Join our family of dragon slayers and ice queens and help us find adventure in a forest town near Cologne, Germany

Detalles

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  Descripción

  Herzlich willkommen im Westerwald! We are so happy to have you!
  We are a small, single-parent family with two kids (4 and 9 yrs) and a dog and live in an idyllic German forest town. After traveling here and there, we now want to fully embrace sprouting roots as a family, and that includes some DIY projects inside and out of our beautiful house, lots of crafts and outdoor activity, and just being intentional with our time together. We want to install a fruit and veg garden and are very interested in sustainable gardening and lifestyle choices. Maybe you have wisdom to share?
  We are surrounded by great nature and many hiking/biking trails, and restaurants and stores are all within walking distance. We love living in community, and have done so in the past, and now we want to bring some of that liveliness, warmth and joy into the house by inviting YOU! (Don't worry, if you are an introvert, there is a room full of books and a cup of tea waiting for you..)
  If you loved Roald Dahl's children's books growing up, you'll know what big, mighty hearts beat in the chests of children, be they timid or standing tall. As my family and I foster children (short and long term), our numbers sometimes vary, but the same conditions hold true: Children love well when loved well. Maybe you have helpful experience with children that have experienced trauma, or are just happy to supervise arts and crafts while scream-quoting "Frozen" to and fro?!
  We are a family of faith (I am on my theology master right now), and I like to do Sunday home church with the kids, but we are mindful of everybody's right to their own space/expressions of faith. To us, living in community is an invitation to come home to oneself: Intentional community is nourishing and challenging, it is a dance of principle and liberty, and the more we share the richer we are.

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  Tipos de ayuda y oportunidades de aprendizaje

  Proyectos artísticos

  Práctica de idiomas

  Jardinería

  Construcción y bricolaje

  Cuidado de niños y juegos creativos

  Cocinar para toda la familia

  Ayuda doméstica
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  Intercambio cultural y oportunidades de aprendizaje

  The benefits are going to be tre-men-dous! For example, forget setting your alarm clock, we have small elbows and tribal screams for that sort of thing! Don't worry, I mostly joke.. Truthfully, I think we have a lot to offer, from breakfast pancakes and cappuccino to morning walks with the dog and a lot of fun and action in our day. If you like to be indoors or out-, we can accommodate you. I speak German and English and learned a handful of languages at some points in life; I taught German and am happy to give lessons, should you be interested in "textbook" language exchange. Personally, I would love to practice French, Spanish and Arabic; the children are familiar with English. I have resources available if you are interested in pursuing art - sewing, drawing, painting, crafting - and we collect music, books and films. I am a writer and avid reader and happiest in creative conglomeration.
  We try to set time aside most days to create something new, and invite you to join us in expressing your own creativity. I can teach you my favorite cooking/baking recipes and maybe you will do the same for me. Also, I firmly believe that our forests should be a part of your cultural experience. Germans infamously are deeply connected to their forests and have about a thousand trees per capita. There are beautiful half-timbered towns, nature reserves and small forest lakes in our area as well.
  We also make our own firewood, so if you dreamed of being a lumberjack in another life, you have come to the right place.
  We don't have a car, but can organize for travel when necessary or direct you to public transport (train is most popular).

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  Proyectos con niños

  En este proyecto podría haber niños. Para obtener más información, consulta nuestras directrices y consejos aquí.

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  Ayuda

  Two things I could write: 1. I am looking for help with my everyday household chores and errands, occasional homework support or kindergarten pick-up, and I am in the process of down-sizing and organizing our personal items for a more clutter-free home that has room for guests. I do small to medium DIY projects (preferably in collaboration), like paint jobs, up-cycling furniture/fabric, and making the house more kid-friendly. Outside, we are looking to install a vegetable patch, plan our new garden "room" and a miniature library, just to give you some examples. We want to transform the house into a refuge. You are welcome to make suggestions as well :)
  2. At the deeper level, I want my children to grow up around kind-hearted people who share their (food) cultures and personal wisdoms with us and show them that people come in all sizes and fonts, so to speak. While it is difficult for me to take them around the world while they are young, I want to invite the world into our small-town life. Just bring yourself and be the ambassador of goodwill your first grade teacher always knew you could be ;)

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  Idiomas

  Idiomas hablados
  Alemán: Fluido
  Inglés: Fluido

  Este anfitrión ofrece intercambio de idiomas
  We are thankful if you know some German phrases (or even speak German), otherwise the kids will teach you ;) I am particularly interested in improving/learning more Arabic, Spanish and French.
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  Alojamiento

  We are currently in the process of turning my office into the guest room, which will have a European double bed (1.4mx2m), dresser, shelf and desk. Your room adjoins the upstairs living room (curtained off), which will be available for your personal use once it is fully reinstated (maybe an idea for our first project together?). The accommodation is single traveler or single-parent friendly, just check in with me with any further questions you might have. You have your own toilet and shower off of the hallway. Our house is older and therefore we have a charming (read squeaky) hallway.
  We have heaters as well as fire places in most rooms and prefer the latter in the cold months. We also have extra blankets. You shall not freeze.
  As this is a family home and the kids' safety is priority, there are a few house rules concerning visitors and boundaries.

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  Algo más...

  Free time: We have sports clubs around (volleyball, jujitsu, swimming..), some nice restaurants and two swimming pools, mini golf, a bar and your friendly neighborhood dentists and doctors, and a theater and movie theater in the next biggest town. Also, we have a history club and a town museum, multiple churches, banks and an ice cream cafe during the summer. For day trips I would recommend Cologne, Siegen, Hachenburg or the Marienstatt Monastery for a weekend getaway. There is also a Ukrainian church and youth group in our town.

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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

  You are welcome to use the dining room (where I work) or work at your own desk.

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  Espacio para aparcar autocaravanas

  Este anfitrión puede proporcionar un sitio para autocaravanas.

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  ¿Cuántos voluntarios puedes hospedar?

  Uno

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  Horas esperadas

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