You'll find extra news, reviews and snippets throughout the magazine!
Welcome - On Safari in Botswana Ian Usher
Starting Out as an International House Sitter Vanessa Anderson
Making Friends on the Road Amy Rutherford
How to Create an Impressive Profile that Gives you the Edge Vanessa Anderson & the Housesit Hustlers
Llamas and Alpacas – Can you tell the difference? Vanessa Anderson
Exotic House Sitting - South West Costa Rica Natalie Smith
Blogging for Success Vanessa Anderson
Different Perspectives - An Interview with Nomadic Matt Matthew Kepnes
Let Go & Live Life to its Fullest Raffaella Russignaga
Introducing Mapahub - The story behind the development Ian Usher
Join Mapahub To Meetup With Other House Sitters Ian Usher
Making Priceless Connections Doug Dyer
Book Review - A Tale of Two Geckos
In the next issue...
ON SAFARI IN BOTSWANA by Ian Usher As we publish the June issue of House Sitting Magazine it's fast approaching mid-summer... or perhaps it is almost mid-winter where you are? As lovers of warmer climates we tend to follow summer from northern hemisphere to southern hemisphere, and then back again. We'll be doing that at the end of the year, when we head Down Under to enjoy Australia's beautiful summer from December to February. But this year we've taken a bit of a break from our routine, and flown south during the northern summer. We're in Botswana, in the southern part of Africa, and we're having to wrap up in the evenings and early mornings now, as temperatures drop when the sun isn't up. Days, however, are usually hot, with clear blue cloudless skies. We took this unique and challenging pet free house sit as we wanted to experience the adventure of a few months in Africa. We've certainly been doing that over the past few weeks. We've met a few of the neighbours and have enjoyed some great evenings with them.
We've had hippos in the river just by the bottom of the garden. And just last week we headed out on a three day safari into one of the big game reserves on the edge of the Okavango Delta. Our home owners had put us in touch with Steve, a very experienced local safari guide, and he arranged an amazing few days for us. We spent two nights camping in the open bush where wild elephants could roam through the camp. The night sounds included the throaty roars of lions on either side of us.
We saw one lion, a leopard (too briefly to get a picture), hippos, giraffes, zeebras, wildebeests, impalas, a warthog, and more elephants than we could count. The endless array of birds was amazing too.
Steve brought along a chef / assistant called Prince who managed to produce gourmet dishes every day, all cooked on an open campfire. He even bought along his own home-made bread!
The whole trip was a real once-in-lifetime experience... or was it? We've been invited to visit the neighbours' brand new lodge in the bush next week. They have a watering hole right out in front of their balcony, and elephants visit every day. Keep an eye on the House Sitting Magazine Facebook Group for more photos and a perhaps a couple of videos. At "home" we've had a few challenges to overcome:
The new solar system isn't performing as well in winter as it apparently did in summer, as the sun is much lower in the sky. By mid-afternoon the fence starts to shade the solar panels, so we have to monitor our use of electricity carefully. The solar company added two more panels to see if that would help for now.
Last week the petrol-driven water pump that pulls water from the river to irrigate the lush garden simply gave up, seizing solid. It had to go into the workshop this morning, and the diagnosis wasn't good. We have a borrowed one for now, so the garden should be OK.
There has been an infestation of stink bugs, small harmless beetles. A very wet rainy season meant that they all hatched this year, and there are millions of them. They are everywhere, and each night we have to gather up hundreds of them from the walls of the house. They get in through the tiniest cracks and gaps.
And to top it all off, the swimming pool is now merely ornamental, as its too cold to use! Bah.
But despite the challenges, this truly is an amazing experience, and there is plenty more to come as we still have almost six more weeks left in Africa. We hope you are enjoying your summer, or winter, wherever you are. And we hope you enjoy this month's issue of House Sitting Magazine. Ian and Vanessa (house sitting in the African bush, somewhere near Maun, Botswana)
STARTING OUT AS AN INTERNATIONAL HOUSE SITTER by Vanessa Anderson
If you've been house sitting locally, you might be keen to broaden your horizons, but perhaps aren't quite sure how to get started. Or you may be completely new to house sitting, but want to house sit internationally from the outset, as a way to travel overseas and experience new locations and different cultures? Either way, there are some things you'll need to know about international house sitting, that might impact your choice of destination and the type of house sits you apply for. A lot of this information will depend on your country of origin and where you decide to go. For instance, an American going to Canada won't experience so many unknown cultural differences, whereas a Brit heading to Mexico is likely to encounter many! And there's a lot more to consider besides culture.
You'll need to assess the costs involved. Not just living expenses, but visas, tourist taxes, flights, internal travel, medical and travel insurance, etc. In this article we'll take a look at some of the more important considerations: 1. 2. 3. 4.
What to consider before applying for international sits Enhancing your profile and making relevant applications Where to find international house sit assignments Getting a head start on the competition
Some points will only apply to more tropical or exotic locations, but many are applicable to all overseas sits.
1. What to consider before applying for international sits
Paid vs Unpaid If you've been used to house or pet sitting locally and charging for your services, you'll immediately notice a difference when looking at house sits that are advertised internationally. Many international house sitters do NOT charge for house and pet sitting. Instead they provide a valued service to pet and property owners, in return for free accommodation. This exchange is built around trust, not money. It's a concept that's at the heart of the international house sitting industry. There's actually a very practical reason for this too. In most overseas countries it would be considered as "work" if you take payment for house sitting services. And... this would mean you'd need to apply for a work visa, often much more difficult to obtain than a standard tourist visa. So it's easier for everyone if money doesn't pass hands. When passing through immigration you simply state that you're on vacation, traveling, retired or visiting friends. To avoid complications, don't mention house sitting, even if you are doing it for free.
Visa Requirements Always check to see a travel visa is required and for how long it will remain valid. Many countries offer visas as you enter the country, but for others you may have to apply in advance for a valid travel visa or an electronic travel authorization which is usually obtained online. Immigration rules can change suddenly without notice, so always check your eligibility to travel before applying for sits you might later find you can't fulfill.
Travel Vaccinations Also check online to see if you need vaccinations or malaria medication. For some countries these are mandatory and entry will be prohibited without proper certification. Make sure you leave enough time between jabs and your intended travel date. With Yellow Fever, for instance, you need to allow for 10 days after the vaccine is administered.
Seasons & Climate Home owners frequently leave their properties and pets to visit family and friends, or to travel, during the off-season. This is often when extreme hot or cold weather occurs. It might also be the monsoon, hurricane or cyclone season, or when there's more risk of forest fires.
Our beautiful resort location after a cyclone in Fiji
Do your research and make sure you're comfortable (and qualified if necessary) to deal with these conditions should they arise. Can you handle hot weather? 30+ degrees Celsius in a humid tropical location is fine with a pool and air-conditioning, but if you're not used to relentless heat and there's only a fan, it's a very different story! House sitting off-season in a tourist resort may suit some, but others will feel let down by the lack of available (open) facilities and that there are fewer people to interact with.
Environment Tropical jungle, African desert, island bliss, beach and sea - you can experience it all. But remember a holiday is very different to living in an exotic destination. Consider cultural differences, extreme weather conditions, accessibility, driving on the opposite side of the road, daily house sitting chores, snow clearing, gardening duties, location of shops, special dietary needs, insects, spiders, noisy frogs, howling dogs, monkeys, and so on. Interview questions tend to increase dramatically when you begin house sitting internationally especially in exotic or remote locations!
Additional Costs Make sure you have assessed and are happy with all the costs involved:
Airfares - Remember last minute long-haul flights are often much more expensive, or available low cost options will involve lengthy layovers. Visas and tourist entry or departure taxes - Often these are included in the airfare, but not always. Cost of getting from the airport to the sit and back again - This can be high, especially if you are traveling to a remote location. It's possible the home owner will pick you up, and that's something you can discuss.
Cost of living - Expat locations can be more expensive, especially for food and drink if it has to be imported. WIFI and telephone costs - WIFI is usually included where available, but you may need to find a phone package or need to upgrade your internet service, which will be covered out of your own budget.
Travel and/or Medical Insurance The longer you are away, the more you will have to pay for travel and/or medical insurance. World Nomads are a good option, especially if you need to book mixed locations around the world and over a long period.
Dealing with home emergencies? When house sitting locally it's often much easier to deal with a family or personal emergency, than when you're a long (and often expensive flight) from home. You may find that some international home owners prefer couples, so that one can remain insitu should an unavoidable situation occur. Do you have a contingency plan?
