Flying high by Ian Usher and Vanessa Anderson
We hope you have had a great month. Ours has been filled with travel, adventure, fun and challenges. About a week after we published Issue 4 of House Sitting - The ultimate lifestyle magazine our house sit assignment in Nicaragua ended. Ahead of us we had four free weeks, with plenty of Central American travel pencilled in the diary. However, our first visit to the TicaBus office in Granada gave us a clue that there may be trouble ahead. We were told that because we had visited Panama we would need our Yellow Fever vaccinations to enter either Honduras or El Salvador. Much frantic online research followed. There was a lot of conflicting information online, much of it out of date, and it appeared that any current rules must have only come into effect recently.
We decided to take a chance, and after bidding Tabby the boxer, and our home owners farewell, we caught the local "chicken bus" (so-called because many local passengers travel with all sorts of produce, often including livestock!) to the Nicaraguan capital of Managua. At the TicaBus office there we ran into the same problem, and could not buy a ticket to Honduras. The only option was to fly over the two countries blocking our path, and head to Guatemala. Some quick re-scheduling and a newly formed plan meant we would head out from Guatemala City to Lake Atitlan, where we would have much more time than we had originally anticipated.
We were glad we did. What a stunning place. We spent six days hopping from town to town around the beautiful volcano crater lake. At the end of October we headed to Antigua Guatemala where we planned to experience the amazing Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and visit the Sumpango Kite Festival on 1st November.
How this hasn't made it onto the backpacker must-see popular festival lists, I will never understand. I (Ian) have been to a few of the big ones - La Tomatina in Spain, Full Moon Parties in Thailand, Carnivale in Rio. The Sumpango Kite Festival is just as spectacular. The kites are huge, and with the right wind conditions they actually fly them too. I have never seen so many kites flying in one place.
The kites represent a connection from the world of the living to the spirit world where those who have passed on now reside. The graveyards are full of people mourning those they have lost, and simultaneously celebrating the lives of past family members. It is a very touching mix of sadness and joy, as many in Central America believe that death is not the end, merely a transition to the next phase. A large number of smaller kites are flown from the graveyard.
We bought a little kite from a couple of local boys, and flew it from the top of one of the tombs, Vanessa and I quietly remembering those who are no longer in our lives...
... until we got it stuck in a tree! We weren't the only ones to lose out kite that day.
From Guatemala we headed back up into Mexico, where we have rented a lovely apartment by the coast at Puerto Vallarta. It is here that we have been relaxing and putting the finishing touches to this month's Issue of House Sitting - The ultimate lifestyle magazine.
What's in this month's issue? This month we have focused on a particular niche - that of House Sitting for vegetarians and vegans. As a "lifestyle" magazine we think it's important that we cover all aspects of house sitting and the different travel lives that people lead. A few months ago we came across Kindred Spirits, a specialist house sitting platform catering solely for vegans and vegetarians, and decided to find out more about them and what they offer.
As well as a behind the Scenes Interview with Chris and Karen of Kindred Spirits, we also hear from Sam Anthony of Alternative Travelers about plant-based living, Charlie on Travel gives her lowdown on the best vegan and vegetarian restaurants in Bournemouth, UK, and Alex Curtis-Slep and Octavine Swanson of VeganTravels offer up their "vegan smarts for vegan travellers". We are not vegetarian or vegan, but we can see the obvious benefits of eating healthily, and we do eat much less meat now than we used to. It's been interesting to discover just how many people now follow plant-based diets for all number of reasons. We've got plenty of non-vegan articles too, including tips for house sitting in a tropical destination, breed information on Boxer dogs, and more on "Money Matters". Long term house sitter Martin Gray explains how and why he has started a business focused on Print-on-Demand Tee-shirts and Al McCullough's "Sell all you stuff" series comes to an end this month. To get us prepared for Christmas, Mariannig at Nomador writes about places and events to see in France. In fact there is so much for you to read that there wasn't space for the second part of my "Teaching English online" series - but it will be in next month's Christmas issue! Finally, for anyone who will be getting involved with the House Sitting Summit, there's a full 4 page listing of all the activities - videos and live events that will take place over the Thanksgiving weekend. On that note it just remains to wish all our American readers: Happy Thanksgiving! Best wishes Vanessa and Ian (On a 10-day break from house sitting in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico)
You'll find extra news, reviews and snippets throughout the magazine!
A plant based perspective on house sitting Samantha Anthony
The difficulties of house sitting in a tropical climate Jacqueline Castellain
Where will you be house sitting this Christmas? Mariannig Ferrari
Introducing Boxers Vanessa Anderson
Destination Bournemouth, UK - Where to eat vegan and vegetarian Charlie on Travel
Vegan smarts for vegan travellers Alex Curtis-Slep and Octavine Swanson
The ultimate vegan travel directory Amanda Burger
Money matters - Part 3 - Let's make some money Ian Usher
Making money with print-on-demand Martin Gray
Is your "stuff" holding you back? Al McCullough
Behind the scenes at Kindred Spirits Interview
Meet, greet, eat - Black bean dip and margaritas Jen Evans
House Sitting Summit - Index of events
Resources - Proof of onward travel In the next issue...
A PLANT-BASED PERSPECTIVE ON HOUSE SITTING by Sam Anthony
When we flew out to Salt Lake City, Utah for our first house sit, we were greeted at the airport by our eccentric host and his self-driving electric car, whose door handles literally popped out at us. This was also our first house sit through an online platform: everything was new and we had no idea what to expect. But we felt good based on our earlier Skype conversations and emails with the home owners. Everything was going well as we chatted, yet the deeper into conversation we got, the closer we approached the dreaded conversation about food. Our plant-based lifestyle and house sitting aren't necessarily connected, and it hadn't come up so far. We didn't expect to share this important part of our life with our home owners.
Then our host mentioned, "I'm making a dinner later so you can meet some of my friends. I have five courses planned!" I sat in the back of the car, filled with pleasant surprise at his tremendous generosity, yet was worried that it would be all meat and cheese! Veren (my partner) started to explain that we are both lactose intolerant and don't eat meat, when our host interjected, "Wait, are you guys vegan?" Tentatively we said yes, not sure how this would be received. To our surprise he exclaimed, "I just had a feeling! I have to text my friend and tell her, because she told me, 'Are you really going to feed them your vegan shit?'" We laughed and spent the rest of the car ride happily sharing stories and recipes, feeling right at home.
Salt Lake City from above
This was just the first of what would be many plant-based connections. Unintentionally, everyone we have connected with and house sat for, has been either vegan, vegetarian, or "veggie-friendly." House sitting is built on trust and learning about a shared way of living is bound to create an instant connection. Naturally one feels more comfortable with someone who shares the same lifestyle; it's the reason some home owners only want house sitters that are retired, or couples, or single women. They relate to and trust these people because they connect with a part of who they are.
What does plant-based mean? "Plant-based" simply means a diet based on plants. The term focuses on the health benefits and comes from a recent wave of vegans who use it instead of "vegan". This is an attempt to distance themselves from the archetypical evangelical vegan that the "v-word" conjures in many people's minds. People tend to have strong, or at best, awkward reactions when learning that someone abstains from eating or using animal products. And it's understandable; food is cultural, emotional, and nostalgic. Most peoples' diets are part of long-standing ways of life. A knee-jerk negative reaction to a different diet is easier than trying to understand that there are other ways of eating. Most people are familiar with the ethical reasons for choosing a plant-based lifestyle, but less are familiar with the wide range of health benefits. We follow a plant-based lifestyle for ethical, environmental, and health reasons, yet it's been the noticeable health benefits that motivate us to happily maintain a plant-based diet over many years.
The health benefits of eating a plant-based diet We have experienced notably clearer minds and more energy, as eating plant-based is much lighter. In general, eating plant-based foods reduces all kinds of digestion problems,which is also helpful while traveling. You rarely have to worry about getting food poisoning! A significant reason for our plant-based diet is rooted in the discovery of our individual dairy sensitivities. Dairy can cause issues with skin and digestion, and depending on the amount of hormones used in milk production (the U.S. is notorious for this), reactions can be quite harsh. Removing dairy from our diets made such a difference that we're happy to drink the wide variety of great plant-based milks and cheeses that are becoming more readily available in many countries.
Vegan food can look like this: the sampler plate from Homegrown Smoker Vegan BBQin Portland, Oregon.
In addition to the immediate effects, staying plant-based throughout life prevents and mitigates the effects of many chronic diseases and conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension, heart problems, cancer, and usually leads to gradual and healthy weight loss (there's way less overt fats in plant-based products), and better skin.
Prepare for plant-based on the road We like to prepare our own food most of the time and we assembled a travel kitchen shortly after beginning our nomadic lifestyle. Our personal size blender makes morning smoothies, nut cheeses, soups, salad dressings, and even grinds coffee with its dry blade. Along with a collapsible salad spinner, a garlic press, a sushi mat, and a vegetable peeler, we're ready to go from the moment we step into a new kitchen. Eating plant-based isn't about eating vegetarian meat substitutes all the time; it's about creating a satisfying and well-rounded diet.
Homemade vegetarian sushi made from avocados and sweet potatoes: easy and healthy!
On the road, this certainly takes more effort and research than stopping at the first restaurant we see, or stocking up on groceries at the nearest supermarket. When we first arrive in a new location, we scope out grocery stores for the best produce, staples, and specialty products at the best prices. The hunt is a challenge that we embrace; it's part of our lifestyle and we're always discovering new things wherever we go.
House sitting keeps down the overheads We also love to try out new vegan, vegetarian, and veggie-friendly restaurants. As we primarily house sit in cities, there's usually at least a few options that we find when walking around or using HappyCow.Net (think a plant-based Yelp). House sitting keeps our overhead down by taking away the huge expense of rent, enabling us to eat out way more than before. We've found an incredible range of vegan food in a variety of places, including an authentic vegan French patisserie, a vegan Mexican buffet, vegan tapas, and a vegan smokehouse, among many others. Traveling sustainably isn't always the easiest lifestyle to follow, but has been the most rewarding long-term. The same is true of living a plant-based lifestyle. It might not always be the easiest, but it doesn't have to be hard, and this is part of the reason we started our sustainable travel website and blog. While traveling, house sitting, and living a plant-based lifestyle, for us the goal is the same: sustainable living wherever we are.
Sam Anthony is a freelance editor and writer and, along with her partner Veren, writes and photographs for their sustainable travel blog Alternative Travelers.com Originally from the U.S., Sam and Veren now explore the world in an alternative and creative way by house sitting and taking freelance and other work in various cities and countries. They love finding new vegan restaurants wherever they go and are always happy to share tips and tricks for transitioning to a plant-based lifestyle. Contact them at: hello@alternativetravelers.com
THE DIFFICULTIES OF HOUSE SITTING IN A TROPICAL CLIMATE by Jackie Castellain
So, you've got yourself a house sit in a dream location in a tropical area of the globe. You're ready to say "bye bye" to the cold European or American winter, dreary fog and unwelcome creaking joints in the morning. Good for you! But, before you go, take a look at the temperatures, rainfall and humidity in the particular piece of paradise you are about to encounter. And… Just as you are packing suitable items of clothing, gear yourself up for a house sitting job that will be VERY NEW to you. Having lived in such a place for some time now, let me share with you some aspects of daily life that will allow you to be better prepared, and more able to cope with the obligations good house sitting entails.
