Spanish language, dog walks and everyday life together in Wrocław, Poland

Detalles

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  Descripción

  Hi! I'm Marzena, 35 yo, and I live in Wrocław, Poland, with my 6 yo dog, Lola.
  
  I'm looking preferably for a female Workawayer from Spain who would like to stay with us for around one or two months.
  
  The idea is quite simple: I'd love to bring Spanish into my everyday life, and I could use some help with Lola when I'm at work or university.
  
  I'm not looking for formal Spanish lessons. Quite the opposite – I learn best when the language becomes part of normal life. Talk to me while we're making coffee, walking Lola, cooking, doing something around the flat or discussing something completely random.
  
  Spanish is definitely número uno here. 🇪🇸
  
  A little about me
  
  I'm an English teacher and I work with children with special educational needs at a Therapy and Education Centre. I'm also studying Spanish philology, so languages, education and learning are a huge part of my life.
  
  In my 20s, I've worked as AuPair in the UK, Australia, Canada and Spain, so I've lived abroad before and I really enjoy meeting people from different cultures (Couchsurfing veteran here).
  
  I have ADHD, so my brain can be quite lively. 😄 I can talk a lot, jump between subjects, get fascinated by something new and suddenly decide that today is the perfect day to learn an entirely new skill.
  
  I love lively people and spontaneous conversations, but I also really enjoy deep conversations, long walks, peaceful evenings and silence.
  
  And sometimes I simply need to be alone.
  
  I completely understand if you do too.
  
  You never have to entertain me. If one day you want to disappear into your room, put your headphones on, read a book or explore Wrocław alone – that's absolutely fine.
  
  Everyone has different amounts of energy on different days.
  
  Communication matters much more to me than constant interaction.
  
  Spanish – the number one reason for this exchange 🇪🇸
  
  I'm studying Spanish, but because of the way I learn, simply sitting down with a textbook isn't enough for me. My ADHD doesn't help either. My brain works in a different way and since I cannot be in Poland and Spain at the same time, Spain has to come to Poland. 😄
  
  I need Spanish to happen around me naturally.
  
  So please talk to me!
  
  Correct me sometimes. Teach me expressions people actually use. Tell me that something I've learned from a textbook sounds ridiculous in real life. 😄
  
  You absolutely don't need to prepare lessons or become my Spanish teacher.
  
  I'd rather learn while we're walking Lola, making dinner, drinking coffee, doing something on the balcony or having a completely unnecessary 40-minute discussion about something that started as a two-minute conversation.
  
  I'll also spend quite a lot of time studying, especially during the academic year. If you occasionally join me and help me use what I'm learning in real conversation, that would be amazing.

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  Tipos de ayuda y oportunidades de aprendizaje

  Práctica de idiomas

  Cuidado de animales

  Ayuda doméstica

  Cuidado de casas y mascotas
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  Intereses

  

  Vegetariano o vegano

  

  Sostenibilidad

  

  Mascotas

  

  Autodesarrollo

  

  Astronomía

  

  Animales

  

  Idiomas

  

  Arte y diseño

  

  Bricolaje y manualidades

  

  Historia

  

  Yoga / bienestar

  

  Naturaleza
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  Intercambio cultural y oportunidades de aprendizaje

  Our home 🏡
  
  My apartment isn't huge, but it's comfortable.
  
  There's an open kitchen connected to the living room, a sofa, a bedroom and two balconies.
  
  I'm quite flexible about sleeping arrangements. Depending on our schedules, I may even sleep on the sofa sometimes. I leave home very early on some days and I don't want my schedule to unnecessarily disturb yours.
  
  We'll discuss the practical arrangements honestly before you come so that both of us know what to expect.
  
  This is my home, but while you're staying here, I want you to be able to feel at home too.
  
  House rules
  
  There aren't many.
  
  The main one is:
  
  Everyone cleans up after themselves.
  
