Kids, cycling and general mayhem with our family on Bowen Island, Canada

Infos

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  Description

  *** Update: We are looking for somebody to join the family beginning early May 2024. Please apply if you're interested! Details about our family and the living arrangement are below. ***
  
  Greetings from the west coast of Canada! I am a single mom of two wonderful, boisterous young kids living on beautiful Bowen Island in British Columbia, very close to Vancouver (20 minute ferry trip to Horseshoe Bay and then 30 minute bus or 20 minute drive to downtown; or 25 minute passenger water taxi to Granville Island or Coal Harbour in downtown Vancouver). Bowen Island is a special community to visit because it is SO BEAUTIFUL and special in that it really feels like a village. People move here because of its beauty and the sense of community. It has about 4000 full time residents, and many of them are young families. The beaches are quiet, the forests are old growth and lush (50 shades of green!!). It's quiet but you also have coffee shops and restaurants and a bit of local art and music. It really is a wonder that such a natural paradise is so close to one of Canada's major cities. Bowen residents sometimes feel as if we are living in one of this areas best kept secrets...
  
  Bowen Island is situated off the Sea-to-Sky highway between Vancouver and Whistler, a major ski destination. There are also many ski mountains on the north shore of Vancouver. There are ferries from Horseshoe Bay to Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast, so this is a great leaping off point to explore some of the most beautiful areas of the lower mainland of British Columbia. The weather in this area is glorious in the summer and fall months (May-October)—sunny, dry, temperate—and wet and rainy through the winter months (November-April). The good news about weather in the winter is that it is mild (usually hovering around 5-10 degrees Celsius), and therefore everything stays green even in the thick of winter. There are snowcapped mountains all around us, though. It's beautiful all year round.
  
  I am originally from the east coast of the United States, but went to university in Canada and spent time living all over the world working in international development. I run a small business as a real estate investment advisor, and team up with a nomad yogini friend to offer clients earthy but elegant interior design and short term retreat and vacation rental management services. I also work as a part time therapist in private practice with a specialization in mindfulness inspired approaches. I am the former owner of a yoga studio on the island.

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  Types d'aide et opportunités d'apprendre

  Enseignement

  Jardinage

  Bricolage et construction

  S’occuper des animaux

  Baby-sitting et jeux créatifs

  Cuisine/repas pour la famille

  Aide à la maison

  Entretien général
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  Echange culturel et opportunités d'apprendre

  This exchange would likely really be about NATURE, CHILDREN, and COMMUNITY. Bowen Island is a special place to visit. If you were to pay for accommodation, it is hard to find a place to stay here during the high season because it is (surprisingly) limited due to the fact that there are no big chains or hotels here. It's a local-oriented culture, and so living with a family here will give you a special sense of this place, its forests and trails, and its community.
  
  I am a traveller myself! I travelled the world for many years and worked in international development throughout South Asia and parts of Southern Africa. I love philosophy and I am really interested in east-west psychology. i am part of a group on Bowen that is working on developing an eco village on a newly acquired 10-acre lot. I also manage a retreat center that hosts yoga, contemplative psychology trainings, and other programs year-round. I really appreciate local food culture, cycling, hiking, exploring the BC coastal and mountain terrain, and snuggling down as a family with music, movies, books, and good food and drink. :)

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  Projets impliquant des enfants

  Ce projet peut impliquer des enfants. Pour en savoir plus, consultez nos directives et conseils ici.

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  Aide

  Come and help a busy mom who has her own business designing and operating beautiful vacation rental properties on the island. You will be joining me and my two kids (who go to their father's house a few days per week),
  
  This winter and beyond, I need help with my kids and around the house. As a member of the house, you would help with the kids and with general things involving caretaking the property. This may involve spending time playing games with the kids—reading to them, helping them to further their outdoor education through play, going on walks and/or forest or beach adventures, biking together on forest trails, swimming at the local beaches, art projects, help with homework, and so on. I also ask for occasional help with laundry, light general cleaning and (always!) tidying. All of this frees me up to work when needed.
  
  We will come up with a regular, though generally very flexible schedule for you so that you can plan other activities around it. Most of my WorkAway guests in the past had 2+ days per week entirely off to explore and to do other paid work through connections of mine here on the island. On days you do help out, it is only for part of the day so you will have a lot of free time.
  
  This position best suits somebody who tends towards being clean/tidy, kid-loving,
  independent, self-directed, and who enjoys quiet time and nature. You will be an important support person for me. It goes without saying that, in exchange, I will do my best to support you to enjoy your time here.
  
  NOTE: Given the fact that you will become part of my family and the lives of my little ones, I give preference to people who would like to stay for a month or longer. It takes time for the kids to develop rapport with you, and they become quite attached. Since it's best for them not to have too much change, i will always prefer working with people who are looking for a place to put down some roots for a while. I am open for stays as long as a year (!!) and beyond, if the fit is right. I have found that our relationship with the people who have stayed for long periods to be deeply enriching. You are welcome to inquire about shorter stays, but I will always be balancing our interest in a good fit with length of stay.

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  Langues parlées

  Anglais: Courant

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  Hébergement

  If you join us, you’d be living together with me and the kids in a little cozy 4 bedroom house on a rural property very close to the village. It is walking distance to all of the stores, coffee shops, library, galleries, restaurants, trails, and beaches on the island. You will have your own private room with a double bed, nightstand and a large closet. It is sweetly decorated (everything new). There is a full bathroom right next to your room, also shared by the house during the day as it is right off the kitchen.
  
  The kitchen is shared with me and the kids. You are invited to join us for mostly vegetarian meals, but my kids eat meat, so meat will sometimes be cooked in the house. It would be great if you love to cook as it would be helpful to have help with cooking meals a few days per week.
  
  There are large decks and a quiet garden in the front with lots of sun. The best things about this location are its accessibility on foot to Snug Cove and the ferry, proximity to the Crippen Park trail network, and nearby beaches. There are also SO MANY trails very near by—two mins on foot on a small country road nestled in the forest and you’re on a network of trails that go up mountains and across the island. I am an avid hiker and cyclist (road, gravel, and MTB) and so I can share lots of secrets about the island’s trails, as well as about where to visit on the North Shore and Greater Vancouver region. If you’re into cycling, you’ll find a friend in me. It’s my big passion these days.
  
  We have a little 10lb dog named Lilly. She’s hypoallergenic, and super cuddly. We also often gave Annika’s lovebird here, and occasionally also Aden’s hamster.

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  Autres infos...

  On your time off, you can walk the trails of Bowen, spend time on beaches, hang out at coffee shops, or travel to Vancouver or the coastal mountains that surround it for the day. You can also use this as a jumping off point for trips north to Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton, the Sunshine Coast, Vancouver Island, etc. On the North Shore of Vancouver, which we are very close to, you can visit the Capilano Suspension Bridge, Lynn Valley, hike the famous Grouse Grind for amazing views of the city, and explore an infinite array of trail systems, ski mountains (with cross-country and downhill) and snowshoeing terrain high in alpine territory. This is wild, coastal BC at its best! It's a beautiful place to explore.

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  Informations complémentaires

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    Accès Internet

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    Accès Internet limité

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    Nous avons des animaux

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    Nous sommes fumeurs

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    Familles bienvenues

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  Possibilité d’accueillir les digital nomads

  Our internet is stable and reliable.

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  Espace pour garer des vans

  I have enough space to host a camper van for the right person/s.

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  Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?

  Deux

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  Nombre d'heures attendues

  4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week (flexible)

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