HI Wanted to get some opinions on this listing from the comm...
Latest reply
HI Wanted to get some opinions on this listing from the community. I just booked it for an upcoming trip but I am unsure. T...
Latest reply
Hi everyone!
I'm very excited to announce this Community Spotlight by @Katja202! She has an absolutely lovely Tiny Sheperds Hut in a small village named Ruinen, which is in the Netherlands 🇳🇱
Tell us something about your listing
Hi, I'm Katja, married to Ton. We started hosting on Airbnb in 2021, actually by accident. Well, by accident. Ton had built me a beautiful home office on a cart of a shepherd from a small village named Havelte. When I said... you could turn it into a B&B, (that's how nice it looks) and yes, end of story... home office lost... and our Airbnb was born. And we love it very much! We love: Being creative, working with our hands, our 'Charlie and his chooksters', our young bordercollie 'Dozer' (who is also a real Dozer), our grumpy 'Poeisel' (also sweet in his own way), nature, we love the birds, we love making others feel good, and we love Permaculture and want to eventually live completely self-sufficient.
We did our permaculture training in Austria (Sepp Holzer) and Australia (Geoff Lawton) and are now creating our own place. So The Shepherd's hut is in a large Permaculture garden. And so we don't have raked flower beds. Our garden is not neat by some people's standards, but it is natural and really bursting with life :-). Almost everything that happens on our property happens for a reason. We try to make everything in the garden edible. Water, for example, we also keep water on the property for as long as possible, which you can see again in the Shepherd's hut with its helophyte filter that opens onto a swale. Anddddd we like it when others enjoy this too!
How long have you been part of the Community Centre, and why did you become a member?
We joined Airbnb in June 2021 and, actually, because we saw how fun and well it worked at the Airbnb of our opposite neighbours. While researching on Airbnb's website, I found that it's all really super neat and easy for newbies. Extensive how-to's and very good information. And yes, then you start filling in your listing and think... I'll see where I end up, and before you know it, you're done filling it in and all you have to do is click publish. While we clicked that button we were still thinking... ohhh that will take a while... ahem... not so! Within no time we were fully booked for the first three months, so that was full on learning mode. I am happy with the forum, because that is part two of a lot of info you really need as a newbie on Airbnb. Experienced hosts with their stories and advice! If we didn't have that, I think we would have made some beginner mistakes. I really couldn't do without the forum.
When you're not hosting, what do you like to do?
When I'm not hosting, I like to be creative with my hands. I couldn't live without making things. My head pops with ideas at times, and they really need to get out then. I am now in the process of setting up my own business. In a few months, it will go on the air... digitally then! It's an old love that's been on the back burner for years, but blood is thicker than water, so I've given it a new lease of life. Originally, I am a tailor (but not for men, but for women). For years, I provided directors and ministers with suits and gala dresses, but at one point (20 years in the business) I was really done with it. And I really didn't touch a sewing machine for at least 10 years. But after altering a very expensive pair of trousers belonging to the next-door neighbour, the love for the trade returned in one go. And now I design sewing patterns and start selling them digitally on my website, The Dutch Textile Workshop. A steep learning curve, because I learnt the craft analogue and everything is now digital. So I did some digital training first, and that too was superrrrr fun to do. I now draw anything and everything in Adobe Illustrator.
What's the one thing you can't live without?
Ton and Dozer!!!!! I truly have the sweetest husband with the biggest heart in the whole world. If there is anyone who is always there for someone else, it's him. Even if someone asks him for his last euro, he will give it when he sees that the other person needs it more than he does. Plus, he is also such a creative person, but in another field, namely wood. Ton's machines are only slightly bigger than mine. And Dozer is our little faithful four-legged friend. Dozer is a border collie now three years old. And he really is a little bouncy ball, but he can also suddenly get a cuddle attack, and then he really needs to show you all his love at that moment. He will crawl on your lap and curl up all over you, paws around your neck, and just stay there for a while.
Where would your dream holiday be?
Tasmania. And I fear that once I'm there, I'll stay and not go back to the Netherlands. Or New Zealand, and then somewhere on the south island. Actually, Ton and I both do have a desire to emigrate. The Netherlands is just too small and too busy. The place where we live now (since 4 years) is really fantastic. Super beautiful surroundings and super friendly neighbours and fellow villagers. Here it is still possible to help each other and take care of each other. And this is what the whole world should be like. We just put all politicians on a little island with water guns, buckets and shovels, and we'll take care of the rest ourselves.
Spring, summer, autumn or winter?
I would say just outdoors! Which season doesn't matter much to me, as long as it doesn't rain when I'm outside, because I dislike that. We live in the middle of nature. There are woods and lots of nature all around us. Lovely. During COVID-19, I haven't been to work in the city. I work in Groningen, a city in the north of the Netherlands. When we finally got back to work, I was in a city for the first time in almost 1.5 years. And it really flew at me, when I drove home again in the evening, when I was almost home, I opened all the windows of the car and took very deep breaths to get all the stress of the city out of my body again. So now when you ask me, what season, I say outdoors and in nature, that's enough.
What would you do if you ever won the lottery?
Book a trip to Tasmania, buy or build a small house there with a piece of land. Furnish that entirely in the permaculture way. Put enough money in the bank to live a simple, basic life. Put the rest of the money in a foundation for the benefit of Tears and Compassion, and then educate girls in poor countries. We are already supporting these wonderful organizations as much as we can and our goal is to train eleven young ladies.
If you could live anywhere else in the world, where would it be? 😉
Tasmania, that is!
If you were to host a Community Centre dinner, what would be on your menu?
Strawberries and blueberries from the garden and a delicious salad of course also from the garden, with pear and of course for the rest Dessertssssssssss ........ Tiramisu, chocolate, mousse, ice cream, cheesecake, whipped cream, custard with blueberries, macaroon pudding, granny's apple pie, Monchou pie, toast with butter and strawberries, jam.... 🙂
What is your weakness in food?
DESERTSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!🍰🍦
Do you have any fun facts?
Yes definitely, .... The Bible is quite a good book! Especially the New Testament. Read it sometime! No kidding. Especially in these times we are living in now, it gives you something to hold on to and comfort you. Really twenty times better than Yoga and all the weird antics we get thrown around with these days.
———
I hope you all enjoyed reading @Katja202's Spotlight! A big thank you, @Katja202 for sharing this lovely story 🌷
Quincy