Language Traveling to a tourist location for a vacation, is very different to living in a community full of foreign speaking nationals, especially if you need to get something fixed at the property, or want to actively socialize within the local community. Ask the homeowner about this, and find out if you're likely to feel isolated if you can't speak the local lingo. On the other hand, this is a great opportunity to learn a new language. If you do have a language other than English it will be certainly be considered an asset to many home owners (depending on where you are!). So make this a key element of your house sitting profile!
How remote is the property? If the property is remote, and in an unfamiliar location and climate, you might want to consider carefully your suitability to the house sit. Is a car Included? Personally, I'd never accept a remote house sit without a vehicle. How would you get a poorly pet to the vets, or yourself to a hospital in an emergency situation? Remote living isn't for everyone. Don't pick a sit based on location without considering what it would REALLY be like to live there - especially if it's a long term sit. We are currently in Africa, 40km from the nearest town, and we're restricted to two trips a week in the car that's been provided. We can't drive after dark because it's too dangerous (animals not people). Could you handle this? The prior house sitters here couldn't. Remote properties can also be prone to longer power outages when there are electrical problems. If you work online you might need to consider this carefully.
Off-grid properties Off-grid properties are not connected to regional water and electrical supply services. It doesn't however always mean that internet isn't available. Power comes from solar panels or a generator, and water from a bore-hole, well or a simple rainwater collection system. A good, well maintained system should run with minimal problems, but there are some basic skills you'll need to know to efficiently maintain your power and water supply. If you're a high power consumer, think twice about choosing a solar powered property. Many off-grid homeowners will specifically request house sitters with relevant experience. Don't bluff your way into a sit without having the necessary practical experience!
Are utilities included? In most cases the answer will be yes, but occasionally home-owners restrict use of airconditioning, or ask you to pay over and above their usual monthly usage. If it's an off-grid property powered by a generator, you may find a cap on the amount of fuel included too. If you're working remotely, you'll need to check the WIFI and internet packages that are included. If satellite internet is your only option, expect to be frustrated a lot of the time. Unless the home owners are running a business and have paid for an expensive high speed connection, it is likely to be slow and occasionally non-existent.
2. Enhancing your profile and making relevant applications Once you've considered all or the relevant points above, and done your travel research, it's probably time to beef up your profile. If there is anything that can be added to help your credibility when applying for overseas sits, now's the time to get your profile updated. If you don't have experience you'll need to be creative: Think about where you've traveled overseas and what challenges you've overcome? Assess what particular aspects of overseas travel you've enjoyed and environments you've thrived in. For example, if you spent two weeks traveling in tropical conditions, and loved the heat and humidity, this is valid information. If you've rented a property overseas with a house keeper or a cook for a vacation, it's relevant. It shows you're comfortable with house keeping staff which is common in many 2nd and 3rd world countries where labour is cheap.
Have you:
volunteered overseas? backpacked around a country or continent? been on a tour in a remote or exotic location? worked or volunteered at an animal rescue centre?
Are you good at DIY? This is a good skill for less developed countries or at remote, or offgrid sits. Do you know anyone with solar power who will explain the basics of how their system works?
Anything that shows adaptability, and how you've experienced cultures and environments outside your home country, will help gain credibility. And don't be disheartened, there are always home owners who are willing to give new house sitters the opportunity to experience a different location. Always be honest and explain why you'd like to get started house sitting internationally. Talk about your positive personality traits, qualities that would help you in a difficult or challenging situation.
Making applications It is important to reassure the home owner that you're committed, especially if you'll be flying a long distance to get to the assignment. We always explain by email, that once booked we never back out of a house sit (other than in exceptional circumstances). One of us would always stay in the event of a family emergency. We also send copies of our flight tickets, which serves two purposes: 1. It shows that we're booked and confirmed on flights to arrive on the agreed dates. 2. It demonstrates to the home owner that we've invested financially in the assignment. This hopefully deters them from making random changes or cancellations. If you are, explain that you are financially independent, this again reassures home owners that you can afford to make the trip and sustain yourselves throughout the assignment. All of this information can be included in your profile and reinforced in your personal application letter. Remember when writing that you are looking to fulfill the home owners needs, not your own personal requirements.
3. Where to find international house sit assignments There are a number of international websites and even more country-based websites where you'll be able to find house sits all over the world. The main international sites are:
TrustedHouseSitters HouseCarers Nomador HouseSitMatch MindMyHouse
Take a look at our popular post to see which site might best suit you: The Best House Sitting Websites Compared You'll find up-to-date information on most of the well-known international and regional sites, along with prices and a feature check-list. Check out Facebook house sitting groups too - see below for more information on this.
4. Getting ahead of the competition Competition is tough on the international house sitting circuit. Everyone wants to house sit in beautiful Costa Rica, the Caribbean or even Africa. There will be many applicants all trying to secure the most attractive international gigs. Our house sit in Botswana had over 150 applicants! To help you get a head start, there are a few of things you can do at the outset:
Review and enhance your house sitting profile (see above) Create email alerts on house sitting platforms wherever possible so that you can respond instantly to relevant sits If you're serious, sign up to a few different sites. Maybe one international, one regional to improve your chances. Sign up for House Sitting World "Sit Alerts" to find house sits that fit your needs across a variety of platforms, as they appear online. Look for house sitting groups on Facebook to see if there are any unfulfilled opportunities listed there.
Consider taking a last minute house sit that hasn't been filled or where someone has cancelled. There will be far less competition from long term or professional sitters who'll have been snapped up long before. Again check the Facebook groups for the major international platforms who often post these last minute sits on social media.
Further reading: https://housesittingmagazine.com/housesitting-getting-started/ https://housesittingmagazine.com/house-sitting-expectations-thats-unrealistic/
Good luck and if you have any of your own tips for getting started in the international house sitting community, join our Facebook Group and let us know!
by Amy Rutherford
Until recently, traveling didn't contribute to my zest for friendships. I've always been very social, but our trips were filled with non-stop activities and meeting new people wasn't something I considered. That doesn't mean I was unfriendly. It's just that my interactions tended to be short and sweet with no further communication. Thanks to Facebook, WhatsApp, the sharing economy and the internet, that's all changed.
A change of pace with more space to connect Almost two years ago, Tim and I visited two cities in Mexico and discovered a new dynamic. While we continued to tour the sights, we had more free time and filled it with social activities. These experiences were among our favorites on the trip. Even better, we could keep in touch with our new-found friends once back home with plans to meet again in the future. Here are some of the ways that have worked for us leading to (what we hope will become) lasting friendships around the world:
Get neighborly with your host Airbnb has been a game-changer. We select homes that are terrific value and usually get to live like locals. We've also had opportunities to share a meal, a bottle of wine or a conversation with our host many times.
It's easy to meet up in a shared space after a long day of touring. We get quality social time with our host and have created friendships that last well beyond our stay. Other hosted options include hostels, Couchsurfing and Workaway. We have not tried any of these yet, but they are on our radar.
Visit websites to find local social events There are many websites that help to find in-person activities around the world. One of our favorite tools to locate gatherings is the event section of Couchsurfing. We haven't yet stayed with a host, but we have participated in lots of events, which tend to attract people who also love travel. Some of the attendees are locals, some are just passing through. Several cities boast thriving groups that offer many activities each day. If you don't see an event that's a good fit, you can post one to the site yourself.
Who knew we'd appreciate the weekly event of LuchaLibre in Mexico City as much as we did! In Porto, we joined a last-minute event to watch Portugal play in the European Cup at a local restaurant. We figured the locals would be immersed in the game and were surprised that they were more interested in socializing with us. Two days later, our host took the two of us under his wing and we walked around his magnificent city for 12 hours. To say it was extraordinary would be an understatement. At this same Porto event, a Couchsurfer was visiting from Madrid. Since Madrid was our next stop, we exchanged information and made plans to meet. He showed us a local neighborhood we would have not discovered on our own. Also take a look at events on:
Meetup.com InterNations.org Yelp.com Mapahub.com (currently for house sitters)
Reach out to friends of friends When a neighbor learned we were heading to Madrid, he connected us to a buddy he thought would like to show us around. We wondered if the friend would have even the slightest interest in meeting us.