Enemy No 1 - Humidity is a home's worst nightmare Bathed in constant high humidity, anything wooden will start to rot, metal will rust, and mould will appear on leather and cloth.
Drying clothes in high humidity can be a challenge - direct sun helps but don't leave them out once the sun goes down, they will become damp again!
To counteract this you need to get the air circulating around the home. Fans are not very costly to run and should be on whenever possible. Windows and doors can be left open to allow draughts to flow throughout the house. However, in windy weather, avoid broken panes by making sure open windows (and doors too if they contain glass) are locked or secured in position. Cupboard doors should also be left open for reasonable periods of time to prevent internal humidity related disasters. This applies to ALL cupboards, especially those you are not using because their contents are not relevant to you while house sitting. You may have access to a dehumidifier which collects moisture from the air. These range from expensive electrical versions to more simple DIY versions - you can easily make your own. Check out YouTube for any number of home-made versions.
Moisture loving plants If you are on a long term assignment, I would also suggest to those of you with "green fingers" to introduce into the home some plants that particularly thrive on absorbing humidity. You could grow orchids, some types of ferns, Tillandsia (an air plant), Ficus and even Fuschias, to name just a few.
Tillandsia air plants
Looking around local gardens and nurseries will help you in your selection and probably earn you extra points when the house owners come back at the end of the assignment.
Enemy No 2 - Invasions of creepy crawlies! Ants are attracted by any food remnants and so a worktop that is not immediately wiped clean after a spill will invite hordes of these hungry little cleaners. But this is not the whole story. They will come in through electrical wiring and out of plugs until one day you find one or other plug doesn’t work anymore. So be sure to wage war before they take over the home. Other creepy creatures like weevils have their own preferences for flour, rice, pasta and dried pulses etc. They will feast persistently until you discover the spoilt food and have to throw it away. Make sure everything is stored inside plastic or metal boxes with close fitting lids. If you have space in the refrigerator then this is a further deterrent.
Cockroaches are another friendly lot that are always around in the house and garden. But they only come out at night and love the dark, so don’t think you've been spared if you don't see them during daylight hours. You may come across a sneaky one when you happen to go to the loo at some wee hour. There are plenty of products to bait them before they overrun the whole house. You can also buy drain covers for showers that stop them entering into the bathroom by this route at least.
Depending on the area and season you may or may not be bothered with mosquitoes, midges or no-see-ums. However, it's good to come prepared. Mosquito nets, lotions and various plants can help. Don’t forget they like stagnant water, so look around for saucers full of water under pots and puddles that are not drained. Eliminate all these sources of infestation. Termites are greedy wood eaters, they can attack floors, staircases, shelves, anything to satisfy their endless appetite. Since they live underground in the soil, they enter the home in sneaky ways. Like cockroaches they don’t like daylight, so again keep an eye on dark corners. If you notice some sawdust, it is time for action. There are also aggressive wasps that make their nests in most unlikely places - along electrical wires or under chairs. Then you wonder why you got stung when sitting for your meal, or why the internet isn't working any more. Spiders of all sizes are busy all over the house, but they have a weak spot for white ceilings. In India I learned to look up as often as to look down at the floor. You need to equip yourself with a long handled round brush to chase them regularly. They also love light fittings, neon tubes and will make a mess of the cleanest place. Of course, if you are not afraid of spiders, and they aren't the dangerous kind, they are sometimes useful around the house as they eat mosquitoes and other annoying, biting insects.
Not common. but this amazing (harmless) tarantula was found in the bedroom on a recent house-sit in Pamama (courtesy Vanessa and Ian)
Geckos are also regular guests inside tropical houses. You may not be familiar with their squeaky tropical cry as European geckos are noiseless. But you will find their little droppings which adorn their passage along window sills and elsewhere. Just think of them rambling through your pots and pans… sorry to ruin your appetite! But that is the reason why for many of us they are unwelcome guests. Outside, there are rats, attracted by garbage if you are in an area of poor rubbish disposal. They are also attracted to the food naturally available - tropical fruits and vegetables. If you have a palm frond roof on your tropical home, you may also hear them scuttling around here at night! Some of these rodents can be quite big and can dig their way under cement walls and eventually enter the house if there is a chance. I had a mother who had deposited her litter in a cupboard and managed to come into the house every night to feed her children until she was spotted. They can also do a lot of damage to cars parked in outside porches, as they chew wiring and get inside to eat seat cushions and carpets. Rather than rat poisoning which can be dangerous to pets, I prefer good solid traps that kill rodents instantly. I would also keep my pets indoors when I set traps at night. This way there is no risk that they might hurt themselves in the traps.
Snakes appear from time to time, but they are wary of humans and tend to slither away when they notice our presence. I have not yet had to kill one, but my neighbour had to on one occasion. In South India they have snake temples in nature and they let them be most of the time. But anybody with good sense will avoid walking after dark in grassy patches. If the vicinity doesn’t have street lighting, take a good torch with you.
Enemy No 3 - Monsoon and rainy seasons When the monsoon begins it is quite a spectacular scene that unfolds for those who have never witnessed it before. Sheets of rain pour down, accompanied by the deafening drumming sound of water on all surfaces. Looking after a property calls for vigilance during these times. The first and most obvious thing is to look for possible leaks. Having access to the space under the roof is essential to keep an eye on any displaced tiles or unwanted spaces where the water could find its way in. Having several buckets at the ready is a sensible emergency measure to avoid water getting through ceilings and damaging rooms below.
After the rain subsides As soon as the rain is over, make sure any problem is sorted out before the next downpour. Fissures in cement can appear over a period of time and water runs for some distance before a trickle appears somewhere in the property. Within the house you'll need to increase measures to deal with the high level of humidity. Use fans, open all cupboard doors and drawers, and create draughts by opening some windows or doors in between downpours.
Make sure banana plants don't keel over after excessive rains
Excessive rain can kill some plants In the garden, rain is usually a welcome element. However check any plants that don’t like excessive moisture. If they are in pots, move them to more sheltered areas. Check that drains are free of obstructions so that water can be evacuated easily. If there is a swimming pool, you will have to watch the water level and take regular samples of the water, as heavy rainfall can upset the chemical balance of the pool. Hot stormy weather can also bring about unwanted growth of algae which will develop very quickly if left unattended. So refer to your manual and take action.
Oleanders come in a range of colours, pinks, red and white.
Oleanders, for example, don’t like to be water logged. Other plants like bananas have a pretty superficial root system and when water logged, they will keel over easily in the wind. Give them some support to help them survive.
Research to be ready! Most house sitters use internet nowadays and therefore have a mine of documentation on all the points mentioned above. Do your research and be prepared. Before making a call to the home owner on a trivial matter, see if you can answer your own queries with the help of this great tool. Or, talk to the neighbours or local expats. They will be experiencing the same sorts of problems and if they've been living in the area for any length of time, will probably have some great tips or solutions.
Most importantly be sure that the tropical lifestyle is for you. Remember that living in a tropical location is very different to a brief holiday in a hotel where all of these issues are kept well behind the scenes! If you can deal with the issues mentioned above then house sitting in the tropics will also provide you with an enriching experience. So, wherever you end up, I wish you a wonderful time in your next assignment!
Jacqueline Castellain was was born and educated in Paris. She went to England on completion of her degree for one year and married an English man. This resulted in her teaching French in secondary schools, first in Bristol and then in Scotland. 25 years later they decided to return to France and she got back into teaching English. Ten years ago her first husband died of cancer. However, during a trip to India she met her second husband and now they share their time between the Dordogne in France, and Kerala in India.
Jacqueline has always enjoyed travelling. She has relatives in Canada, Australia, and various parts of Europe, and her daughter lives in the USA with her family. For her the "global village" is a reality and wherever she goes she is keen to live among local people and learn about their philosophy of life. You can find Jacqueline Castellain on Facebook, or through her website at: http://www.chezjackieetdeleep.com
Where will you be house sitting this Christmas? intro by Vanessa Anderson, feature by Mariannig Ferrari
Just where HAS this year gone? Sitting in 33 degrees centigrade in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, we have to keep reminding ourselves that Christmas is now just around the corner. So we thought we should look at some of the more popular house sitting locations for the festive season, over this month and next. Last year we were in Australia, and this year we will be in San Miguel de Allende, on a repeat sit in what is billed by some as "One of the top 10 locations in the world to spend Christmas".
We shall see! It seems that we have, however, gravitated away from the cold of the UK since selling up back in 2013. France used to be a popular location for me at Christmas, usually in the Alps or the Pyrenees for skiing! But with the premium rates now charged for accommodation in European ski resorts over the holiday period, it's unlikely that many, or any, house sits will appear in our email alerts! Nomador is an international platform with assignments all over the world, but France is the place where they have most listings. We asked the founder, Mariannig Ferrari, to give us her lowdown on both locations and events that might attract house sitters during the winter months, and at Christmas in particular.
CHRISTMAS IN FRANCE WITH NOMADOR by Mariannig Ferrari There are Christmas listings on Nomador all over France at this time of year, because it is traditional for families to get together for the purpose of celebrating and enjoying the festive season. Properties become available as people move around the country to join their family members, or to vacation away from home.
Strasburg Christmas market (image credit French-Food.com)
For house sitters, the most popular locations are cities, especially when there are Christmas festivities organized. The Alsace, for instance, is very popular because of the Christmas markets. Christmas markets are called “Marchés de Noël” in French. Although traditionally found throughout the stunning region of Alsace, many have also been “exported” to other parts of France. So you'll also find Christmas markets in cities like Lille, Rouen and Bordeaux. Of course over the border you'll also find other famous markets in Switzerland (Basel) and Germany (Heidelberg and Freiburg-im-Breisgau).
(Image credited to Paris Insider's Guide)
Paris, like many other European cities is also high on the list for the amazing illuminations that light up the streets. Also Lyon and Provence are well known for markets and the "Foires aux Santons". For more insights into the Christmas traditions in beautiful Provence, here's a good article written by Judy MacMahon from MyFrenchLife.org.
The nativity characters "Foires aux Santons" on sale at Christmas
It becomes a little more difficult to fill remote house sits that would be very popular in summer time (for example, in mountain villages), because house sitters often fear transportation issues if there is snow. But snow can provide its own magic, especially if you enjoy activities like snowshoeing or alpine skiing.
The French Christmas season House sitting is a great way to re-unite families - it helps some pet-owners spend Christmas with their families and it helps house sitters spend Christmas near their parents or children. The only "difficulty" with Christmas house sits, is that they are often shorter - just 4 or 5 days or a week. This is at least true in the Northern hemisphere, because it is not really the long holiday season. In Australia, by contrast, where the summer is in full flow, house sits over Christmas can be organized for much longer periods. In France this year the Christmas school holidays start on Saturday December 17th until Tuesday January 3rd. So it's really useful to book your trains in advance if you need to travel during these dates, as the trains are usually crowded.
BlaBlaCar is a platform and app that's really useful to get from A to B in France - a ride-sharing platform that is safe, easy to use and cheap. Plus this is a good way to practice your language skills by chatting with other passengers. In fact they operate now all over Europe and also in Mexico, Brazil and India, and are adding new countries all the time. The site is worth checking out if you are on a limited budget, can't get a train ticket, or don't want to be a victim of overpriced plane tickets during the holiday season.