  I have a very busy schedule and occasionally I leave something somewhere when I'm rushing out of the house. I'm human too.
  
  So I'm not expecting perfection from you when I don't expect it from myself.
  
  The apartment is clean and comfortable, but it is a home where an actual human and an actual dog live – not a hotel.
  
  Responsibility and communication matter much more to me than perfection.

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  Ayuda

  Lola 🐾
  
  La Casa de Lola is run by the Fury Queen of 26 kg. Lola is a very important part of this exchange.
  
  For that reason, previous experience with dogs is important to me.
  
  I need someone who can comfortably walk a dog independently and understands basic dog behaviour: when to call her back, when to give her space, how to react calmly and how to make sensible decisions while you're responsible for her.
  
  I'll teach you her routine, signals and habits before expecting you to take responsibility for her independently. She's very independent, so I've learned to respect that, especially because she's very intelligent. I adopted her when she was 1-1,5 years old. We've become a team; she taught me a lot - first of all, patience. Once she feels cared and loved by you, she'll be the happiest dog.
  
  My approach to animals is gentle and respectful.
  
  No hitting, shouting, intimidation or physical punishment – ever.
  
  This is a firm boundary in my home.
  
  The help I may need includes:
  
  * taking Lola for a walk while I'm at work, or studying in the evening,
  * feeding her when necessary,
  * brushing her (she loses fur like crazy in between seasons),
  * every second weekend I have classes (one day online, one day at the uni), so these day Lola will be cared just by you.
  
  And yes – Lola is allowed to bring sticks home and destroy them.
  
  So if you're looking for an immaculate, permanently spotless apartment... we may not be the perfect match. 😄
  
  My university weekends 📚
  
  Every second weekend I have university.
  
  Those weekends are the main time when your help with Lola would really make a difference.
  
  I may be away from morning until evening, so ideally I'd like someone who can be responsible for Lola during the day: making sure she's comfortable, taking her outside and giving her food if needed.
  
  That doesn't mean you'll necessarily be stuck at home all day.
  
  So. Sometimes I'll come back during the day. from work. Sometimes I'll decide that I need a long walk and take Lola myself. There may even be days when you expected to help and suddenly discover that there's actually nothing for you to do.
  
  We'll communicate and organise it together.

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  Idiomas

  Idiomas hablados
  Inglés: Fluido
  Polaco: Fluido
  Español: Intermedio

  Este anfitrión ofrece intercambio de idiomas
  I’m a native Polish speaker and an English teacher, so I’ll be very happy to help you with either Polish or English during your stay. If you’re curious about Polish, don’t worry about your level – we can start from zero and focus on useful, everyday language. And if you’d rather improve your English, we can do that too. I also love comparing languages, expressions, accents and all those little things that don’t translate perfectly – so expect plenty of “Wait, how do you say THAT in Spanish?” moments. 😄
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  Alojamiento

  My apartment is small but cosy and fully equipped. You'll have everything you need for a comfortable stay – fresh bedding, towels, a bathrobe, slippers and basic toiletries, so you don't need to bring half your bathroom with you. 😊
  
  There is an open-plan kitchen and living room, a bedroom, a bathroom and two balconies. You'll have full access to the kitchen and all the usual household equipment.
  
  The sleeping arrangements can be flexible. There is a comfortable sofa in the living room and a bed in the bedroom, and we can decide together what works best with our schedules. I'm also happy to take the sofa myself when that makes more sense – especially as I sometimes leave home very early in the morning.
  
  Basic household supplies such as toilet paper, cleaning products, etc. are of course provided.
  