It turns out he was thrilled to meet new friends from the US. We spent an incredible day with him. He introduced us to the best "churros and chocolate" we've ever had. We sampled sherry and Manchego cheese at Ernest Hemingway's favorite haunt, and had a hilarious adventure buying cookies from cloistered nuns. We hope we'll meet up with him in Munich for Oktoberfest in a few years.
Talk to strangers This sounds sketchy but it has worked out so well we have to include it. At a train station on the outskirts of Mexico City, Tim approached a man to ask for help with a ticketing machine. The man and his wife were from Mexico, vacationing in the city for the weekend. We were going to the same destination (Xochimilco, a UNESCO World Heritage Site), and ended up spending the day together. After the tour ended we went to a trendy food market and had the best tacos of our trip. We had such a wonderful time with them and know we will see them again. The following week, we took a four-hour bus ride from San Miguel de Allende to Mexico City, struck up a conversation with a fellow traveler and hit it off instantly.
Our new acquaintance had plans to visit Frida Kahlo's museum when the bus arrived in Mexico City, as did we. We made a plan to go together and shared many meals before our flight home the following day. During the bus ride, we learned that he lives in Miami. What luck! We already had a Miami flight booked a few months out. He insisted that we stay with him for a few nights. We took him up on his offer and shared more good meals and lots of laughs in Miami.
Make friends online before you start your trip Search Facebook for expat groups in the cities you'll be visiting. If you're in the House Sitting community, reach out to sitters who may be in an area when you are. From our experience, house sitters LOVE meeting new people. One of our favorite cities comes up occasionally on the house sitting platform we use frequently. As the platform only allows us to reach out to a home owner when they have an active sit posted, we connect to suggest a meeting when we’re next in town. One of these examples ended up hosting us for nine days while he was home. We now consider each other family and will certainly be seeing him soon.
Go cruising! If none of the above suggestions appeal to you, consider taking a cruise! You can't help but make friends. Facebook has allowed us to maintain contact with a fun Australian couple we met on a cruise in 2013. We will spend time with them when we finally get to their corner of the world in a few years.
Remember to swap details Make sure to exchange contact information so you can maintain your new relationship. Try to send a friend request on Facebook while you're together, especially if you won't have another chance to meet. Grab their Twitter, Instagram or WhatsApp details too. Hopefully, we'll meet you somewhere in the world! What's your favorite way to meet new people on the road?
Tim and Amy Rutherford live outside of beautiful Denver, Colorado. In 2015, they left their corporate careers for a path that includes more travel and embracing a healthy lifestyle. These days, they are active volunteers, house sitters and travelers. They blog about their lives at GoWithLess.com
WHY CREATING AN IMPRESSIVE PROFILE WILL GIVE YOU THE EDGE! by Vanessa Anderson with the Housesit Hustlers
Creating an impressive house sitting profile is key to house sitting success. Even for seasoned sitters, regularly reviewing, updating, and improving your profile is important. Don't let it become outdated. Keep it relevant and vibrant, with engaging information and captivating images.
Why are profiles so important? Unless you're meeting with the homeowners in person, your application letter and profile are the first impressions you give to them. They will either get you short-listed or rejected.
While your application letter is a thoughtful introduction, your profile is your carefully-crafted sales pitch. Besides looking professional, it needs to dazzle and delight homeowners This is especially true if you're new to the scene and find yourself competing against many other long-term professional sitters.
Will homeowners read further or pass on by?? It's scientifically proven that most people make yes/no decisions in the first few seconds of an encounter. So it's important to make those first few seconds count! A great way to check this out for yourself is to go to one of the larger platforms and quickly scan through the house sitters filtered by a particular area. Time yourself for one or two minutes and pick five profiles that you would select for further viewing if you were a home owner. Now analyze why you made those choices. If nothing else, it's a good exercise to get inspiration for your own content, but be sure not to plagiarize. You should always use your own words and voice and draw from your personal experiences! And... keep reading because we've got an awesome free offer from Housesit Hustle to help you get your profile into great shape!
Are you trying to build a house sitting profile, but don't know where to start? Are you a sitter looking for ways to improve your profile? You're in luck because Housesit Hustle is offering a FREE Mini-Course: How to Create a Badass House Sitting Profile in 5 Days! It's a Facebook and email challenge that kicks off on 3rd July. The Housesit Hustlers will share their best tips, tricks, and tools for creating a solid profile from start to finish. If you're serious about house sitting, it'll be time well-spent.
How can Housesit Hustle's mini-course help you? It will teach you how to optimize your profile and make it stand out. As the industry grows, it's going to get harder and harder to secure gigs in top locations unless you've got an edge. From what we've seen and heard, we're sure this challenge will give you that advantage.
So, who are the Housesit Hustlers, anyway? Have you heard the joke about the Italian, the American, the New Zealander and the South African? Of course not, but you're going to hear plenty from Paolo, Bianca, Bayka, and Jess over the coming months! The Housesit Hustlers are professional house sitters and digital nomads with years' worth of relevant experience. They've looked after luxury properties and boutique resorts in exotic locations like Thailand, Malaysia, China, India, South Africa, and Tanzania. These four have also successfully transitioned to remote work and a location independent lifestyle. Paolo has years of luxury hospitality management experience and teaches Italian online; Bianca has a background in public relations and works as an editor for TravelPirates; Bayka went from teaching English in China to teaching English online to Chinese students; and Jess is an economist-turned-digital marketing manager. "We met through the house sitting community on Instagram and decided to meet up in Chiang Mai last fall," Bianca said. "While bonding over our house sitting adventures (and misadventures), we wondered why more digital nomads don't know about house sitting. We created Housesit Hustle to change that."
A Facebook/email mini-course is a great way to keep people engaged and inspired. Why did you choose to start with profiles as your first topic? “Like it or not, people judge on first impressions,” says Bayka. “We want to help people put their best foot forward when applying for their favorite sits, and that starts with a strong profile. Besides, in the never-ending process of perfecting our own profiles, we’ve accumulated a ton of valuable information that’s just waiting to be shared!” What's the best way for people to get signed up? It's easy! Simply go to HousesitHustle.com and sign up with your email address. You'll then get an email with the next steps and access to our private Facebook group. Our experience is that as location independent, full-time house sitters, we are always learning something about this new way of living. We can all gain insight from other people's experiences.
We're already signed up for the challenge and encourage you to do so, too! Next month we'll find out more about the Hustlers and also welcome them as monthly contributors. As experienced digital nomads and house sitters they've got a lot of combined knowledge to share!
LLAMAS & ALPACAS - CAN YOU TELL THE DIFFERENCE? by Vanessa Anderson Lately we've noticed more and more house sits where the "pets" are alpacas or llamas. We first came across these curious creatures at a farmer's market while house sitting in Australia, and then again at a local fete in the south of England. To be honest, I wasn't really sure if they were llamas or alpacas, so I decided it was time to learn how to tell. It seems there are quite a lot of differences:
SIZE: Lllamas are roughly twice the size of alpacas at between 200 and 350 pounds. HEIGHT: Llamas are taller - At the shoulder they are between 42 and 46 inches. The shorter alpaca is between 34 and 36 inches. EARS: Alpaca's have shorter spear-shaped ears while llamas have much longer curved, banana-shaped ears.
FACES: From the side, llamas generally have a longer face. Alpacas have a shorter, more "squashed" appearance. It can vary, but lamas usually have very little hair on their head and face. Alpacas have a large tuft of hair on the top of their head that falls into their eyes. PURPOSE: For centuries alpacas have been bred for the fiber in their fleeces (and in Peru for meat as well). Llamas have been bred for the same amount of time as pack animals and meat. FLEECE: The llama has a coarse outer coat over a softer inner coat - as opposed to the alpaca, which has a very fine, single coat. The alpaca also produces more fleece and in a much greater variety of colors. DISPOSITION: Alpacas are very much herd animals, while llamas are more independent minded.
Personality & Temperament Everyone has a different view on how "friendly" llamas and alpacas are, especially with new or temporary owners. What is apparent though is that both animals can be kind, intelligent, curious and gentle, although alpacas can be more nervous and skittish. Alpacas can be heard humming softly to each other when penned, but they will make a shrill call if startled or scared by a predator. If you annoy them they will cluck and even spit when under immense pressure.
Because they are so intelligent, alpacas learn quickly what you need them to know. Halter training, getting into and out of trailers, and toe-nail trimming shouldn't be too difficult. They also have long memories so seldom forget what they've learned.