BlaBlaCar at a glance BlaBlaCar is a trusted community marketplace that connects drivers with empty seats to passengers looking for a ride. More than 10 million people use BlaBlaCar every quarter creating an entirely new, people powered, transport network. With a dedicated customer service, a state of the art web and mobile platform, and a fastgrowing community of users, BlaBlaCar is making travel social, money-saving and more efficient for millions of members.
Christmas generosity One thing I love about Christmas is that it creates a wave of generosity especially from home owners. Many leave a small treat in the refrigerator for their sitters' Christmas dinner - perhaps some Foie Gras, or even a bottle of Champagne. I've noticed that many owners are happy to also give priority to house sitting candidates who explain that they want to look after the home because it will allow them to spend Christmas close to their parents of children. Finally it is usual to read friendly little messages on listings, like "we'll be back on the 30th but if you'd like to spend New Year's Eve with us and some friends you'll be very welcome..."
Wherever you are house sitting this year, I hope that you experience the generosity within the house sitting community and remember this is a perfect time of the year to practice being a part of the sharing economy!
INTRODUCING BOXERS by Vanessa Anderson
Last month while house sitting in Granada, Nicaragua, we looked after Tabitha (Tabby), a young exuberant Boxer dog. When we applied for this house sit, the home owners had some concerns that anyone would be able to deal with her young and developing alpha character. For this reason we were asked to arrive earlier than normal to make sure that we took to each other, and that we could assert an alpha leadership role with her. None of us need have worried and it was "love" at first sight for me. I have to admit I'd never been drawn to Boxers in the past, but Tabby changed my mind in an instant. She was the most adorable personality without being at all overbearing. It was easy to spend hours playing with her by the pool and she became a loyal friend to both Ian and I over the month we spent in her company.
Highly intelligent, obedient (most of the time), funny, endearing and confident, she won our hearts and it was very hard to leave her at the end of the sit. Fortunately, we've been asked to house sit again in a year or two, so it will be interesting to see her again once she has matured into a young adult! This month we take a look at the origins of this breed and some of the things you may need to consider if you have the opportunity to house sit a Boxer.
Introducing the Boxer breed of dogs Boxers are descendants of the now extinct German breed, the Bullenbeisser, which was crossed with Mastiff and Bulldog.
The Bullenbeisser was a hunting dog used for centuries to hunt bear, wild boar and deer. Over time their roles changed and they were more commonly found on farms, or as butcher's helpers, controlling cattle in slaughterhouses. The Boxer we know today was developed in Germany in the late 19th century. George Alt from Munich bred a brindle-colored female Bullenbeisser named Flora with a local dog of unknown origin. In the litter was a fawn-and-white male that was named Lechner's Box. This is believed to be the start of the line that would become the Boxers we know today. The Boxer is a medium-sized, short-haired breed of dog with its origins in Germany. Their coats are smooth and tight-fitting.
Boxers often have docked tails and cropped ears. If the ears are not cropped, they will hang down. Nowadays many dog owners are opting to leave their Boxers' ears uncropped. They come in a range of colourings, fawn, brindled, and with or without white markings. You'll also find white Boxers, which are not albinos as sometimes thought, as they all have spots of pigmentation somewhere on the body.
White boxers, sunburn and deafness White Boxers are prone to sunburn and are associated with a certain amount of deafness. This is caused by lack of pigment cell in the inner ear. The genetic basis of deafness in white boxer is the same as in the Dalmatian. The prevalence of deafness in both ears is approximately 5-8%, and up to 13% can be deaf in one ear. When a dog is deaf in one ear it often goes unnoticed.
White Boxers do not suddenly go deaf. If they are able to hear at between 4 and 6 weeks the chances of them going deaf is the same as with any other dogs. (source: West Coast Boxer Rescue)
Size and weight Boxers are large, muscular, square headed dogs who can appear imposing. They aren't considered fully mature until they are three years old, which is quite a lot later than many other breeds. Males typically stand 22.5 to 25 inches tall at the shoulder and weigh about 70 pounds. Females typically stand 21 to 23.5 inches at the shoulder and weigh about 60 pounds.
Temperament Boxers are intelligent, alert and fearless while remaining friendly, loyal and playful. As family pets they display patience and gentleness with children, but can sometimes be over boisterous with toddlers. But give them plenty of physical exercise and mental stimulation, and they will be great family companions.
They can initially be distrustful of strangers, but are unlikely to show any aggression unless they perceive a real threat to their family.
Tabby doesn't seem too distrustful of Jodie Burnham when she and Nat popped by in Granada to say hello!
Boxers are often so loving that they think they are lapdogs and will try to lie as close to you as possible. Tabby was so funny in the evenings as she would try to manoeuvre herself onto the sofa with me one limb at a time. She was not allowed on the furniture but it didn't stop her trying in an attempt to cuddle up each evening. She settled eventually by lying as close as possible and wrapping herself among my legs and feet! Boxers are high-spirited, happy, and energetic. When they are excited, they contort their body into the shape of a "kidney bean," and perform a little dance that involves twisting their bodies into a semi-circle, and turning in circles. Every morning when we awoke we were given this unique display as Tabby showed us how happy she was that we'd woken to be part of her day. They also make strange noises occasionally, as if they are trying to talk to you or give you feedback. Huffs were particularly common when Tabby wanted to show her displeasure!
Obedience and training Training is essential for the Boxer. As a big, strong dog, they can accidentally knock people over if they haven't learned to control their over exuberance. Tabby had been trained well from a puppy and was one of the most obedient dogs we'd come across. She knew her boundaries well, although this didn't stop her trying it on a couple of times when her owners first left! To counter this we had to maintain exactly the same level of authority as her owners. Boxers need constant leadership but they are intelligent and respond well to firm but fun training. They can have a headstrong, independent, and sometimes stubborn nature too, and really don't like to be bossed around or treated harshly. Make training fun and you'll be sure to succeed. A Boxer will notice any time you let him get away with something, and he'll push to see what else he can get away with.
When specifically trained for guard work, Boxers make excellent watchdogs and will restrain an intruder in the same manner as a Mastiff. Because of their strength and courage, they are also widely used in the military and the police, and also for search-and-rescue work.
Aggression and biting Boxers "need" to be around their family. If you shut them away on their own they can become bad tempered and destructive. They are generally only ever aggressive in defense of their family and home. They do, however, need early socialisation to ensure that this natural defensiveness is properly directed to only real situations of threat. There is also a risk of potential aggression toward other dogs (usually of the same sex). Tabby lived in an area of Granada where many strays wandered in packs, so we had to keep her on a lead and carry a stick to ward of any attempts to interact with her aggressively by some of these less socialized dogs.
Grooming Although they have short hair, Boxers can shed quite a bit, especially in the spring. A weekly brushing will help keep hair under control. Other grooming includes dental hygiene and nail care as well as bathing as necessary. Check with your home owner to see what the normal routine is and what they would like you to do while they are away. Their short hair make it easy to spot or feel for ticks. Make sure too that ears and eyes are kept clean with no discharge.
Exercise If you're willing and able to provide them with adequate exercise in the form of walks or runs, they can even adapt to apartment living, so long as they are able to be close to their beloved family. Boxers are high-energy dogs and do need a lot of exercise to keep their muscles toned. We spent a lot of time playing in the yard each day with Tabby, throwing toys for retrieval and also walking her outside. If you are looking after Boxers in a hot climate, as we were in Nicaragua, it's important to know that they are more susceptible to heatstroke than most other dog breeds. Early morning or in the cool of the evening is a better time for walks.
Ideally they should be walked twice a day for around half an hour each time. They love to play. You can't ignore a Boxer - they don't like long periods alone. Take this into consideration if house sitting Boxer dogs.
Feeding We were left dry food (Kibble) for Tabby and "human" food was to be avoided. Although she did enjoy sharing a fresh coconut with us most days. She also had "treats" for when she was especially well behaved or showed a level of obedience or intelligence that warranted a special reward.
Special considerations Boxers are not good in extreme heat or cold. Their short nose isn't designed efficiently for cooling hot air, and their short coat doesn't keep them warm enough in the colder winter months. They are certainly not "outdoor" dogs, and need to be kept as house dogs. If you are house sitting a white boxer, remember that they can become sun-burned and even develop skin cancer. Boxers are prone to allergies, both environmental allergies and food-related allergies. If you notice that your Boxer has itchy, scaly skin, have him checked out by your vet. We were left anti-histamine tablets for Tabby, but didn't have to use them.
If you are house sitting for Boxers then you shouldn't really experience any particular difficulties. You may need to assert alpha leadership to control a young Boxer, but this is something you can discuss with the pet owner when organizing the assignment. By understanding more about the breed, you will naturally know what type of questions you need to ask.
And finally ... The Vegemite test with Nat and Jodie of House Sitting Academy - do Boxers love it or hate it?
DESTINATION BOURNEMOUTH, UK by Charlie on Travel
Charlie is a long-term traveller from the UK who writes about simple ways to travel sustainably. Together with her partner Luke, she has created a sustainable and slow travel blog - Charlie on Travel. The couple are slow travellers, nature lovers, vegetarians, green advocates, sustainability enthusiasts and they also use house sitting as a way to perpetuate their slow travel lifestyle! Charlie explains, "For us, travel is more than just a holiday, it’s a lifestyle choice. We travel slowly and house sit when we can so that we can experience local life in different countries, get off-the-beaten path, explore lesser known towns and neighbourhoods, eat where the locals eat, and travel in a way which is as sustainable as possible." As committed vegetarians, we asked Charlie where some of her favourite vegan and vegetarian restaurant are in her hometown of Bournemouth, on the south coast of the U.K. Here's what she came up with:
5 Unmissable Vegetarian and Vegan Cafes In and Around Bournemouth With my family’s new home base being in Dorset, I set out on a hunt for delicious vegetarian and vegan cafes in and around Bournemouth. The area isn’t exactly known as a vegetarian and vegan scene compared to more alternative UK cities like Brighton and Liverpool, however there are some real veggie-friendly gems to be found. Here are my five favourite vegetarian and vegan friendly cafes in and around Bournemouth so far:
1. Mad Cucumber (all vegan) The jazziest of all the veggie cafes around has got to be Mad Cucumber. This vegan joint is all about colourful and fun foods with staples including bean chilli, veggie curry, vegan burritos and marinated salad bowls. On top of that, there’s an extensive juice list and a whole host of vegan cakes. The cafe is open until 9pm on four nights of the week and hosts a monthly live music night which has a very laid back and friendly vibe about it. Mad Cucumber, 7 The Triangle, Bournemouth, BH2 5RY
2. Sweet Greens (all vegan) Sweet Greens is the perfect stop for raw foodies and health conscious vegans. Another veganonly cafe, Sweet Greens has beautifully crafted grain-based salads and almond milk lattes. The food here is absolutely gorgeous and the wooden, up-cycled decor shows that it took a lot of hands-on love to convert this place. The only downside is that the cafe is a bit out of the way and quite hard to find unless you’ve got a sat-nav ready car. Sweet Greens, 175 Charminster Road, Bournemouth BH8 9QG
3. Cafe Boscanova (veggie and vegan friendly) I discovered Cafe Boscanova, not while searching for vegetarian and vegan cafes in and around Bournemouth, but for a delicious looking place to have pancakes for breakfast. Touted on TripAdvisor as the best pancakes in all of Dorset, the pancakes here are fat and fluffy with a salty and sweet after taste – I definitely recommend the blueberry pancake stack. After a first visit, Cafe Boscanova fast became my favourite breakfast place. I can’t resist their stewed apple porridge and their homemade granola and yoghurt is also amazing. Luke is a big fan of their vegetarian cooked breakfast with grilled halloumi. Tip! Don’t miss out on the Early Bird Breakfast deal. If you arrive before 9:30am and buy 2 breakfasts, you get the cheapest one free. Cafe Boscanova, 650 Christchurch Rd, Bournemouth, BH1 4BP
4. South Coast Roast (veggie and vegan friendly) Run by the same guys as Cafe Boscanova, South Coast Roast is the more hipster indie brother located slap bang in Bournemouth town centre. Those out for brunch share a large rustic wooden table in the middle of the cafe, which is strewn with newspapers and coffee mugs. South Coast Roast only has a very small food menu, mostly based on sourdough toast that comes with various toppings from scrambled eggs to coconut jam and grilled banana. Like Cafe Boscanova, the drip coffee is strong and punchy. South Coast Roast, 24 Richmond Hill, Bournemouth, BH2 6EJ
Editor's Note: We spotted on the website that they also have a Vegan Supper Club on the last Friday of every month!
