Learn about creating an eco tiny house while forming a warm, open and creative community in Leuven, near Brussels, Belgium

Details

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  Description

  Hello!
  I'm Catharina, 28 years old, and I would like to co-create (together with a group of workawayers) a warm and connected community while we work on building my tiny house.
  
  Values
  I deeply value open and honest communication, and I believe that when everyone feels heard and respected, it opens space for lovely, caring and inclusive connections. I also want to highlight that my place is a queer-friendly space and a place where discrimination of any kind has no place. Next to that, I would like to make conscious time to check-in everyday with each other to see and share how we feel, what we desire/need/.., which energy we have and so on. We can decide together in which way or form we want to do this. I'm open to any idea or initiative and love when our time together is shaped by everyone's input and we collectively decide on the flow of our days.
  
  About The Work
  I am building a tiny house for myself and it is getting closed to being finished, but there is still a lot of work. It would be wonderful to get help with that. You can find underneath the "help"section more info about what kind of work.
  
  Possibilities For When We're Not Building
  (depending on the needs and preferences of everyone)
  - Exploring the beautiful surrounding forests, fields, and lakes
  - Cozy campfire evenings
  - Shared cooking and meal times
  - Taking time for yourself
  - Trips to Leuven or Brussels (for example to see the city, to attend an event, museum, to go for a drink,..)
  - Self-organized sessions based on movement or music or meditation or crafting or sharing circles, or...
  - Meeting friends of mine
  - All initiatives/ideas are welcome!
  
  About Myself:
  My main focus is in the arts, as a musician and electro-acoustic pianist I work on different (interdisciplinary) artistic projects. Beyond music, I'm passionate about
  -nature! I love to camp, hike, swim in lakes,..
  -movement through dance
  -alternative relationship forms and questioning societal expectations
  - DIY-projects (like a tiny house, interior design,..)
  -sustainable living
  -creating deep connections with people through different forms of communication, playfulness, humor, vulnerability, and curiosity.
  
  The Space
  You'll have access to all shared spaces in our cohousing home (I live here with two other wonderful persons) including the kitchen, living room, toilets and the bathroom (with shower and bathtub). The garden of this house has room for multiple tents, and there is also plenty of space for campervans. Also my tiny house is standing in this garden. I have also a grand piano, pingpong-table, hammock, slackline, board games, music instruments, creative materials to craft, wood for campfires,.. all of these are available for use!
  
  Location & Getting Around
  My place is only 2.5km away from Leuven train station (regular bus connection available), easily reachable by foot or bike. Trains to Brussels run every 10-15 minutes (17-minute journey). At my place, we're surrounded by beautiful forests, fields and a park with two lovely lakes, disclaimer! we can't unfortunately swim in the lakes :(. I have 2 bikes available to borrow. There's a grocery store just a 3-minute walk away, plus a bakery, a 'frituur', pizzeria, dance floor, and pharmacy all within close walking distance.
  
  A Note About Reviews
  This is my first time hosting through Work-away, so I don't have reviews yet. However, I'd be happy to have a video call beforehand so we can see if it feels good for both of us!

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  DIY and building projects

  Creating/ Cooking family meals
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  Interests

  

  Events & social

  

  Culture

  

  Plant care

  

  Architecture

  

  Politics / Social justice

  

  LGBTQ

  

  Vegetarian or vegan

  

  Sustainability

  

  Self development

  

  Music

  

  DIY & crafts

  

  Art & design

  

  Gardening

  

  Performing arts

  

  Drawing & painting

  

  Carpentry

  

  Nature

  

  Camping

  

  Dancing

  

  Outdoor activities

  

  Hiking
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  I can suggest a lot of nice places (both in the nature as cultural places), depending on what you like. We are surrounded by beautiful forest and fields and we are also very close by the city Leuven and Brussels, which are city's that have a lot to offer. This experience can also be a possibility to connect with other openminded people, to be inspired by each other and to experience live in a self-organized community. I can pass you through all my experiences and knowledge about tiny house designing and building. If interested I like to share about music as well. I can give some pianolessons or lessons about electronical music and how to work with for example a DAW,....

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  Help

  I can use some help with the work on my tiny house. I will work alongside and I love to share some skills so you don't need experience. If there are task that you feel you really don't want to do, of course you don't have to! We can look together to find something that interest you.
  
  Examples of tasks could be:
  -Refreshing wood from windows, window sills, (for example sanding, oiling,..)
  -Connecting sockets in outlets
  -Plasterwork like the bathtub/shower, cracks in the walls
  -help with isolating the floor
  -help install floorheating
  -help with making furniture
  -thinking along with me and/or joining me with doing some research (for example on waterproof plastermethods, furnituremaking,.. )
  -....
  
  -cooking shared meals in the evenings
  
  We can be flexible in hours, depending on each other energy.
  If you feel that there are days you prefer not to work at all, that's totally fine! In that case I will ask you for a little contribution to the food.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  Dutch: Fluent
  English: Intermediate
  French: Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  Dutch is my mother language. I speak also English and French but my French is not that good.
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  Accommodation

  In the garden there is place to camp, there are a lot of places where you can place your tent. If you don't have a tent, you can borrow a tent of mine. Camping outside is the most conveniënt but if you prefer to sleep inside, that is possible too! There are different possibilities (like a separate room, shared room,..), depending on your needs we can find a solution that feels good to you. If you prefer to sleep inside or if you want to borrow a tent, let me know on beforehand so I can ensure that all the needs of everybody can be matched with each other. There is also enough space for your campervan!

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  What else ...

  I am a musician and I have a grand piano, harmonium and a guitar here, feel free to use all this instruments whenever you like. We can hang out for example in the evenings or during the meals and I can bring you to friends of me if you like that. But I like to work this period during the days a lot on the tiny house, so I don't have time to join you in all the free moments.

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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

  There is a good wifi-connection in the house and there is also good mobile data in the garden.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  I have two places for campervans. Electricity, toilet, shower, kitchen,.. of the main house can be used

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  Can possibly accept pets

  Depends on the situation, needs to be discussed beforehand

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  My animals / pets

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