Llamas are born with a gentle, inquisitive nature and are not aggressive or confrontational. They will play and chase each around and may even enjoy being taken out for walks. Breeding males, on the other hand, that are allowed to run with females all the time can get territorial and possessive, so beware!
Llamas - Basic Husbandry All livestock, what it is, should be checked at least once a day. Observing the animals and learning about their normal behaviour, helps you recognize if something is wrong. However, Llamas are some of the easiest animals to keep because they are hardy and generally very healthy animals. Llamas have a soft padded foot with a strong nail at the end, which may need to be trimmed yearly but more likely requires no trimming at all. For most llamas, grazing and occasional extra hay is enough to keep them healthy. You may have to provide extra vitamins and minerals if they are lacking in their forage, but the home owner will advise on this matter.
Mucking out llamas is easy. They tend to poo in one part of their house or field only, producing tidy little heaps of pellets that are easily shoveled away. As is the same with alpacas, it's easy for llamas to become overweight, and you may be asked to "score" the animals to check their body size below their lovely fleeces. To be honest though this is only likely to occur on long term house sits.
Alpacas - Varieties and Care Alpaca Varieties There are two types of Alpaca. See facing page.
The Huacaya which has a fine dense fleece that grows straight out from its body.
The Suri which has a soft fleece that hangs down from the body in long locks.
Feeding Alpacas Alpacas eat grass and hay. As well as grazing, they will also browse hedgerows and sometimes eat tree bark. They don't always realize that poisonous weeds (such as ragwort) are off limits so it's important to check to see if anything needs to be controlled. Because they developed in harsh Andean conditions, they make excellent use of their feed, and can thrive on poorer pasture than most farm stock, easily gaining weight if fed specialist concentrated foods.
You shouldn’t feed alpacas any form of grain or grain based foods including multi nuts, horse nuts, pig nuts or bread – eating grain based foods can lead to ulcers and possible death. Alpacas are herd animals and should never be kept alone as this will cause severe stress. Alpacas need to be shorn once a year, usually in the summer but never groomed as this can damage the fibre in their fleeces. Apart from toe nail trimming occasionally, alpacas need very little regular maintenance. We got our information from these great reference sites below: http://www.bas-uk.com/alpacapedia/alpaca-care http://www.Openherd.com http://www.ModernFarmer.com https://www.thealpacaplace.co.nz http://britishllamasociety.org
Exotic Destinations SOUTH WEST COSTA RICA by Nat Smith
If you've ever pictured how wonderful it would be to be Tarzan (or Jane) living in the jungle surrounded by wild monkeys, falling asleep to the song of toucans, or getting up close with the biggest insects known to man, then you can't not consider Costa Rica for a house sit. Okay so not everyone aspires to such fantasies (maybe it is just me after all!) but there are many of us that would just love to experience a true jungle retreat surrounded by lush vegetation and the call of the wild even for a short period. House sitting in Costa Rica provides exactly that. We've had the pleasure of house sitting three times now in Ojocha - a small village situated on the Pacific side of the country about two hours north of the Panama border, and we'd like to share with you the magic of this exotic location.
The Area of Costa Ballena (Whale Coast) This area is known as Costa Ballena or Whale Coast, due to the incredible whale tail shape made out of sand and rock, that has formed naturally along the coast line. Stretching from Dominical to Ojochal, Costa Ballena encompasses a vast stretch of gorgeous, sometimes treacherous shoreline and a rugged mountain range. It is an area renowned for its unspoiled habitat and wildness… but surprisingly also for its exceptional cuisine. Despite the large influx of American and French Canadian expats in more recent years, the area has remained uniquely and refreshingly charming, with its authentic small villages and dirt roads. In this place there is a feeling of being "home" as you are welcomed with open arms into its community. Returning on our second house sit, after being dropped off on the bus from the Panama Border two very long hours away, we headed for the pub (of course!) where we were met by many of the locals we had become friends with on our previous visit. It was an incredible feeling as face after face was familiar and warmly welcoming. We have made some awesome friends in this area now, most of which we keep in touch with regularly, and in fact one of recent house sits in Rochester, Upstate New York came from home owners we met here.
Transport To and Around the Region There are many international flights to Costa Rica all landing in the capital San Jose, about four hours drive north of the Costa Ballena area. We have found flying out of Miami, USA to be the most inexpensive way to get to San Jose. This is of course the case if you're already in North America, but surprisingly also if you are in South America. It's due to the high flight costs in south and central American countries. So while it may seem ludicrous when you are in Peru to fly to Miami to get to Costa Rica, it is generally the most cost effective. To get to Costa Ballena from San Jose by road it will take you about four hours (more in the wet season). We were fortunate that our home owner was leaving the airport at the exact time we were arriving in at San Jose so her friend drove us back down. If you are not picked up, then car hire is relatively cheap or there is the coach. There are two main coach services, Tracopa and TicaBus, that run between David in Panama and San Jose, in Costa Rica. Either of these services will need get you to or from San Jose from the south Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Both run twice a day up and down the coast and will cost you about US$90 one way. The coaches provide an extremely comfortable and modern way to travel.
The downside is that you have to be prepared to pay for the fare all the way through to David in Panama even though you get off way before that. There are no pro-rata payments along the journey… yes, weird! An alternative is to fly by light aircraft (and we mean light… they actually weigh you and your bags to board) with Nature Air. Flights run three times a week in low season (May - August) and daily in high season (Dec - April) and cost about $120 USD. The flight will drop you at Palmar Sur Airport, about 32 km (18 miles) from the Costa Ballena area. You can take somewhere between 15lbs (7 kg) and 40lbs (18kg) of luggage depending on your class of ticket. So be aware that this option may not suit you unless you travel very light! On our second visit we had come up through Panama, so after crossing the very dodgy border (more on that later) we caught a bus up to Costa Ballena from a small town called Cuidad Neily. It's where most of the buses leave from and is approximately 10km or 4 miles from the border to the Ojochal turnoff, about two hours away. If you are considering taking this trip, even to see the Panama border while you are there, our suggestion would be to take plenty of water and perhaps a portable air conditioner for the ride! There are two main roads that run from north to south on the Pacific side of the country, one on the coast and the other over the mountains. We have only ever taken the coast road ourselves (twice by car and once by coach), but have been told by many that the mountain road is very worth seeing if you have an extra hour or so. Both main roads are very well maintained, however that does not stop the deluge of rain in this area during the wet season, stopping all traffic, sometimes for days at a time, as rivers swell over breaking point.
Once in the small villages however you are on dirt roads. Very dusty dirt roads in the dry season as we found out on the quad bike during our second stay. If you are riding a quad bike (4 wheeler) during this season you will definitely need glasses to see where you are driving, and possibly a bandana for your mouth and nose if you don't like having your lungs pumped full of dirt! Quad bikes are actually the most popular and practical choice among locals for getting around. However they're generally not registered for highway or main road use. You'll need transport supplied by the home owner, a self-drive hire car, or to befriend someone in this region if you want to get around and see things, or even to do your shopping. Basically it's too hot to walk far in any season, and most areas are hilly. Car insurance does not seem to be an issue in Costa Rica so most home owners will probably happily leave you their car keys.
The Cost of Living while House Sitting In recent years there's been an influx of expats into the region and the cost of living has risen dramatically. In fact we were stunned at some of the prices for grocery items. Initially we had thought that being in central America, it would consequently be cheap! Not so. As you'd expect, this is especially the case for imported goods. Fruit and vegetables (which are prolific and fantastic in the area) are very reasonably priced, and there are some great produce markets on the weekends in Uvita. Here you'll also find some very novel souvenirs, gifts and homemade foodstuffs. If you have access to a vehicle then we'd highly suggest making the two hour trip down to the Panama border area, where you'll find grocery stores that are far more extensively stocked and about half the price. We did this on our second visit, and if you can stock up, it is well worth the time and effort. Dining out is a treat you will never forget around Ojochal, as the area has forged itself to become the culinary Mecca of all of Central America - and it has succeeded! The range of restaurants is fantastic - Thai, French, BBQ, pizza and deserts to die for. You will definitely find something to delight you. Cooked completely from scratch with totally fresh ingredients, you will generally wait a while for your meal, but it will be oh so worth it!