5. Patisserie Mark Bennett (veggie and vegan friendly) This artisan bakery is all about the bread. Locals often just come in to buy floury bloomers and wholegrain baguettes, but this place has an extensive sandwich menu that goes way beyond the your run off the mill sandwich shop. For vegetarians there’s traditional cheddar cheese and chutney, and Greek feta and olive. For vegans, the hummus and roasted veg sandwich is a great option. You can choose your own bread to match whatever filling you like, but I always go for a crusty wholegrain baguette. There are 3 patisseries now in Poole (very close to Bournemouth) - the addresses can be found at the website link below. Patisserie Mark Bennett, 33 Church Rd, Poole, BH14 8UF
Places I’ve not tried yet There are still a couple of other vegetarian and vegan cafes in and around Bournemouth that I’ve been meaning to try but just not got round to. Top of my list is the Bournemouth Pizza Co which was recommended to me by Dorset Vegan via Twitter. They offer gluten free pizza bases and vegan cheese! Zoukinis is another that comes up on all the search results but that I’ve been putting off because of it’s very mixed reviews on TripAdvisor. However, on checking just yesterday, I discovered it has since closed, and been reopened in the Westbourne area as a pure vegan restaurant called Amala Food. May be worth a try.
For more information about Bournemouth, the UKs favourite seaside resort, check out the tourist website at this link
Charlie and Luke's house sitting profile can be found here: https://housesittingcouple.wordpress.com/ Or their blog at: http://CharlieonTravel.com
VEGAN SMARTS FOR VEGAN TRAVELLERS by Alex Curtis-Slep and Octavine Swanson
Over the years we have developed a lot of vegan smarts - ways to make our travel easier when our options are more limited. When looking for house sits and places to travel to, one of our main concerns is whether we can find any vegan food. Vegan food means no meat, no dairy, no honey and no animal products at all. So we always ask home owners if there are nearby markets for fruits and vegetables. Then we find out how far away they might be and if we can walk to them, if they hold special market days and when.
Use social media to access local vegan knowledge We also search for and join local Facebook groups in the areas where we plan to house sit. Once approved in a group, we ask about vegan restaurants, groceries, and we inquire if any locals are also vegan or vegan-friendly. We have met many amazing people this way and their guidance has been ever so helpful. Most people are very willing to share their invaluable knowledge. We also explore vegan, vegetarian and house sitting Couchsurfing groups, and mention the area where we will be. We might strike up a friendship, get a free couch to stay on, and learn where to find good vegan food.
Sarlat, one of France's largest weekly markets (image courtesy Vanessa Anderson)
Seek out fruit and veggie markets Our first daytime trip once we reach our destination will be to search out markets. Initially we tour the entire market to see where the best deals are. Knowing your fruits and veggies helps, especially any exotic produce that is native to the region. Learning how to refer to them in the local language makes things easier, as does having some language skills to bargain with the vendors, who sometimes expect you to try and talk down the price.
However, once we find a good vendor we visit them repeatedly. They often then remember us and save us special high-quality produce.
Turn a pot-luck into a fruit-luck While in Panajachel, Guatemala, we made friends with some vegan expats and held a "fruitluck" at a restaurant. A "fruit-luck" is similar to a "pot-luck", but people just bring fruit to share. In Panajachel we had a small gathering but it still gave us a chance to meet new people including Traci, who runs a vegan B&B in Santiago called Lake Villa Guatemala. A "pot-luck" is a meal or party to which each of the guests contributes a dish, and is common to North America.
The papayas in Guatemala were some of the best we’ve had anywhere. Cut in half and add the juice of a lime! Yes, yum!
Don't go hungry - do your research in advance! In Costa Rica we made a big mistake and did not find much information online about the area where we were staying, prior to embarking on our journey. We found it very difficult to find affordable food at the nearby grocery and not much fresh fruit. The area was just too rural and we didn't want to bus for hours to find something. From this experience we learned to really do our homework before a trip because quality vegan food is not always available. We ate more peanut butter and crackers than we care to remember. However, the four dogs we looked after enjoyed their cracker treats immensely!
French markets excel in vegan produce During a Christmas holiday house sit in the south of France, we made friends with an English family who live in Lodev, near to Roujan, where we were staying. We found them through a Facebook group. Their daughter was vegan and we invited the entire family over for a meal. It turned into a splendid opportunity to share stories about our lives and learn more about vegan options nearby where we were house sitting.
While in Roujan, we took a bus every Saturday to a market in Pézenas, where we found brightly colored fruits and vegetables including persimmons, romanesco (like cauliflower), chinimoyas (tutti frutti tasting fruit that was loved by Mark Twain and spelt a number of ways), and superb tasting potatoes. There were many varieties of mushrooms too. All veggies tasted better than what we were used to in the United States. We even found mangosteen at the Carrefore supermarket in Pézenas.
Overcome limited vegan options at airports Since we spend a lot of time in airports, we have discovered that reasonably priced vegan food is rarely available. We may only find Cliff bars or an overpriced fruit juice, especially at smaller airports, so we try to stock up on some sturdy fruit (apples and dried fruit), or nuts we can take along for the flight and transit periods. There are now more airports in the USA with vegan-friendly restaurants including Los Angeles, San Francisco, DC, and Portland (OR). Check online in advance to see what options may be available to you at the airport you are flying from.
When in Mexico, eat Sapodillas! When we arrived in Zihuatanejo, Mexico, our first stop was the market in Centro. The only catch was that we still had our luggage with us! The combi (a small van) dropped us off because the owner of the place we were house sitting wasn't ready for us. Rather than wait, we went to see what the market had to offer. We lugged our stuff around in the hot and humid Mexican afternoon, and discovered what fruits and veggies were in season. It was a bit tricky as our luggage rolled clumsily through the narrow aisles. One woman brought really amazing sapodillas to the market. She had just a small stand on the corner of a street, not much, but wow were these fruits sweet!
Ripe Sapodillas - image courtesy of TropicalFruitNursery.com
Sapodilla is a fruit that looks similar to a potato but grows on a tree. When soft, it's sweet like brown sugar. This woman at the market was just as sweet as her fruit and we grew very fond of her. She regularly saved us ripe avocados and told us which days to visit to get her amazing fruits.
Ecovegana de Zihuatanejo We were also involved with a group called the Cooperativa Ecovegana de Zihuatanejo. They prepared and sold delicious vegan food, put on a Saturday market and held lectures on vegan living. The Cooperative is well run, with passionate young women serving with a smile. We loved their enmoladas, a popular Mexican dish.
Twice a week, we were able to buy a vegan meal, but only when bringing our own containers (they're really eco-friendly). Now they're offering food more often. The Cooperativa also makes a huge effort to educate the locals in this Mexican village so they can learn the values of healthy eating and living. We also did volunteer work at the Cooperativa and helped videotape events and take photos for them. We truly miss these kind people and so many other vegan friendly folks we met along our travels.
Roxi in Costa Rica
Being vegan smart has helped us in so many ways and we eagerly await our next journey. We hope to visit Asia next, especially Chiang Mai, Thailand, where we know vegan food will be plentiful.
Octavine Swanson and Alex Curtis-Slep (mother and son), enjoy vegan house sitting and travel. They write about their adventures at veganstravel.com where you'll also find lots more vegan tips and advice.
VEGAN RESOURCES We started looking for vegan resources for travellers, so that you could have plenty of information available to help you get the most from your travel adventures. But it seems that vegan blogger, Amanda Burger (yes - one of those strange name coincidences!!), has beaten us to it. She's just created "The Ultimate Vegan Travel Directory" This directory covers everything from vegan travel tips, restaurant reviews, product reviews, city guides, country guides, festival guides, and recipes. Amanda has also included vegan magazines, apps, tours, and accommodation, and I'm sure this list will continue to grow with your help. So if you're struggling to find vegan resources, then Christmas has come early! Click the image below to go directly to the directory.
One other resource that we have to tell you about is HappyCow.net The team at HappyCow.net are on a mission to make healthy food easy to find and more accessible. Founded in 1999, the business is staffed and run by vegans and vegetarians, but this downloadable app is so much more than just a restaurant and health food store guide. HappyCow is an ever-evolving online hub that serves millions worldwide as a one-stop resource for everything VEG.
Money matters - Part 3
LET'S MAKE SOME MONEY by Ian Usher
Alright, it's time to get down to the nitty-gritty. How are we actually going to create our lifestyle of freedom? More specifically, how are we going to make some money? Because in the last two articles we merely examined some ideas and attitudes. In Part 1 of "Money matters" we looked at the value of your time, and compared it to prices you pay in the country you choose to live in. It isn't always about the hourly rate you earn. Equally important is how far your money goes in your chosen location. Which is better, $25 per hour in a city where a beer costs $5, or $10 per hour when you live somewhere where a beer is a dollar?
Of course, apart from costs of food, drink and transport there are all sorts of other lifestyle factors to consider too. You can read Part 1 in Issue 3 of House Sitting Magazine here In Part 2 we looked in a little more detail at the idea of freedom. We examined how developing an income that you control, and that you can create from any location in the world, can offer a fantastic degree of freedom to live life on your own terms. It goes without saying that we are a little evangelical too about incorporating house sitting into the equation. Along with lack of possessions, and the associated burden of debt many of them entail, we feel we have hit upon our own perfect version of the "freedom lifestyle". You can read Part 2 of "Money matters" in Issue 4 of the mag here OK, so lets look at some practical ways to make some money while you travel or house sit.
Working as an employee I have a friend in England whose job is to control the loading and unloading of cargo containers on huge international freight ships. He looks after one particular ship, and ensures that things are stacked in the right place to facilitate speedy unloading and loading at the next port of call.
It is no good if his ship arrives in Auckland and the ten containers that have to come off at the docks there are underneath thirty other containers. Everything is controlled by proprietary software that he runs in his little home office. He works when the work has to be done, and enjoys a lot of time off each week. He could take his laptop computer with him, and often does, meaning he can work from anywhere he can get a decent internet connection - a cafe, the library, or a hotel at a beach resort. There are numerous jobs that can be done from any location.
