Living off the beaten track
“‘Letting life take the lead’
I’ve now stayed with host families abroad about nine times. Each time, the explicit aim was to learn a language – German, French and Italian, in that order. But actually, that was never the main motivation. The language mainly served as a gateway. The real drive lay in a curiosity to experience things. To shake things up a bit. To step off the beaten track.
And, above all, to explore what effect all that would have on me.
What better way to do that than by immersing yourself for an extended period in a different family system abroad? With a different language, culture and customs that you’re not used to. It requires adaptability and openness, yet at the same time there is something wonderfully adventurous about it. The common thread running through all my travels is that I didn’t know in advance where I would end up – and that is precisely what made it a true adventure every single time.
My experiences took me to a wide variety of places and people: from an older couple to a young, alternative hippie family in Germany; from wealthy families in France to aristocratic circles in Italy; and even a spell in a monastery in Rome.
Today, I’m taking you through some of my experiences from my time in Germany.
Germany – craftsmanship, nature & many connections
In Germany I stayed with host families through WWOOF In exchange for board and lodging, I helped out with organic horticulture and livestock farming. I also undertook work placements at cheese dairies and bakeries. This gave me a unique insight into daily life, the craft involved, and the rhythm of working with the seasons.
The first place I ended up was a small village called Bösingfeldnear Rinteln, Detmold and Lemgo. Only about a three-hour drive from where I lived – and yet it felt as though I had stepped into a (completely) different world. A hilly landscape, vast natural surroundings and a way of life that largely took place outside the modern conveniences we take for granted.
There were no supermarkets in the immediate vicinity. Instead, there were farms with small country shops, or the local butcher or baker where the locals bought their produce. And the weekly markets, where everyone gathered. For me, it was the ideal place to put my German language skills into practice. I eagerly stood behind every stall imaginable where products were being sold!
With the first family, the parents got up at two in the morning to work in the bakery. In the early morning, the freshly baked bread and pastries were loaded into an old-fashioned van, after which we drove to the market in Rinteln. Later, we also visited the market at Frankenberg Town Hall – an experience in itself. The architecture of these places, with their 15th-century half-timbered houses, often gave me the feeling of literally stepping back in time.
Working with my hands, close to the earth and the produce, left a lasting impression. That period later inspired me to grow my own vegetables, fruit and herbs, bake bread and make dairy products such as quark, yoghurt and white cheeses. Time-consuming tasks, but valuable experiences.
From searching to finding direction
Despite these experiences, I was also searching for my way at the time.
My time abroad was enriching and educational, but also intense and, at times, painful and disorienting.
What feels like searching, raw or lost in the moment can, in hindsight, turn out to be part of a larger narrative.
Because somewhere beneath the surface, something was already taking shape.
Something I couldn’t quite see at the time.
Now – years later – a sense of direction is beginning to emerge from those earlier experiences.
In my next blog:
“From searching to finding direction”
I’ll write about how my experiences from back then,
lead to vivid inspiration in the present ✨