Things to do in the area The Panama Border area, apart from being a cheap grocery haven, is definitely worth a look, if not only for a laugh. The "so called" border is a hive of activity with street vendors lining the dirt roads, offering everything from cheap t-shirts to great priced alcohol and electronic goods. The border itself is pretty much a free for all, with people walking back and forth be-tween Panama and Costa Rica. In fact when we crossed the border into Costa Rica we couldn’t even
locate the Panamanian Immigration to get stamped out, it was that chaotic! I ended up finding a lady that spoke English and she said that we had missed it and we were in Costa Rica already!
Obviously the Whales Tail area is also worth a visit (you only need to look at the picture to establish that!). Located on a beautiful stretch of beach with the mandatory palm trees and super warm water, it is probably best viewed and appreciated from above, but still offers a great sight from ground level. Unfortunately you don't get stretches of white sand on these beaches due to the volcanic activity of the area. The surf can also be very erratic with many rip tides and under cur-rents. But with the heat of the day there is no better place to be than there… even just for a paddle and cool off. Dominical, at the top end of the area is well known for its big surf. So much so, that international surfing competitions are held there each year. There are a number of very cool and cheap cafes, and a street market too which are well worth checking out. This area has been known for its violence due to a number of backpacker hostels in the town, but during the day and in the off season it is a beautiful natural area that is extremely laid back. Along the main road you'll also find small street vendors offering fresh ceviche… a local delicacy of fresh fish, and one well worth trying.
But perhaps the most enticing thing about this area is the wildlife and natural habitat. If you're a photographer, especially the outdoor type, you'll think you've died and gone to heaven. There are white faced and howler monkeys freely swinging through the trees, toucans, sloths, jaguars, Morph butterflies, and a myriad of bird life. This is true jungle living. Just watch out for the boa constrictors.. no, we are NOT kidding! The sunsets are to simply die for. One awesome place to watch the sun go down is from is El Castillo, Ojochal. Perched high on the hill looking over the lagoon to the beach and horizon beyond, you'll see a sunset you'll never forget. All while you sip a cold beer and enjoy an awesome pizza.
What to be Aware of While House Sitting
The internet in the area is surprisingly good for what seems like a really remote area, but you do have to watch power outages. We saw the flash of the transformer blowing up many times during our dry season stay last time. Usually they are fast to fix it but sometimes you will wait overnight. This can be damned hot without a fan! There are two very distinct seasons in Costa Rica - the ‘we will do anything for even a drop of rain’ dry season, and the ‘oh where did the road go?’ very wet season. Having experienced both now, we much prefer the wet season, for its awesome and powerful storms that cool everything down. And the lack of dust and deafening cicadas! You just
need to watch the waterways after the rains as drainage is pretty much non-existent, and rivers can flood very quickly washing out roads and bridges. Actually this is a very real issue in these areas.
If you're into insects you are in for a real treat in Costa Rica. If not, then perhaps go house sitting in Iceland instead. The insects are some of the largest we have ever seen (no half measures here) including grass hoppers, cicadas, spiders, and locust that are about 10 inches long! We had a cicada swarm for about two weeks during our last sit which made for hilarious times getting dive bombed trying to work on the back verandah at night, and watching the dogs grab them in their mouths and walk around with their whole head loudly vibrating. The fireflies and brightly coloured dragonflies are also a real treat. You will need to have an ongoing or departing ticket booked before you will even be allowed to board the plane to Costa Rica. It is up to the airlines at check-in to ensure this is the case. We were not sure what we were doing after Costa Rica at that stage so we simply grabbed a cheap bus ticket to Nicaragua which sufficed, and which we never ended up using. Came in handy though as we could change the dates on it and use it the second time we went to Costa Rica also.
If looking after cats, do watch out for boa constrictors and other snakes in the jungle areas, especially at night. Make sure pets are locked inside. One of the cats we looked after had been bitten by a snake (before we got there thankfully) and he was very lucky not to lose his leg. If looking after a pool on your house sit, which nearly everyone has, ensure you are knowledgeable about handling of chlorine and chemicals, and dealing with algae. It is difficult to control in such extreme heat and comes on very quickly. Make sure you ask your home owner about how they best deal with it. You will generally not be able to receive mail in these parts so be aware if you are needing something delivered during your sit.
If you are up for a very different, raw and natural experience for a house sit, we highly recommend you keep an eye out for one in Costa Rica. Luckily they are aplenty and as word continues to spread among the large expat community there, there will be an ever increasing opportunity to have your very own real-life experience of the jungle.
And in the words of the locals… "Pura Vida!" (Pure Life)
Originally from Australia, Nat and Jodie now travel the globe as full-time house sitters with no home or residency anywhere. Since 2013 they have helped hundreds of people get started in house sitting through their various projects, including publishing an Amazon best-selling book and hosting the world's first House Sitting Summit in 2016. Nat & Jodie are probably best known as the founders of the House Sitting Academy, a comprehensive online video course that gives people the confidence and know-how to travel the world with house sitting and gain ongoing support and referrals through the Graduates "Inner Circle Private Network". Their latest project is focused on helping travelers create more than enough income to maintain this rewarding lifestyle. Check out their FREE video training series at RoamingIncomeClub
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BLOGGING FOR SUCCESS by Vanessa Anderson
The transition to location independence was an exciting time for me. The thrill of traveling to countries around the world was part of that exhilaration. But just as enthralling was the notion that I could start my own travel blog! I've always loved writing - I articulate better through the medium of the written word. And many of us have this same passion to write. Google tells me that there are 130 million books that have been published in the world. Personally I've never really wanted to write lengthy books on one topic. I prefer short articles that can easily follow my erratic mind as it moves from one destination, from one experience, to another. Blogging, therefore, was perfect and so was my timing.
WordPress together with a creative eye, made it relatively easy to design an engaging website. Coming up with a name took a little longer, but writing and finally uploading my first post filled me with pride.
I was on my way to blogging success! Actually, I'm bending the truth quite a lot at this point! My blog was appreciated among my family and friends, and a few people that found me on the internet. But really, I had no idea what was needed to make my blog a resounding success, and even less of a clue of how to make money with it. I'd run my own distribution business in the UK for many years and learned a lot about niche marketing. However, none of this did anything to prepare me for what I'd need to know to market my blog successfully on the internet. Moz.com indicate on their website that 5 billion searches are performed everyday! How would my new site ever be found among this ever growing multitude of digital online activity?
The Language of Bloggers Research uncovered a new and incomprehensible language aimed at website developers and bloggers. I learned about "plug-ins" that could help me in Wordpress and SEO (search engine optimization) techniques that would increase my rankings in Google searches. I read about "domain authority", "page rankings" and all number of hoops that I'd need to jump through to triumph in the world of blogging! No sooner had I mastered one set of "SEO rules", than I'd find the game plan had changed. Yet another set of rules needed to be applied because Google randomly changes their SEO algorithms. I was distracted and overwhelmed by a never ending pool of marketing techniques that may, or may not, help me rise to blogging success.
Then there was writing style, something which needed to be improved and adapted to attract less focused internet readers. I had to discover how to "connect" to my audience. I needed to empathize with their needs. It was endless … and my writing tailed off as I became demoralized. My enthusiasm wavered and I took a break to reassess.
Finding a Way Through the Blogging Maze It was when I gave myself some space, that I came across Jon Morrow. Jon is CEO of Smart Blogger - a company that teaches you how to attract loyal readers, get more traffic, and become a respected authority in your niche. I liked his story, and I liked what people were saying about him. I also enjoyed reading his articles. His style was easy to read and digest, yet it kept me engaged. I took a deep breath, and enrolled on his course - Serious Bloggers Only. It changed my style of writing forever. I listened to and followed his advice, emerging a transformed writer with a new, improved writing style. I set about applying all I'd learned to my next article. It was called "How Travel can Redesign your Brain" and was shared over 200 times in just a couple of days. Then, out of the blue it won highly commended in a competition on Smart Blogger for "most original idea". More shares and more credibility! I was on my way! My blog was gaining recognition and I got paid work writing for other websites. Now I've moved on from travel blogging per se, to edit and publish House Sitting Magazine. But I still like to write and contribute to other blogs and websites when I have time.
Learn From The Experts I guess the point I'm trying to hammer home here is that blogging successfully (if that's what you want to do), is a skill that needs to be learned from experts. In much the same way that any other business or recreational skill is acquired. If you're just starting out, or stuck wondering what the next step is to improve your readership and blogging success, you can take either the easy route or a damn hard and time consuming one. Initially I took the hard road. Until I weighed up the cost of tuition vs the cost of wasted time trawling through internet blogs, posts, conflicting views and misplaced advice.