Here are a few examples that offer the possibility of location flexibility:
Software engineering or game design App development Sales and marketing work that can be done via phone or email Customer service and support Design and graphics Copy editing Tax consultancy Financial consultancy work
If you have the necessary skills, then there are many websites listing suitable positions. Simply search for "remote jobs" and go from there. A highly regarded book on the subject is "REMOTE - Office not required" Authors Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson of 37signals.com say:
The most talented people in the world don't all live in one place. The best place to live depends on who you are and what you like. The modern office has become an interruption factory. Going remote allows the most talented people to produce the best work regardless of their location.
Your search for "remote jobs" will convince you that many companies are now actively encouraging their employees to work from home. The advantages for businesses are obvious. They don't have to provide office space for a hive of workers who can work from remote locations. The business is then free to relocate to smaller offices in a cheaper part of town, or possibly even relocate to another country. They also have happier, healthier, and often more productive staff too - many studies support this. For the remote employee the advantages are clear too.
No long commute to and from work through busy rush hour traffic More flexibility Location freedom Less stress And of course, no need to stay until 5pm if you finish early, just so you don't incur the wrath of your manager...
Image (next page) credit: www.37signals.com
Working as a self-employed contractor A convenient middle ground between employment and entrepreneurship, and the responsibilities and challenges both entail, is working on a self-employed basis as a contractor to others. Many of the jobs listed in the "employee" section above could be done on a freelance basis, contracting your services out to companies who need them for a particular project. This is where we feel we fit into the spectrum of flexible income creation as online teachers of English as a Foreign Language. Our students are in China, and are provided by the company we contract for. We are completely free to pick and choose the hours we work, as lesson are offered to students 24 hours a day.
Our only requirement is that we teach a minimum of 30 hours per month, but we are able to take complete months off if we need to. As longer term contractors of good standing we tend to be given a fair bit of leeway too, to account for our travels. Of course we could probably earn much more if we sourced our own students, but we like the ease of what we do - we don't need to advertise for students, operate a teaching platform of our own, or worry about collection of fees and payments.
We simply turn up when we have lessons, teach for 45 minutes, do a quick review, and we're finished! Total flexibility. Take another look at the list above, and at the many websites that come up when you search for "remote jobs". Is there any skill or service you could offer to your clients in a way that means you keep control over your work hours, and therefore your lifestyle?
Entrepreneurship Here is where possibilities for flexibility and freedom are limited only by your own imagination. As in most things in life, there are pros and cons to going it alone. You will probably have complete control over most aspects of any project you build for yourself. You will be the boss, the manager, the team, the secretary, and the dish washer. You will be able to work when you want, where you want, how you want. As I type this I'm well into my second beer, with no boss looming over my shoulder in a threatening manner. (Vanessa did tut quietly as I headed for the fridge though!) The pros are often the cons too - you are completely responsible, you have to do everything, and you have to have the personal discipline to actually get on with what you should be doing. That said, there is much satisfaction to be found in having nobody to answer to. Below I offer a list of some possibilities for self-employment, freedom-style. Remember though that these suggestions are based on my own ideas and interests, and are limited by my imagination. They are merely provided for inspiration, or as a starting point for your own creativity.
1) Travel blogger This is a popular choice for many world wanderers. Write about your adventures, attract a large following, offer products as an affiliate, or sell a book about what you do. This is a pretty competitive field, and you have to be good to make an impression. For examples of those at the top of their game in this field see this inspiring selection, including our house sitting friends Goats on the Road.
These are picked from a recent article on TheExpeditioner.com website, listing their Top 50 travel blogs: Nomadic Matt (#1) Adventurous Kate (#11) The Planet D (#19) I am Aileen (#24) Goats on the Road (#42) Be My Travel Muse (#48)
2) Travel photographer Dave and Deb from The Planet D, mentioned above, combine their travel writing with beautiful photography. You can buy their images from the website, in various formats.
Photography sales is something we got pretty excited about at one point, but we haven't yet had time to follow up. You can offer your pictures on your own site of course, but if you don't have a big following, what do you do? Well, there are many websites that will host and sell your images for you. For example, a couple of the most well known are ShutterStock and iStockPhoto. They offer a wealth of top quality images (including yours) to writers, publishers and other professionals. The owners of these images receive a commission from the image host site for any image sold.
3) Aerial photography and video When we travelled through the southern states of the USA in an RV I bought a DJI quadcopter aerial drone. For a few hundred dollars you can buy one of these amazing pieces of modern technology.
Here are a couple of photos I took on our journey.
Newer models are now capable of capturing high quality video, and I couldn't help noticing that Nick and Dariece, AKA "Goats On The Road", feature some wonderful aerial imagery in their "Goatlife TV" videos.
I often thought about offering my services vices to real estate agents. Aerial images, or even HQ video, could greatly enhance sales potential for high end properties.
4) Translator/Interpreter Are you fluent in a second language? Perhaps you could parlay your skill into an online income. Maria LaBorde (LatinAbroad)) is a traveller and blogger who uses her fluency in both English and Spanish to create a very flexible, location-independent independent income.
5) Products We'll be talking in a future issue to Pete and d Betsy Wuebker about their online branded products business, and on the following page we speak to Martin Gray Gray, who is currently working on building a print-on-demand tee-shirt shirt empire. Others travel to source unique products from exotic parts of the globe, selling them online to customers in other parts of the world. Inventory can be a bit of an issue if your interest is in large and bulky items, but this is where drop drop-shipping comes to the rescue.
6) Drop-shipping Many manufacturers will send their products direct to customers on your behalf. You advertise their products, without having to invest in or hold inventory. When a customer buys an automated system sends an email to the supplier, they send the product to the customer, and you are paid a commission for bringing in a new sale.
When this is set up properly the whole system is automated, and your jobs is to bring a stream of visitors to your sales website. Martin's tee-shirt business, featured on the next page, also harnesses the power and flexibility of drop-shipping. See here for much more information: Drop Ship Lifestyle
7) Web designer While we lived in Panama we made a few extra dollars on the side offering to help local businesses build and maintain a website. You don't need to be a coding genius to do this, as there are many easy point-and-click options available, such as Wordpress, Weebly, etc. Most businesses don't need more than a few pages, with a bit of info and a few pix. Here's a simple one we made for our neighbours who run a cacao farm:
GreenAcresChocolateFarm.com
8) Pet sitter / dog walker In Issue 1 Amber Kingsley's article discussed the huge growth in the pet industry What better synergy than as a house sitter, being able to offer dog walking or pet grooming services to the neighbours?
9) Create videos for businesses We recently found and signed up for video creation software Viddyoze, but haven't really used it for anything yet. However, we see the potential. Viddyoze do too, and suggest that you could easily create a lucrative business offering custommade video graphics to your customers. We have house sitting friends in Panama who do something very similar in a very successful way. See what Jeanne does at her website: http://www.ProVidMarketing.com/ She started out by offering short clips for just $5 on fiverr.com
10) Fiverr What skills do you have that others don't? What could you do quickly and simply that others would happily pay five bucks for? fiverr.com is brilliant from both sides of the business deal. If you want to get something done quickly and cheaply - translation, graphic design, voice-over, transcription, almost anything - take a look at: fiverr.com
Search for ideas for something unique you could offer. This is often an easy stepping stone to a much more lucrative business. Use your fiverr offerings to bring in new customers, then offer them a higher level service, obviously at a premium price.
11) Podcast A new spin on blogging is podcasting, which is a little like an audio blog. One of my favourites (I have been interviewed twice here, (1st interview - #138 and 2nd interview - #541 (all about house sitting)) so I'm a little biased) is David Ralph's Join Up Dots. Very inspirational.
David began through a personal passion to discover how people make significant life changes, and has changed his own life in huge ways through the process. His podcast is now often ranked #1 on iTunes, and he has created an online course, Podcast Mastery, if you want to follow in his footsteps.
12) Vlog/YouTube Yet another spin on the blogging option is to create videos. Some people produce their own video blog (vlog), and others use the far-reaching power of YouTube to spread their ideas. Although not a house sitter, my crazy friend Colin in England has harnessed the power of YouTube to launch a career as a mad inventor. Check out his channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/colinfurze His top video currently has over 25 million views!! Watch him try to teach me to ride a motorbike on his homemade "Wall of Death" - Part 1here:
and more... Wall of Death, Part 2
13) Online training courses Vanessa and I made two video courses for online platform Udemy The first one we made is about setting and achieving goals. You can subscribe to the course here at a great 60% off discount Can you guess what our second course was about? Take a look at the house sitting course we offer there there, but don't buy it! We'll be offering a MUCH better deal to subscribers of this magazine next month.
These online courses still pay us a small royalty cheque each month, a year or two after we made them. Every little bit helps!
14) Proof-reading As Vanessa and I have quite a bit of writing and publishing experience between us - I have written two books, and we have co-authored a third - we are able to offer our services as proof readers. While house sitting in Fiji we met neighbours Jack and Carrie. They had a semi-written book that they wanted to publish. Over many bottles of wine and happy evenings by the pool we brokered a deal whereby Vanessa would edit and proof-read the book, and I would then help with the publishing process. Jack and Carrie were over the moon to have their book "Another Cocktail Please" in print and for sale all over the world within a couple of months. We were well compensated for helping them achieve this.
And what's more, we made some great new friends who we will be visiting on the tropical island of St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands early next year!
15) Writing Which brings me to another possibility. Do you have a book in you? I never dreamed that I did, but life knocked me off the rails and into world news headlines in 2008, and two years later I wrote a book about the most amazing couple of years of my life. "A Life Sold" still produces a royalty cheque each month, now six years after I published it. Once again, it's not a lot, but these little trickles of income from different sources all add up each month.
I wrote a second book, "Paradise Delayed" about my subsequent adventures on a little tropical island in Panama.
Vanessa and I co-authored "7 Simple Steps to Goal Achieving Success"
If you think you have a book in you that you'd like to publish, we'll show you how in a future issue of this magazine. It's probably easier than you would imagine.
16) Public speaker If you read my books you will probably see that I do have a somewhat unusual story to tell. Th This is has led to some interesting invites to speak in public. While I have never actually been paid for these engagements, I know that in the US top speakers command fees in the thousands of dollars dollars. My biggest win was being invited to speak at TEDx in Vienn Vienna, a, which included all travel and hotel expenses being covered. I don't think I have ever been so nervous! But what an incredible experience.
17) Teacher / Instructor Surf? Dance? Maths? Swimming? What is your passion? Share your knowledge and enthusiasm.
18) Busker Can you sing, juggle, or ride a unicycle? Or even better, all three at the same time? Skilled street performers can bring in a very decent income.
19) Dive Instructor There are many transient dive instructors globe trotting from one job to the next. It was something I often imagined myself doing.I've done plenty of diving, but have never got around to doing my Instructor's Certification. Maybe one day...
20) Sky dive instructor For a few years there I was hooked on skydiving, and thought the perfect job transient job would be as a tandem skydive instructor. OK, I'm beginning to scrape the barrel of my own imagination, and those last couple are almost back to being an employee. However, the point is that in our modern, connected world the lines between employee, employer and entrepreneur are blurred, and there is plenty of scope to be creative. You can carve out your own little part of flexible income in your own unique way.