  Because I follow a very specific diet for health reasons, preparing and sharing all our meals would be difficult. You definitely won't be expected to follow my diet or eat the same things as me.
  We can cook and eat together whenever it works for both of us, but most of the time we'll probably prepare our meals independently.
  Since I'm asking for significantly less help than the standard 25 hours per week, I'd like the food arrangement to reflect that too. I'm happy to provide basic groceries and ingredients for you to prepare your own meals, and we can agree together before your arrival on an arrangement that feels fair to both of us.
  You'll have full access to the kitchen and kitchen equipment, and of course you're also welcome to buy any additional or specific products you particularly like.
  And if you'd like to cook something Spanish together occasionally, I certainly won't complain. 😄

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  Algo más...

  I'm quite flexible about everyday life and I don't have many strict house rules. The main ones are simple: clean up after yourself, communicate openly and respect each other's space and commitments.
  
  You don't need to organise your free time around me. You're very welcome to explore Wrocław, meet people, travel around Poland or take a longer trip during your stay – we just need to plan ahead if it overlaps with a time when we've agreed you'll take care of Lola.
  
  Wrocław is very easy to get around by public transport, so you don't need a car. There is plenty to do in the city, and it's also a good base for exploring other parts of Poland and nearby European cities.
  
  I have a busy schedule and every second weekend I'm at university, so our routines won't always look exactly the same from week to week. Some days I'll need your help more, while on others I may suddenly decide to take Lola for a long walk myself and you'll have absolutely nothing to do. 😄 I prefer flexibility rather than creating work just because it's “supposed to be” a Workaway day.
  
  I also really value independence. We can spend time together when we both feel like it, but there's absolutely no expectation that we do everything together. You can have your plans, friends and quiet days – and so can I.
  
  The one thing I'm not flexible about is responsibility: if we've agreed that you're taking care of Lola at a particular time, I need to be able to rely on that. Apart from that, most things can be figured out with good communication.
  
  And if you're thinking about staying in Wrocław longer, I'm happy to help you find your feet here. I work in education and may be able to point you towards useful contacts, especially if you have experience in teaching or working with children. I can't promise employment, of course, but I'm always happy to help where I can.

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  Un poco más de información

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    Acceso a Internet

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    Acceso a Internet limitado

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    Tenemos animales

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    Somos fumadores

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    Puede alojar familias

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  Puede acoger a nómadas digitales

  Digital nomads are very welcome! I have reliable Wi-Fi and you’re welcome to work or study from home. I also spend quite a lot of time studying myself, so quiet working/studying time fits naturally into my routine. The help with Lola can usually be organised around your work schedule - communication and reliability are more important to me than fixed hours. Every second weekend, when I’m at university, I may need a little more help with her, but we can always plan this in advance. You’ll have plenty of free time to work, explore Wrocław, meet people or travel. If you need a quiet day with minimal interaction because you’re working or simply need some space, that’s absolutely fine too.

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  ¿Cuántos voluntarios puedes hospedar?

  Más de dos

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  Mis animales / mascotas

  

  Lola (6 años)

  Lola is a very intelligent, independent and sensitive rescue dog with a big personality. 🐾
  
  She does best with calm, confident people who know how to read a dog rather than constantly control one. She has a lot of freedom in her everyday life and is used to making her own choices, so an important part of getting to know her is learning when to guide her and when to simply let her be.
  
  She's not a dog who constantly asks for attention or physical contact. She decides when she wants closeness, and I respect that. When she does come to you, though, she's incredibly sweet and affectionate.
  
  She's generally not interested in conflict with other dogs. If another dog makes her uncomfortable, she usually communicates it clearly and prefers to move away rather than look for trouble. She also has quite a few dog friends she genuinely loves spending time with.
  
  Lola has some difficult experiences in her past, so there are situations in which her reaction isn't always completely predictable. Raised or harsh voices can make her uncomfortable and withdrawn. That's one of the reasons why calmness and experience with dogs are so important to me.
  
  I don't expect you to understand her immediately. I'll teach you her signals, routines and boundaries and we'll walk her together first. Once you get to know her, she's a wonderfully clever, funny and very special dog to spend time with.
  
  The best relationship with Lola is a partnership – not obedience at all costs.

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