The Business of Blogging I regret not taking the time to invest in my future at the outset. If I could do it all over, I'd totally spend the money to sign up for a course with someone who has made a successful career out of blogging. I'll always recommend Jon Morrow's courses for learning how to improve your writing style, but I think the travel industry guru who covers blogging most comprehensively, is Nomadic Matt.
Why? Because he was once me, BUT, and it's a big BUT... he went on to master and succeed in travel blogging, where many of us fail. He wanted to become a successful blogger but had no experience. Yet he built his website to be one of the most respected travel blogs in the industry. In just eight years his website has become the top travel blog in the world, with over 1.3 million visitors per month, a 210,000+-person email list, four employees, a New York Times best-selling book, and revenue in the high six figures. He's the person I want to be learning from now! And the great thing is... you can. Matt has a course called "The Business of Blogging". It's aimed at new and existing bloggers, providing tested strategies that will help you stand out head and shoulders above the rest. These techniques work for any niche, not just travel. If like me, you've already got the basics, then it's still relevant. You'll learn advanced SEO, marketing, email segmentation, and analytics that you won't find all together in one course anywhere else at this price. Whether you like it or not, SEO is an important part of building a successful blog. If Google can't find your content, then nor will anyone else! Another big plus for me are the four case studies on this course. One is the story of Dalene and Peter Heck, who started their (now highly ranked) website (HeckticTravels) about house sitting travel. For me this makes the course the most relevant travel blogging course in our niche. But what seals the deal is the money back guarantee. $297 isn't a lot to invest if you want to really turn your blog into a successful money making business. However, the fact is that you can test drive the course for 30 days, and if after completing the assignments, you feel it really isn't right for you, Matt will happily refund 100% of your investment. Take a look here at Matt’s course on blogging as a business Even with all this success, Matt still finds time to connect with his audience. To kick off our new interview series, we thought we'd see if he'd answer a few questions about both his travel lifestyle and his blogging courses. You can read the outcome in the very next article!
by Vanessa Anderson
When we first sold up and set out on the road, we did a lot of research about destinations and options for travel adventures. One blog we kept getting drawn to and inspired by, was Nomadic Matt (created by Matthew Kepnes). So... I was just a little bit excited when Matt agreed to be interviewed for House Sitting Magazine this month. We talk with him about blogging and travel.
Q - When did you realize that you'd transitioned from backpacker to modern day nomad? Is there really a difference? I don’t think I’d use a different name for what I do now versus what I did then. I still backpack, stay in hostels, and travel on a budget. The only difference is that now I travel slower because I have work obligations. But other than that how I travel hasn’t really changed.
Q - Have you ever had what my mum calls "a proper job"? Yes, I used to be a history teacher at a high school in Boston, and I worked at a hospital doing admin for three years before I quite my job to travel the world. I’ve also taught English in Thailand and Taiwan as I was getting my blog up and running.
Q - What other online income options did you try before achieving your travel blogging success? I started my blog in 2008 and really tried to get into online marketing. I was making a lot of those spammy adsense websites that were designed to get people to click on ads to drive revenue. Between 2008-2010, you could make a lot of money doing that. Google eventually got wise to it all and that died a quick death but it taught me a lot about SEO and online marketing. That helped me position my website the way it is now.
Q - What was the topic of your first ever blog post? The first blog I ever wrote was on RTW (round the world) tickets - when they were a good idea to get!
Q - What would you now consider to be your most successful or popular travel article? Back in 2010, I wrote a blog post called Why I’ll Never Return to Vietnam that went absolutely viral. So many people saw it that even the government of Vietnam commented on the article. I ended up doing interviews in the BBC about it too. I still get an email a week about this 5-year-old post. Some people are completely agreeing with me, while others are trying to convince me otherwise. I think it’s pretty comical.
Q - What's the biggest mistake that new travel bloggers make when starting out? Travel blogging is a crowded field — and it gets more crowded by the day. After all, the idea of “getting paid to travel the world” seems like an amazing thing to try to do. You get to visit wonderful places around the world on someone else’s dime!
It’s a dream job, right? But it’s a lot of work. It takes persistence. Unless you hit the Internet “viral” lottery, you should expect to plug away for a least a year with minimal success. Building a blog is like building any other business: success takes time, patience, and dedication. I think most travel bloggers get frustrated at the slow pace of it all so try to look for shortcuts on ways to make money and thus end up taking lots of sponsored trips and content which then hurts their brand and ability to reach a larger audience. Then they don’t grow as much and so get hooked on this self-defeating cycle.
Q - What's the best single piece of advice you ever received about travel blogging? Create products! Businesses sell something — and so should you. Whether it’s a course, a book, t-shirts, tours, or just other people’s products via affiliate marketing, give your audience an opportunity to support your website. Offering products for sale allows you to be independent from sponsors and brand deals and not compete with other travel bloggers for spots on press trips (see below). It allows you to scale your website and your revenue.
Many products offer value to your readers by going more in-depth and in detail than a blog post usually allows. Products allow you to generate something once and then earn revenue while sleeping, sightseeing, or getting a suntan on a beach!
Q - There are many courses available to teach blogging - what is that makes your course "The Business of Travel Blogging" so successful? I’ve been running the website Nomadic Matt since 2008. I’ve helped millions of people travel on a budget and achieve their dreams. In the process, I’ve built a successful online business without any prior business or website knowledge. I think what makes this special is because I’ve been able to achieve a level of success a lot of other bloggers haven’t – and without the use of sponsored trips or content. Additionally, my non-travel connections allow me to bring a vast range of people and experts into the course that others don’t have. Plus, we’re the only course that offers full tech support and for new people who might be scared of the tech side of blogging, this is a big bonus!
Q - What travel accessory would you never be without? Nowadays – my iPhone. I wish it wasn’t true, but it’s so darn handy!
Q - Has there been one experience while traveling that's had you rolling about on the floor with laughter? I fell into the ocean! Back in 2006 when I was in Italy, I was taking some photos of the Cinque Terra. I was trying to get a good angle and crept down this boat ramp. Well, I missed the algae growing on the ramp, slipped (flip flops don’t give you good traction), and slid down the boat ramp into the water. While I was completely soaked, the worst part was breaking the camera I had bought 2 months before I went on my trip. That and the Italian kids who witnessed this whole scene laughing at me.
Q - Have you ever been tempted to house sit? Yes and no. While I love the idea of house sitting, and have so many friends that love it, I’m a single guy traveling. I like the hustle and bustle of hostels still. I like the social interaction of hostels. However, once I’m traveling with more than myself, I’ll happily house sit!
Q - What's one food from your travels you'd like everyone to try? Fried caterpillars. I had them in Zambia and they were delicious!
Q - What's your one stand-out moment from all your years of travel? I got lost in the jungle. While taking a trip to Costa Rica, my friends and I ended up reading the map wrong and wandered lost around Arenal National Park without a flashlight, food or water. What was supposed to be a quick trip to see the sunset turned out to be a 5 hour ordeal. As night came, we used our cameras as flashlights and tried to follow our tracks back. We eventually found a road, flagged down a car, and bribed him to take us back to the town.
Q - Who are your favorite travel bloggers? I like: Legal Nomads Camels & Chocolate Expert Vagabond A Backpackers Tale
Hecktic Travels Captain and Clark Roads & Kingdoms Alex in Wanderland
Never Ending Footsteps The Points Guy Traveling Canucks
Q - Final words, finish the sentence… "The world would be a better place if..." ... more people traveled!
Thanks Matt! And if you want to find out more about Matt's Blogging Courses - check out this link on his website:
The Business of Blogging
LET GO & LIVE LIFE TO THE FULL Our Travel, House Sitting and Digital Nomad Lifestyle by Raffaella Russignaga
I agreed to write an article for this wonderful magazine because I felt inspired to. I realized I'd never told anyone the story of how Marie and I came to be digital nomads - traveling the world, house and pet sitting in different countries for people we didn’t know, who then became our best friends.
Losing Control Past circumstances had led Marie and I to take decisions that allowed us to meet about five years ago. We had both crossed a bridge that gave us insights to sell everything and allow ourselves to experience what it would feel like, to just be in this world without trying to control every circumstance and event.