I have another friend who seems to spend a large proportion of her life on holiday. We met while we were both couchsurfing in Rio for Carnivale in 2010. She runs her own recruitment company, specialising in finding top level video game designers, and placing them with companies who need these skilled individuals. Many of her game designer clients work from their bedrooms, and quite a few of the companies she deals with have no staff, other than the remote workers they hire. As such, all her work is done online. Her clients may be in any country in the world. She only meets then in person if she happens to be travelling in their country. She has created the ultimate freedom lifestyle, and with a manager to look after most of the work, she is free to travel wherever she likes whenever she likes. If you work in the video game design industry, I'm sure Monica will be able to help you, either to find a job, or with your staffing needs. http://www.change-job.com/
It's a great big world, with endless opportunities for making your way through it. How you choose to create your income is something that is worth investing plenty of time, thought and effort into. Because once you find the right vehicle for your income goals, your life will improve in ways you can't yet imagine.
How do you create, or plan to create your freedom income? We'd love to hear from you. ian@HouseSittingMagazine.com Over the next few months we will be featuring articles by or about others who are already living a freedom lifestyle. We'll discover what they do, how they do it, how they got started, and perhaps how you could follow in their steps. Or maybe their stories will inspire you to do something completely new and unique.
MAKING MONEY WITH PRINT-ONDEMAND by Martin Gray
As medium to long term house sitters, many of you will likely have some form of financial support to keep you going while you travel. Maybe a property 'back home' that you can rent out, a pension, or some investment that provides a passive monthly income. For others who don't have these "trickles" coming in, and who move from country to country, how do we earn money and support ourselves? Like many of you, I give this a lot of attention. Actually there seems to be no end of options once you open up to what's now possible. And whilst this short piece isn't intended to cover all these options, I think there are a couple of indicators that are vital to consider - about both the opportunities and yourself.
Sometimes it's important to say "NO" With so many possible paths to follow, it is crucial to know to what opportunities you should say "NO".
Whilst there are some things you could obviously achieve, because of skill sets, ambitions, etc., they just won't be practical for a transient lifestyle.
Discover what it is you really want to do Through long term house sitting and travel, many of you have taken the first steps to achieving the lifestyle that works best for you. Equally important is knowing your own style and preferences for continuing to earn money. That isn't just saying "What am I good at?" or "What jobs have I done in the past?" It's more about identifying the essence of what you enjoy. This will include not just what you need to do to cover your basic living needs, but also what you can realistically offer to the world and how that can return an income. I won't talk in platitudes, but instead illustrate a few thoughts and actions I've followed, and other ideas that I'm still developing. Hopefully this might help spark a few ideas of your own...
A career in writing is not for me! One thing I've learned to say 'no' to is a career in writing blogs, web-articles etc. Yes I can write, and I've even published a book. Yes I always seem to have a lot to say. But when I look at what lights ME up (and what doesn't), I don't find writing enjoyable. Endless typing, constantly trying to form thoughts on a screen, where I inevitably make more and more errors, is simply not for me.
I'm a visual person and prefer communicating creatively so any income in my new lifestyle must be enjoyable. That for me is more about what I "see" than what I "say". So first of all discover what it is you really ENJOY doing. You might try a few different ideas and if they don't work out, none should be seen as a waste of time. Moreover this is time well used to find out what you are really passionate about.
Is a digital lifestyle really for you? For many travellers and house sitters it has become "normal" to be transient, constantly moving from one location to another, and carrying as little as possible. As a consequence, many of the new roaming income options are digital - a computer and the internet are all you need. However, that doesn't mean we all enjoy this new style of working! For some people it is wildly liberating but for others (hands-up Martin), this can also be extremely frustrating. That's because, as well as being visual, I'm also kinaesthetic, so I need a real product that I can "see and feel", even if I'm working nomadically, virtually or digitally from my computer. A tricky dilemma! Oh, and I also love to lie in the sun and just soak-up peace and nature, not working. So that also needs to be considered and allowed as a part of your new freedom lifestyle, if that too is what you enjoy.
Here are some things to consider when contemplating a new, nomadic, portable or locationindependent work and income strategy.
Selling a product or service Traditional linear "exchange time or a thing for money" can work, but can also mean you are dependent on a location.
Things that fall into this category are teaching English in a local school, or making/carrying something physical to sell. This might involve importing ethnic goods to your home base to sell at markets, or through an online platform, etc. However, no work equals no sale equals no income (and no surprises either!). So, buying or carrying stock may not be financially possible or logistically viable.
Residual income sources There are plenty of options for using affiliate marketing, and even network marketing to create leverage and a passive income that is independent of your location. However, whilst you can often work and conduct your business from anywhere, you usually have to be able to receive a monthly qualifying product, carry it with you and consume it, which can limit your activity and participation.
Teaching English online This has become very popular and starts to be quite lucrative if you have some experience along with any required teaching qualifications. There's no capital outlay (as long as you have a computer), and no dependence on location for a product. You can work and get paid directly into your bank or by Paypal. However, this still has an element of "linear" income to it, in that if you don't teach today, you don't earn money. Maybe there isn't one perfect solution. Or maybe we're better working a combination of two or three options, whichever best suits our abilities and specific lifestyles.
My choice - Print-on-Demand Tee Shirts After continuing to chip away, in search of something that suited my own lifestyle, I came across "Print-on-Demand Tee-shirts". For me this is an attractive venture for the following reasons:
It offers me something visual into which I can apply my creativity It provides a residual and portable income, operated via the internet I carry no stock - a physical item is created but it passes directly from the manufacturer to the customer.
There are a number of options, but I've chosen a platform called "Sunfrog". Like most other similar companies, they do all the Tee sourcing, printing, shipping, customer service, creation of an interactive web-presence, etc. I am simply an 'Affiliate' who can tap into whatever they have already created. This must sound perfect for a designer or creative type person, but it's equally possible for someone who can't design at all, because actually they don't need to. An affiliate can create an account and then create "collections" of their own, by selecting from other affiliates' designs and collections. Once selected these can be presented for sale through your own link, and you collect the appropriate commission.
Leverage for more income! This opened up a whole new possibility for me in residual income, because if I could simply leverage off another persons designs, then surely other people could leverage off mine! I have made many of my own quirky English designs and used my own Buddha drawings as images for another collection.
I've also created a dedicated House Sitters Collection. Now we can all choose something unique to proudly present our lifestyle!
See which ones appeal to you at my website here
What's the outlay? There's NO outlay at all in setting this up. There's NO monthly "qualifying purchase" to make (or have delivered somewhere) like with a referral marketing company. I market my own collections which I've learned how to do through Sunfrog's comprehensive tutorial video library. There's NO limit to how many Tee's I can sell. I'm paid a healthy commission for each sale I make and any sales made by someone else promoting my designs in their collections.
What are the average earnings? I've calculated that with the way I house sit and travel less by remaining longer in my chosen location, I can live well on $500 per month. Seriously! That equates to the commission from selling just 63 Tees per month, and this is what I'm currently working toward. So, I'm not saying this is the elusive 'cure-all', but if there are elements in your lifestyle and income generation that feel restricted by having to move around so much, then maybe something like this might appeal and could be added to your earnings portfolio. If you'd like to review all my collections, click www.sunfrog.com/Nomadtees or ask me for specific collection links. I'm happy to share my working knowledge of how this all works as an income option. Just send me an email at info@friendsoftheworld.co.nz And if you're great at promotion and marketing, rather than designing, then maybe we should consider teaming-up!
Martin Gray is a former IT professional from the UK, who gave it all up to travel. He eventually settled, not in England, but in New Zealand, where in 1999 he became a citizen. He enjoyed running a small wellness enterprise and published his first book of philosophy and self expression in 2012. A desire to experience other cultures resulted in Martin leaving New Zealand four years ago to explore his current more creative and portable lifestyle. He's been house sitting his way around Central America while advancing his own unique roaming income. This currently consists of teaching English online, along with the development of his "Print-on-Demand" Tee shirt business. Whenever possible he shares his nomadic lifestyle with his Colombian girlfriend.
Part 4 of "How to sell all your stuff"
IS YOUR STUFF HOLDING YOU BACK? by Al McCullough
Over the past three months of this short series, I've made this all sound easy-peezy, haven't I? Sure, chuck your stuff on the bed, make piles to sell or trash, put it on the driveway, or online, and then sell, sell, sell. Not quite! I get it. You're attached to your stuff. So in this final part I'm going to help you understand why your stuff is holding you back! Even when you try to remove emotional ties to stuff like I've recommended in previous issues, you still just… can't… quite… let… go… Must… keep… stuff…
I'll readily admit, I struggled with a few things. And I'll be completely honest - I kept a couple of things that didn't sell for the price I wanted.
Understand the art of haggling Furthermore, I stubbornly refused to sell to someone haggling with me and clearly not understanding how haggling works. If it's marked at $50, and you offer $10, and I reply with $40, and you offer $10 again, we're not negotiating, you're demanding a price, and I'm demanding you go away! Sorry, went on a rant there. Anyway, I'd rather have left some items with family to either store, or to enjoy themselves than have someone "nickel-and-dime" me. You'll have this happen too. You'll question pricing. You'll make excuses to keep things. You'll ponder renting a storage unit instead. I know - I've been there.
Is storing your stuff worth the monthly fees? Think long and hard about this one.
Friends of mine stored their stuff in two storage units. About six months into their journey they realized they didn't need most of it and reduced things down to one small storage unit. In the end you have to make goals.
Why do you want to see your stuff?
Are you downsizing to a smaller home? Do you want to travel? Do you want less clutter? Do you want to make a few bucks to fund a vacation?
All these reasons and more can be yours for just three easy payments of $19.95… just kidding, you're trying to sell stuff, not buy more. But therein lays my point. We get so easily caught up in all the consumerism that surrounds us.
We think, "I really need that new 72 inch flat screen TV" TV". TRUTH - you don't. We think stuff will make us happy. TRUTH - it doesn't. We think of the money we spent and try to justify selling an item for what we paid for it. TRUTH – you won't.
You have to understand that stuff is just stuff! If you want to downsize, travel, house sit, or just start living a minimalist lifestyle, you have to understand that stuff is just stuff. Heck, George Carlin wrote an entire stand-up up bit on stuff. You can't buy more stuff all the time. And you have to limit the amount of stuff you actually have. Stuff holds you back! How you ask?
Here's a story of a friend... Our friends bought a house and started buying stuff for said house. Then they had a baby, and then another baby, and they “outgrew” that house, so they bought another house. Then they bought more stuff uff for that house because it was a bigger house and it needed more stuff. All this stuff needed to be paid for though, and when you put it on a credit card, it's not paid for!
You might be thinking, I know what happens - they defaulted on their payments and the Repo man came and took their stuff away. WRONG! They found out that they had equity in their house, so they went to the bank and asked them to refinance their mortgage (some countries don't do this, by the way). They took that equity, paid off their credit cards, and bought more stuff. A lot of it! Now they have credit card debt again and have maxed their mortgage. For what? STUFF! The truth is, when you free yourself from stuff, you free yourself from a perceived lifestyle you've been - ironically - sold.
We don't need stuff - we need experiences Let's take that same friend and throw $20,000 out there as an amount they got from their bank. I don't know if that's the number, I'm only guessing based on the equity I had in my own home after a few years. Now, let's say $15k of that was credit card debt that they paid off. They are left with $5,000. Wouldn't $5,000 be enough money to do something fun, to experience something new and exciting, or to create a lasting memory?
