIY & crafts

  

  Languages

  

  Gardening

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Nature

  

  Beach
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  The house is on the Ancona- Rome train line. The area is safe, the people are friendly, This is a very good spot to take a little break from your travels and recharge your batteries. If you are into outdoor sports, there are lots of rock climbers and cavers in the area.If you want to learn how to make pasta or bake pizza in the pizza oven, we can do that (these things depend on the weather and time). The nature around here is beautiful. If you are into arts and crafts, I have a number of things to play with like paint, polymer clay, wool, a sewing machine (but it needs some adjustments that I have failed to figure out) and some fabric to make things. There is a little bar near my house where the locals meet so if you are an extrovert and looking to learn some Italian, it is possible.

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  Help

  The March help requested is to:
  - get the garden up and running (or prepared for planting)
  -find the compost at the bottom of the heap and spread on garden
  - turn the soil
  - not kill any plants that have made it through the winter (not many)
  
  I say 3 hours a day per person but it could be less if you are a fast worker. People here usually pick a project and work on it during the day until they want to take a break. Some people work a bunch of hours one day and then spend the next day or two exploring the area. Some people do 20 minute sprints throughout the day perhaps will taking a break from their online jobs. For me it is not about helping out X hours a day but about picking a project and getting it done in a timely manner without killing yourself.
  Personally, I break the garden into thirds and try to get a third done a day (the plot it is only about 4 x 8 m / 10 x 25 feet). The prep work for each third usually takes me a little over an hour to get done.
  The compost project is going to take a little brainwork, muscle, and equipment (that we will get when we figure out the best way of moving the top part to get to the bottom part).
  
  As you'd expect, pitching in with basic house stuff—like cleaning up after meals or giving the floor a sweep—is just part of living together.
  
  During March I will probably be out babysitting my granddaughter most mornings which means you will have time alone.
  
  
  The best type of workawayer for my situation are people who are independent, have a good sense of humour, do not require constant supervision, and are basically able to figure things out. For March, I would add people who have experience in gardening (no need to be a pro, but at least some practical knowledge).
  
  If you do decide to come please let me know where you will be coming from, if you are coming by car, train, bike, etc. so I can tell you the best way to get here (and then follow those instruction because they will be the best ones, trust me). Transport strikes are common here, there is a lot of construction works going on the road and train system so google maps might not always be up to date.

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  Languages spoken

  English: Fluent
  Italian: Fluent
  German: Beginner
  Spanish: Beginner

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  Accommodation

  Private bedroom, shared everything else.

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  What else ...

  Google "Grotte di Frasassi" to get an idea of the surroundings. The train station is about a 10-minute walk from my place. The closest (not the most beautiful) beach is 40 minutes on the train (make sure to buy tix online). The closest biggish town is Fabriano (home to the paper museum and bike museum and Saturday market). I have a bike that a couple workawayers have been fixing up. I think it is in the last stage of fixing the front brakes. If you get that sorted out you are welcome to use it. Finally, please make sure to tell me if you have any allergies, special diets BEFORE you get here. Don't wait until you are here to tell me that you eat only vegan food, are allergic to nuts, hate vegetables, gluten free, lactose intollerant etc etc. The reason I mention this is because it has happened quite a few times in the past.

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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

  Unlimited wi-fi (unless you are synchronizing your google drive - that sucks up all the wi-fi when it is on - but it's a good excuse to get off the computer and do something else. I have a couple desks that can be moved to wherever you want.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  I do not have private parking but there is a flat parking area near my house.

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  Can possibly accept pets

  Maybe. If they are super chill (not barkers for example), don't eat the furniture, and you clean up after them it shouldn't be a problem.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  My animals / pets

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