There was no plan put into place. Our desire was simply to be together and trust our intuition. We started traveling, settling in each country for 3 to 5 months depending on visa requirements and weather conditions. Due to baggage restrictions we could generally only carry 20 kg luggage each, plus a back pack with our computer equipment. So we decided we would follow summer... mostly! As time went by we realized that every country was abundant in so many different ways.
We enjoyed interacting with different nationalities, religions and lifestyles, exploring their culture and food. We thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of our new lifestyle and the contrasts allowed us to expand from our previous mindset.
We Have Grown So Much In Every Possible Way Traveling has gifted us with the ability to see the bigger picture - to know everything always works out and that there is a great sense of synchronicity taking place. We always seem to be in the right place at the right time. If you just let go of how things should be, you end up having experiences that allow you to learn something new.
In the past five years, we have visited the Maldives, Jamaica, St Martin, St Thomas, Puerto Rico, Bahamas, Cayman Islands, France and the Netherlands and lived in Australia, South Africa, Canada, USA, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Spain, Malta, Italy, Belgium, India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and Singapore. We are currently living in Malaysia on the island of Langkawi.
Our Invaluable Gift The beauty of living as digital nomads is that you don’t have the limitation of time or location. We don’t really need to be anywhere at any particular time. This means we have an invaluable gift to offer - our availability! In the beginning, we started to house sit for friends, but then realized how many people around the world were looking for house and pet sitters. And how many people around the world wanted to accommodate this request but simply didn’t know how to begin.
Synchronicity In Action We decided to start a Facebook Page and Group where people could post their requests and allow for synchronicity to occur. We knew that most people were familiar with Facebook and that they would find a way to bond and interact via video chat or Skype. All the technology was freely available - putting people together really takes no effort at all. World Wide Pet & House Sitting Facebook Group is a place where people can interact and exchange information freely. House and pet sitting is such a beautiful and personal way of life. People want to lovingly trust you with their most precious possessions and companions, their home and beloved pets.
All the references in the world will not be enough until the owner actually can trust their gut feeling, their instinct and just know that they have found the perfect people. I personally believe that house and pet sitting is always a win-win situation for both parties. Digital Nomads like us have the freedom to go where we like, but we cannot have a pet companion with us. So offering our availability gives us the opportunity to have a pet for a while, and at the same time live in a cozy place to call home. I personally enjoy taking care of a home, keeping it clean and tidy and maintaining it as it was when the owners left. Keeping the home clean and tidy is a gesture of self love, not a duty you owe anyone. Because we don’t have a home of our own, it doesn’t mean that we don’t respect and love the home we are temporarily living in. The owners of the home and pets need peace of mind when they are away. They want to know that their pets are in loving hands and that their home is safe. Every owner has their own way of caring for their animals. A good pet sitter will honor those same habits so that pets don’t get confused. You reduce, as much as possible, any changes to their routines.
Embracing All Points Of View Traveling has taught us there is no good or bad way of doing things. You must be flexible or you could go mad trying to constantly make people see your point of view.
Everybody sees things from their own perspective, so the first thing we ask the owner is to brief us on what to do and what not to do in their home, and with their pet. A house sitter is somebody who is temporarily taking the owner's place for a specific period of time. They maintain the same expenses as if they were living in the home - electricity, water etc. Home owners must inform the sitter of their normal costs. If costs go over this amount there should be an agreement that sitters will cover additional charges. If they have used the air-conditioning excessively, for example. We do not encourage payments from either party to fulfill the assignment of caring for ones homes and pets, as both parties are benefiting from each other already. However we cannot control this topic in the group. We do not expect any monetary compensation whatsoever, as taking care of a home for a few months without having to pay rent is already a gift in of itself.
House and Pet sitting is not a job, at least not for us, it is a vocation. It is an opportunity to meet new people, to make new friends, to experience a different location and culture, and to spend some time with a pet. We absolutely love all animals. We don’t look for house sits, they just come up. And if they don’t, we keep choosing different countries, depending on our intuition and desire in the moment.
Us? Digital Nomads? Digital Nomad is a term we have only recently come across - we were not aware that there was a name for this lifestyle. Marie and I work via the internet, so our only requirement is broadband WIFI with good speed. Marie trades Forex (currencies), and I am a Mindset Consultant – KusalaConsulting.com ironically I help people get out of their minds and connect to their full potential. We also both coach traders at Kusala Trading. We've linked our passions to assist others in giving up on controlling circumstances and events, and to point them in the direction of how to connect to who they really are. It is liberating to not have a home of your own, with no unnecessary possessions and insurances, but we understand that it’s not for everyone. For many, giving up on all these things means giving up on securities. All those things keep us anchored into what we think will keep us safe. So we let that all go.
What Happened When We Let It All Go? Nothing happened, we are still here, but with freed-up space within us. Letting go of everything that used to be considered important, has showed us that the only thing that is really important, is living your life to the fullest. We decided to stop arguing for our own limitations. This lifestyle has given us the opportunity to actually live what we share and teach. We have been confronted with many contrasts and obstacles, and each of them showed us what we were still hanging on to. What thoughts, beliefs and habitual automatic behaviors we were still addicted to. I would not call this a "lifestyle", but for the lack of other terms, being a digital nomad has helped us realize that everything we have wanted is always already within us.
Raffaella Russignaga - Born a South African during the troubled times of Apartheid, Raffaella's Italian parents chose to move her to Italy when the situation became unpredictable. But her heart remained in Africa and she later returned as a tour operator, introducing "Township Tours". She was pivotal in opening the doors to a stark reality not many foreigners were aware of.
Later, after nine years working on passenger cruise ships, she traveled to London and started a family, enjoying for a while the fast paced city lifestyle. In 2007 she moved to Asturias, Spain where she began consulting for different entrepreneurs on a variety of topics. Life was good, until it wasn't. A medical diagnosis forced her to stop in her tracks and reassess her priorities. She was experiencing a major (and for her a disturbing) shift in her consciousness. Raffaella met her partner Marie in 2012. They took a journey together to try and make sense of what was happening in their lives. This resulted in them selling everything they owned to begin traveling the world, appreciating a new perspective on life. Ultimately they created Kusala Consulting, a company that provides a channel to help anyone who needs guidance to shift from where they are, to where they want to be. Kusala Consulting Facebook Kusala Consulting Instagram
INTRODUCING "MAPAHUB" The NEW online resource that helps you connect and meetup with other house sitters by Ian Usher What type of house sitter are you?
Location independent nomad with no home base? Long term traveler? Short term sitter?
One of the real joys of house sitting is the option to incorporate this unique way of traveling into your own version of a freedom lifestyle. As permanent nomads Vanessa and I don't have any real place to call home. We head "home" to our respective parents' properties whenever we are in England for a while, but we don't tend to stay there long. In each house we have a couple of boxes in the attic, and a small assortment of clothes for different climates.
Staying connected One of the big challenges we face as permanent travelers is a sense of disconnection from home, family and friends. Of course we can stay in touch via Skype, Facebook or email, but its not the same as a family get-together, or an evening in the pub with your mates. Nowadays we create community on the road, finding new friends as we travel, and enjoying virtual connections with many others online. We've been lucky to meet up, in real life, with some of our fellow house sitters and world wanderers. There is a real pleasure in connecting with someone who shares a similar lifestyle someone who "gets it".
House sitter meetups Our first in-person house sitter meetup was with Betsy and Pete Wuebker, who were in Fiji at the same time as us, looking after a property just along the road. We had a fun evening in a lovely local restaurant sharing food, drinks and stories of life on the road. Our next house sitter meeting was with Nat and Jodie, who we'd known for quite some time online, and had chatted with several times via Skype. We all ended up in Granada, Nicaragua at the same time, and hung out quite a bit during the week that our house sits coincided. We ate ice cream, sat by our pool, had a few drinks, and shared a lot of laughs.
We even made a video by the pool for Nat and Jodie's House Sitting Summit. Mexico turned out to be a bit of a hotspot for house sitter meetups. While house sitting in Ajijic on the shores of Lake Chapala, we enjoyed a big gathering at a Thai restaurant, where we met up with fellow long term house sitters Jane and Duncan from ToTravelToo, Gail and Randy, and Kelly, along with a couple of other friends and relatives.
How do I maintain connections, and meet new friends? Kelly is a veteran of Ajijic meetups, as she spends a lot of her time in the area. Later on, after our big gathering, she expressed to us her enjoyment of such connection, and wondered how we could all make this happen more frequently.