I would think so, but evidently sofas and TV's create better memories for a lot of people in this world. Society is under the impression that we need stuff, when in fact what we need are experiences. Just look at your resume, you don't list “Stuff I Own”, you list “Experience”. If you have some things you'd like to do, places you want to see, or stuff you want to experience, there's a Sell All Your Stuff book that's right for you. If this process of selling your stuff seems overwhelming, daunting, about as clear as mud or otherwise, then pick up a copy of one of my fast and fun eBooks to help guide you through the step-by-step process of selling your stuff.
Now go sell all your stuff and do more stuff with less stuff! (This was the last in a four part series)
We are Shelly and Al McCullough and back in 2014 we made a huge change in our life. We sold all our stuff, quit the cubicle, and moved from Canada to Panama. We were never the type to accumulate a lot of stuff, and we often had yard sales just to purge stuff we no longer used and/or wanted. Every spring and fall we would go through our closets and figure out what stuff we didn’t wear so we could donate it and get rid of stuff.
Prior to our move, we sold EVERYTHING. And after a year of living abroad an opportunity presented itself for us to travel. So we sold everything ... AGAIN! And all that stuff brought us here. SellAllYourStuff was created to help others that want to lead a minimalist lifestyle.
KINDRED SPIRITS DOWN UNDER Behind the scenes interview with Kindred Spirits House Sit or Swap
Kindred Spirits House Sit or Swap is a start-up, family operated business based on the island of Tasmania, in Australia. This unique business provides an online platform that specializes in matching vegan and vegetarian home owners with like-minded house sitters. Karen and Chris have both been vegetarians and then vegans for many years and raised their own family in a vegan household. Both keen activists, they met during a campaign to end duck shooting in Victoria, Australia. Since then they've been involved in many activities to improve the lives of non-humans. We learned that as well as starting their new house sitting business, they also share their lives with 21 rescued animals on their small holding in the countryside!
Kindred Spirits are currently offering FREE membership to all new members, but you must take your vegan or vegetarian lifestyle seriously, and you'll discover why by reading this month's behind the scenes interview.
Interview with Karen and Chris Have you always been vegan? Or if not, when and why did you change your way of living and eating? We have each been vegan a similar amount of time, over 20 years. Karen has been vegetarian since she decided against eating animals at the age of ten. As a young adult she realised her eating habits were still impacting heavily on animals, hence the shift to veganism. Chris made the move pretty much straight to vegan, originally for health reasons, but quickly making the connection to the impact on animals too.
We both feel strongly that all animals have the right to go about their lives without suffering fear, pain and distress at the hands of humans. We believe that non-human animals experience emotions like we do - they fear, they love, they play, they experience joy and sadness, they plan, they think.
Anyone who has spent any time with a dog can work this out, and the same applies to all animals except many people choose not to be open to this. We like to remind people that yes, humans are animals too. What are some of the other reasons why people choose a plant based lifestyle? Many people are coming to realise the huge impact that animal agriculture has on the environment and climate. Around two thirds of all crops grown go to feed farmed animals. As the world population grows and many countries that have had a plant focused diet adopt a more western style meat-heavy diet, consumption of animals and animal products goes up. The amount of land required for the animals and the crops to feed them also increases, meaning less land for wildlife and biodiversity loss. There are also huge water requirements for animal agriculture and crop growing, as well as pollution issues. This is all in addition to the methane output from farmed animals which is a mere part of their overall impact on climate change.
Other people are motivated by health. Plant-based diets are known to be healthy with lower risks for many diseases common in western cultures. Many people switching to a whole foods plant-based diet for health reasons have been able to reverse their metabolic syndrome, diabetes and heart disease.
People who switch for environmental or health reasons are less likely to be interested in our website. This is because they are less likely to embrace the whole lifestyle which includes: 1. making sure footwear and clothing are not made from animal skins, fur or wool. 2. cosmetics and cleaning products do not have animal ingredients and haven't been tested on animals. 3. choosing entertainment that doesn't involve animals (i.e. no horse racing, travel experiences with captive dolphins or drugged tigers). Having said that, once people ditch animal products from their lives for whatever reason, they do seem to become more open to the compassionate reason and they are better able to connect with all animals.
Your children were born into a vegan family. Has this presented any unique challenges? We haven't had any real challenges in this regard at all. There have only been some minor issues with primary school cooking programs, but nothing too difficult. Their friends are very accommodating and when they were younger with many birthday parties to attend, other parents were often quite happy to make a vegan cake, or provide plenty of vegan options. And of course I would provide some cake. It really is quite easy these days. Veganism is getting quite well known and there are plenty of products clearly labeled "vegan" now. Our children, now teenagers, are some of the older children brought up vegan where we live, but there are lots of vegan babies and toddlers around now as veganism grows in popularity. Many teens are choosing the make the change themselves. We read that you also provide a home to rescue animals - not just a few but in fact over 20 can you tell us more about this aspect of your life?
It all started with a little black Shetland pony called Zebbity. Before he came along about 14 years ago, we had a couple of dogs and three cats and no plans for any more. We lived in New South Wales for around five years and it was then a friend of ours rescued Zebbity on the spur of the moment from a miserable life.
She decided she had no where to put him so she brought him to us as we had a bit of land. That started a whole sequence of events - Zebbity quickly let us know he needed friends, so we outbid the slaughterman at a local horse auction and brought a couple more ponies home. Before long they had eaten our small paddock bare and we were agisting them locally. That's when we thought about moving to Tasmania where I had family and land was cheaper. Once here in Tassie we ended up with a couple of piglets that had starred in the movie Charlotte's Web, one of whom is still with us today at the age of 11 years. Then it was bottle feeding some orphan lambs and finding some friends for them, taking on more horses, and rescuing some roosters dumped on the roadside.
Meanwhile the children were begging for some rabbits, so after they proved themselves by looking after the two Shetland ponies for a couple of years, we obtained a rabbit couple from the RSPCA a year ago. We love all of our animal friends, but they are quite a bit of work and keep us poor! And yes, we still have little Zebbity! Before you started Kindred Spirits, what particular challenges did you encounter while house sitting? We have never house sat ourselves as such - but we did do a house swap once and cared for two Jack Russell Terriers - it was a fantastic experience!
We have though used a lot of different house sitters ourselves over the years. As you can imagine, with so many animals to care for here, there aren't many people who come back for seconds! Not that they haven't enjoyed it, but more that it is a lot of work. Often people do it to experience a country lifestyle and because they love animals, but it doesn't suit someone who is working in the city an hour away. While it has been challenging to find people with enough experience with the animals we have in our care, our biggest challenge has been getting people to respect our beliefs whilst in our home.
We have always asked house sitters to at least be vegetarian while staying here, but not many omnivores truly understand what that means. This can be seen by the assortment of food items left behind (stock cubes, cheese that has rennet in it, sauces etc.). The most challenging were the house sitters we had immediately before we started Kindred Spirits House Sit or Swap. These sitters claimed to be vegetarian and shared a meal with us the night before we went away. However when we came home the kitchen smelt of cooked meat and our oven and fry pans were greasy. This was a breach of our trust and showed a real lack of respect for us and our home. We were deeply upset. How does Kindred Spirits meet the needs of vegans and vegetarians specifically? And, what is the biggest concern for home owners who follow a plant based lifestyle, when using house sitters? The site is only for vegans and vegetarians. We recognize that, like the general population, vegans and vegetarians have a wide range of beliefs and needs.
Inviting someone to stay in your home is a very personal decision, especially when you are leaving your home in the care of someone who is essentially a stranger - which is often the case when you have found someone via a house sitting website. You really want to find people that you connect with - people you have things in common with and whom you believe will treat your home and beloved animals as you would yourself. If you are vegan or vegetarian you instantly have something in common which speaks to the beliefs by which you live your life.
The most important reasons for wanting a vegan or vegetarian house sitter are the kitchen and animal care. Many people who follow this lifestyle, us included, don't like our kitchen utensils, ovens and fridges, being used for preparing, storing and cooking of meat. Being able to choose vegan or vegetarian house sitters gives peace of mind for the home owner that the sanctity of the kitchen will be respected by the house sitters. Omnivores are likely to regard sheep, pigs, cows and chickens as food animals. Yet to a vegan these animals are given the same regard and level of care as dogs and cats. This concept is difficult to explain if you are not a vego, but when you regard all animals as being equal, you don't want someone looking at your hand-reared sheep as a "leg of lamb" or seeing your rescued rooster as something "for the pot". We have heard horror stories, such as when a pair of much loved pigs were on loan from a vegan family to omnivorous friends and these (now former) friends decided to have them killed for the dining table. A very distressing situation for the vegan family, which highlights the cavern in thinking between the two mindsets.
Each listing on the site is identified by vegan or vegetarian. For example, house sitters tick a box to say whether they are vegan or vegetarian. Home owners say whether they would like a vegan or vegetarian sitter, or whether they are happy with either. Some home owners will have reasons for not wanting dairy or eggs in their home, whether that is because of allergies or ethics, and we want to give them that choice. You have selected a niche market and are growing the site. How easy is it for interested homeowners and house sitters to subscribe and what is the cost involved? It is extremely easy to join the site at KindredSpiritsHouse.com. Users start by simply choosing their membership type:
I need a house sitter I want to house sit I want to house swap
Once they create their account, they can start filling in their listing form.
Our 12 month membership is currently FREE for all user types. We will introduce a small fee to fund the site for house sitters and house swappers when we feel the time is right. Whilst we would love to continue offering the service for free, we are paying for it out of our own pockets at present, which can't go on in the long term. We also feel that having a fee for sitters improves the quality of listings, and ensures that only people who are really committed sign up.
Can you explain a little more about house swaps? House swapping is a fantastic way to have a cheap holiday and swapping with like-minded people enhances the experience. When you house swap with someone who wants to holiday in your location, you get free accommodation, are able to stay in a real home (which often suits families), can arrange to use games, bikes, and sporting equipment. You can even arrange to car swap to save more money. Like house sitting, you stay in the local community too, living like a local to get a real feel for the place you are visiting.
We have a step-by-step guide on the site about how to arrange a house swap holiday. What happens if one house sitter is vegetarian/vegan, but the other eats meat? A couple? In this situation they should use a mainstream house sitting website. If there was a house sit they were particularly keen on they could be very open with the home owner and make assurances that no meat would be prepared or consumed on the property. But our preference would be for them to go to another platform. Our site is specifically for vegans and vegetarians - that is our point of difference! Would it be normal practice for the pets to also follow a vegan diet? Many vegans will also have vegan companion animals, but not all. We have had healthy vegan dogs for many years. When we go away we cook up plenty of food in advance and freeze it. When it comes to cats things get a little more difficult. Not everyone, even vegans, agree that cats should be fed vegan as they are naturally carnivorous. There is nutritionally balanced vegan cat food available and some choose to use it. Some cats thrive on it and some cats don't like it. It comes down to personal choice. We ask people using the site to respect that choice, whether they agree with it or not. House sitters can choose the option on their profile of whether they are happy to look after non-veg companion animals or not, and home owners needing a sitter also say if they have a non-veg companion animal.
This means that site users know where things are at before they get it touch with other users. Vegans who have cats or dogs who are not vegan will often keep their food out of their kitchen in a separate fridge, and will have dedicated utensils to feed them with. As we travel we have noticed more and more vegan restaurants with a great choice of food. Have you become aware of more travel and food options becoming available for people with plant based diets? We have noticed a huge growth in vegan and vegetarian dining over the past twenty years or so. Melbourne has always been a place with a good range of vego eateries, but the number has grown exponentially in recent years. Even in Tasmanian, where it wasn't long ago you would see chicken or fish listed on a "vegetarian" menu, mainstream restaurants are adding vegan menus. There are a lot more products on supermarket shelves now too, a great range of raw snack bars, and vegan cheeses are all the rage. Labeling foods "vegan" or "vegetarian" has become popular, which is very helpful whether at home or traveling. You have a great blog on the website - what sort of topics will readers have access to that benefit the vegan and vegetarian communities specifically? We aim to find topics that will interest our target audience - both house sitters and home owners who are vegan or vegetarian. We are identifying topics and then researching and distilling the information into what we hope will be a useful resource.
We provide lots of links to other sites so that people can follow through and find more detail. So far we have covered volunteering for wildlife with suggestions of live-in volunteer options around the world that provide veg food; vegan cruises; and where to find veg travel guides. There are a few more ideas we are working on, but topic suggestions are welcome too! In addition, we have specific posts here about how to write great listings for sitters and home owners. We always suggest that home owners include information on where to find great vego food locally. Which travel destinations have you found best suit your dietary lifestyle choices. Ironically we don't travel much ourselves! With so many animals, we don't go away for long periods of time as it would simply be too much work to ask of anyone. Two weeks of looking after our lovely gang is enough to ask of most people. This means that we tend to holiday close to home and within Australia. In Australia we find the capital cities are the easiest to find food options in or places with a strong alternative bent like the Northern Rivers in NSW. However, we like to go to for country or island options when we can. Stradbroke Island takes a bit of creative cooking as the supermarket range is poor there, but the gelato shop is fabulous! Wherever you go these days though there are vegan foods available. If you don't rely on processed vego food (fake meats and cheeses) you can get by anywhere with vegetables, canned beans or lentils and some spices! Whilst we struggle to get away much as a family, Karen and the children have just returned from a month in the United Kingdom via Singapore, while Chris looked after the gang at home. They had a lovely time trying out different vego eateries as they went, including a couple of vego pubs, and a vegan ice-cream shop in London. There was certainly no shortage of options, and supermarkets throughout the UK had plenty of choices on offer with new discoveries to be had. If you were stranded on a desert island with only two vegetables, what would they be? Potatoes for me (Karen) as they have iron, protein, carbohydrate, and vitamin C. You can live on just potatoes for a long time and they are very satisfying. Chris is very much into eating raw, and lots of salads, so his choice is Chinese broccoli. Whether either of these veggies would grow on a desert island though is debatable!
Karen, from Kindred Spirits
BLACK BEAN DIP by Jen Evans
After spending several months traveling through Europe last year, we decided to hop over to Mexico to ride out the winter. We very quickly started making some of our favorite Mexican inspired dishes featuring one of my favorite herbs – cilantro (or coriander). I know that many people don't share my love of cilantro. I do recall that when I was first introduced to cilantro I was aware of the "soapy" or "tin" flavor it gave to dishes. Many others also have a similar allergy or sensitivity to this herb. You either love it or your hate it. Luckily for me the flavor changed as I became increasingly exposed to it, and now it's earned a spot as one of my favorites. But if you don't enjoy cilantro (or aren't in a place where it's readily available), please just omit it from the recipe. This bean dip will still be quite good without it! You can make this dip easily with a variety of other beans, such as pinto or cannellini. For vegans simply omit the cheese and Crème Fraiche.
Ingredients
2 x 12 oz or 340 gram cans of Black Beans (drained) ½ Small Onion, diced 1 Roma or Plum Tomato, diced ½ jalepeno pepper, finely diced (or other pepper of your choice) Juice ½ Lime 2 Teaspoons or 20 grams cumin powder 1 Teaspoon or 10 grams Garlic Powder (or 2 cloves finely chopped and gently sauteed in a little butter to soften before use) 2 Dashes of Hot Sauce 1 Small Bunch Cilantro – Roughly Chopped 3 oz or 85 grams Grated Cheese, such as Gouda or Cheddar Dollop of Sour Cream or Creme Fraiche Tortilla chips for dipping
Jalopenos
Method
Combine the onions, tomato, lime juice, diced jalepeno and roughly chopped cilantro in bowl. Mix and set aside Mash ½ of the beans (you can use a blender or food processor for this). Mashing ½ of the beans and leaving the other ½ whole will give smoothness to the dip while maintaining a nice texture. Add all of the beans to a sauce pan over medium heat. Add the cumin, hot sauce, garlic powder, ½ of the tomato mixture and most of the shredded cheese to the beans. Heat until the cheese is melted. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Place the dip in a serving bowl. Garnish with shredded cheese, crème fresh and the remaining tomato mixture. Serve with taco chips
The obvious cocktail pairing is of course a nice margarita, but a fresh Mojito would also do very nicely! Here's Jamie Oliver to show us how!
COMING THIS MONTH ... 25th to 28th November JOIN US FOR 3 DAYS OF PURE TRAVEL INSPIRATION... @ THE HOUSE SITTING SUMMIT!
30+ World-class class house sitters are gathering together to help you travel and stay inexpensively anywhere in the world with house sitting. Yep, this is your exclusive chance to go behind the scenes with some of the world's best sitters, as they give you all the inspiration, advice and actionable steps you need to start house sitting quickly & effectively! AND YOU'RE INVITED TO OUR HOUSE SITTING SUMMIT ... FOR FREE ! IT'S ALL ONLINE - WATCH & LEARN FROM ANYWHERE CLICK to reserve your FREE ticket NOW
See the next pages for an overview of some of the amazing content coming up over the House Sitting Summit weekend >>>
Each month, in this section, we introduce you to a handy resource. Some you may already know, others will be useful additions to help you on your journey.
PROOF OF ONWARD TRAVEL by Ian Usher
In this issue we wanted to cover a topic that comes up online forums on a regular basis. It is something that is of concern to house sitters, as well as long-term travellers in general. Many people find that they need to provide "proof of onward travel", either before they are allowed to board a flight to their destination, or at the border as they enter the country. If you have a return ticket to your home country, or an onward ticket to your next destination you won't have any issues. However, if you are travelling for an extended period you may not have your dates and plans fully mapped out, or you may simply want to maintain a degree of flexibility on your journey. But in today's world of international paranoia and over-zealous TSA agents, the freedom to roam the globe as we wish seems to be being slowly eroded.
Earlier this year we had to fly from Mexico to Costa Rica. From San Jose we planned to take a bus down into Panama. We didn't have further flights booked, as we had an open schedule after our Panama house sit, and wanted to be flexible enough to alter plans depending on what came up. At the airport in Mexico City the check-in clerk told us he could not allow us on to the flight without an onward flight booking from Costa Rica. However, he had an answer to our dilemma. Downstairs we found the travel agency Mundo Joven. The extremely helpful staff there made a flight reservation for us from San Jose to London. They also made a booking for us from Panama City to London too. They printed up our documents. The cost? Nothing. The tickets were merely temporary reservations. If they remained unpaid they would simply be cancelled in 24 hours. Back upstairs the check-in guy nodded knowingly at us with a grin, tapped a few keys on his keyboard, and had us checked in in no time. He told us he just had to have a booking reference to put into the system. In Costa Rica nobody asked about our onward plans at all, but the overland border at Sixaola/Guabito into Panama was chaotic. Many travellers didn't have print-outs of their flight tickets, and were turned away. We breezed through unmolested with our fake bookings from our Mexican travel agency friends. What a ridiculous system!
More trouble ahead But what would we do over the following months. We had plans to travel through many Central American countries, all by bus. We wanted to travel freely, with very little schedule to adhere to, so we didn't want to book all the travel ahead. The answer was simple, and came after a little bit of online research. Travel agents based in the USA are now required by US law to offer a 24 hour cancellation window for most of the flights they offer. This means that you can book a flight, use that booking to enter a country, proving you have onward travel, then simply cancel the flight. We have now done this a few times very successfully. Sometimes the company will debit your card and then issue a refund. Sometimes, if you cancel quickly enough they don't even take the money from your account, so you don't have to wait for your refund.
Now, here is the important thing... Make sure you use a website that is based in the USA, and thus has to follow US law. For example, if using Expedia, use the .com website, not the .co.uk, .com.au, or any other countryspecific version. So here is our booking, made on Expedia.com, for a flight from San Jose, CR to Houston, Texas. The cost of the flight was $144.01 each. I booked and paid as normal, but was sure to book a flight that offered 24 hour cancellation.
Once booked you simply go into your Expedia account and go to: > My Trips > My Itineraries > Itinerary Detail > Cancel Notice the time on the computer clock in the image is 6.11am.
There is a pop-up that answers the question "When will I get my refund?":
Once you hit the big yellow "CANCEL RESERVATION" button you get this. Notice, the time is now 6.14am, three minutes after I made the booking:
Later you get a full confirmation that everything has been cancelled and your refund is on its way:
We simply printed out copies of everything and showed them at several borders with no issues at all. If asked, which we never were, we simply planned to say we were going back to San Jose by bus for our return to the States.
Simple. Easy. Quick. FREE.
But what if I don't have a credit card...? Of course, as one friend pointed out, you do need to have a credit card or debit card with the funds available to do this. If you don't, there is another option we have heard others have used with success. For $9.99 the nice folks at FlyOnward.com will buy a ticket for you, and will then cancel it 24 to 48 hours later, allowing you to enter the country with a valid flight booking.
We'll tell you about another great resource next month.
In the meantime, for links to house sitting platforms, comparison articles, books, websites, downloadable forms, and lots of other useful house sitting resources, take a look at our "Resources" page on the House Sitting Magazine website.
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What you can expect in Issue 6 Next month is our Christmas issue, and as we sit here in Mexico sweltering in 30 degrees of heat, we've found it hard to think about the upcoming festive season. So next month will be a bit of a surprise. There will definitely be a Christmas theme, but we know that not all of you celebrate the holidays, so we promise not to overwhelm you with Christmas spirit!
If you've missed any back-issues download them here: Issue 4 can be downloaded here Issue 3 can be downloaded here Issue 2 can be downloaded here Issue 1 can be downloaded here If you've a story to tell, please get in touch, but until next month, when we will be publishing Issue 6 from San Miguel de Allende in Mexico, we wish you happy travels wherever you are in the world! Vanessa and Ian (currently just on our way back to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico for a repeat sit with six cats)
The small print
Reproduction - Reproduction in whole or part without written permission of the publishers is prohibited.
Disclaimer - Information provided in this publication is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. It should not be used as travel, lifestyle, financial or legal advice. You should always consult with your qualified and licensed professional practitioner. The publisher accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of any of the opinions, advice, representations or information contained within this publication. The publisher expressly disclaims responsibility for any adverse effect that may result from the use and application of the information contained in this magazine. Readers should rely on their own advice and enquiries when making decisions affecting their interests.
Publishers - The opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publishers. House Sitting The ultimate lifestyle magazine is published by Ian Usher and Vanessa Anderson. Email: contact@HouseSittingMagazine.com. The publishers assume no responsibility for unsolicited materials. Copyright 2016 by Ian Usher. All rights reserved.
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15th December