This got me thinking... And... here we are, a couple of months later, after several hundred hours of development time, and much more than several hundred dollars in development costs, ready to launch a new tool to help members of nomadic communities meet each other anywhere in the world.
How did we get started? I began by looking for an app that would map where people are, not just today, but at any time in the future, and offer useful, searchable results. There wasn't one! There are many apps that map current location, and even use your phone's GPS to mark your exact location. But nothing that offered a filterable view of all future plans. After much searching I did find a piece of software designed to manage concert events and ticket sales. Then I found a developer who could help modify the code and we got started on version 1.0 of mapahub. We added in some testers, made more changes. Did more testing, made even more changes. Did a bit of final tweaking, and now we are ready to launch: mapahub: a new social resource for house sitters Read more about how it works in the next article!
JOIN "MAPAHUB" TO MEETUP WITH OTHER HOUSE SITTERS! by Ian Usher mapahub is a new online resource that allows you to find out where other house sitters and travelers are now, but more importantly, where they will be in the future. Use this information to find other house sitters and travelers to meetup with as you travel the world. You can input your dates for current and future plans, to let like-minded people know where you are and where you will be, for:
house sitting travel time at home house sitters' meetup any other reason
All this information from registered users is stored in a database. It presents the information in several ways, offering flexibility as to how to view and filter.
View by location. Filter by date. The MAP page is covered in pins, each representing an up-coming "event". This maybe a house sit assignment or a period of travel. The "location" is only approximate, so home owner privacy is maintained at all times. Hover over a pin to see brief details - who, where, when. Click a pin for a bit more info, and a link will take you to the full details of that event.
The MAP has a date filter too
Who is in the UK in July?
Simply filter by date from 1st July to 31st July, and zoom in on the UK to see the results.
Is anyone near Vancouver in mid-September?
FILTER for the appropriate dates, click and drag the map and take a look. Press RESET to return to the complete map with all future dates displayed.
More Powerful Filtering On the DATES page you can access the same info, but presented in a month-by-month list format. There are some powerful filters on this page. Filter by date, by person, by country, even by city. You can use multiple filters in any combination:
Who will be in London on August 1st? Where will Nat and Jodie be during October? Is anyone planning to be in Thailand in 2018?
There's also a simple SEARCH field to the right of the FILTER box, which shows results for any search term:
Who is going to TBEX travel bloggers' conference?
Just search: TBEX You'll also find any organized GROUP MEETUP events in this list.
Find your friends. Discover their plans. On the PEOPLE page you can access an alphabetical list of all users who have input dates:
Where will my friends Amy and Tim be over the next year?
Simply click on their link to view all the dates they have entered. Maybe you will cross paths at some point. All this functionality is available for FREE. You just need to register to use the website. You will be able to find out who is going to be where, and when: https://mapahub.com
Extra Functionality There's another level of membership which opens up even more functionality. PREMIUM MEMBERSHIP allows you to submit your own "EVENTS", not just to view other peoples. List YOUR OWN dates for house sitting, travel, or time at home, and other users will be able to find you too. You can also edit these events as plans change and add further details.
Add your own profile information and a picture to tell everyone about yourself. Use the internal messaging system to contact other house sitters, and if you're in the same area at the same time, arrange to meet. Why not invite others to come along to your GROUP MEETUP, by posting your meetup event as one of your listings. This will appear on a Premium Members' page which filters all events to only show the upcoming GROUP MEETUPS, displayed both as a list, and on a map. If house sitters are planning to get together anywhere in the world, this is where you'll find out about it first. We hope to see this map become filled with planned meetups in the coming months. Also for Premium Members only there is a MEETUP PHOTO GALLERY, where you can submit your own meetup pix too.
Special Offer for Readers of House Sitting Magazine The investment for PREMIUM MEMBERSHIP TO MAPAHUB is a tiny $1 per month, which will be payable annually at US $12. However, for readers of House Sitting Magazine we're currently offering the first year of membership at just US $7. Take a look for free to see how quickly the list of house sitters is growing, and if you want to be part of this amazing social scene, give MAPAHUB a try for a year. We're confident you'll make a lot of new friends, in many new places. We love meeting new people, and we hope we might meet you at some point on our journey. Join MAPAHUB here today at this link
CONNECT CHAT MEET SHARE
We hope to see you out on the house sitting circuit somewhere very soon... Ian & Vanessa
MAKING PRICELESS CONNECTIONS by Doug Dyer
Johanne and I have been house sitting full time now for just over 1 year and are truly grateful for the lifestyle it has afforded us. One of the unexpected joys is the priceless connections we have nurtured with other house sitters. The folks that we have met both on-line and in person have proven to be very supportive and encouraging - they are our new nomadic family. We have been extremely inspired and have learned so much from this enthusiastic network.
Defining our tribe “Tribe” was a popular buzz word a few years back. So how about we call ourselves a Digital Nomadic Tribe (DMT) - sounds exotic but it is an accurate description of who we truly are.
Our tribe is rich with many shared characteristics:
A love of pets The desire to be of service to others Love of traveling and living like a local Keen sense of adventure Qualities such as adaptability, resourcefulness, and a sense of humor Dedication to do the best we can, no matter what may arise An overall sense of gratitude
Like a fraternity, we speak the same language: a sit, a gap, an overlap or a handover. Only a fellow house sitter would grasp the meaning of these terms. We have a distinct and special bond that comes from our shared experiences - very unique shared experiences indeed. Ours is a rather elite tribe. There is no need to feel isolated in the lifestyle that we have chosen, our tribe is open and most welcoming. Johanne and I know that we have a great support team just an email or PM (personal message) away.
Three simple tasks that will undoubtedly enhance your DMT experience 1. Share your stories By nature, house sitters are an exceptional lot and their stories are intriguing. The stories that we are able to share on Facebook and through House Sitting Magazine go a long way to build bonds within the tribe. Make an effort to become a regular contributor to some of the House Sitting Facebook groups and pages. Share your stories and photos with others. Doing this has helped us immensely to cultivate our connections. Think of your on-line presence as your brand.
Does your Facebook page speak positively about your house sitting experiences? Will it be effective in securing future house sits and referrals?
Your posts need not be overly complex or time consuming, just a photo of where you are and a few lines of text. Let us see who you are.
2. Meetups We regularly let the tribe know where we are and where we'll be in the future. Because we stay in touch, we've been able to meet in person, 9 other house sitters so far. It's so fascinating to have “e” connections with people and then at some point come face-toface over a drink and a meal. We have found the sitters we've met have been genuine and kindhearted people. Most of them look even better in person than in their profiles!! There are lots of laughs to be shared and beautiful friendships to be enriched. Mapahub.com is a wonderful new resource that we absolutely love. We see it as a way to facilitate many more meetups in the future. I encourage every sitter to join-up and keep your dates current. We will be checking it as we move around and hopefully our paths will cross soon. Let’s all be proactive in growing these priceless connections.
3. Working the Referral Network Getting referrals for future sits is a very tangible benefit of being connected to your tribe. This has worked very well for us in both giving and receiving great gigs. What we're finding is that the opportunities we've been able to share, result in a much better fit with fewer surprises for all.
The key is to be proactive in generating and receiving referrals. Home owners often ask us back but we're unable to meet their need. Rather than disappoint them, we offer the opportunity to select a house sitter from a very experienced group. We explain that we are part of a network of skilled house sitters that share house sits. With the owner’s permission we post their details – dates, location and a few words about the pets. Because we belong to two groups of sitters that share leads, we are often able to facilitate great matches for happy home owners and sitters. The sits where we've helped match people, and those we've been referred to, are by far the best. The expectations on both sides are usually very clear and the transition is smooth. A referral by nature ensures a higher level of trust from the outset. You might consider joining the House Sitting Academy and become part of their Inner Circle. For members, a great referral network is just one of the advantages. For Johanne and I, the connections we have made are truly priceless and they have made house sitting much more fun. We would love to include you in our digital nomadic tribe!
Doug and Johanne are currently house sitting full time throughout Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean. You can connect with them at www.joyfultravellers.com You can also learn more about their transformation by picking up Doug’s first book: A Tale of Two Geckos Now on Amazon
Apologies, the mapahub MEETUP PHOTO GALLERY displays much better in the app versions of House Sitting Magazine, where we don’t have to split it over two pages. You can download the app (free) for Apple devices here
Or download the app for Android phones and tablets here:
Or become a Premium Member at https://housesitters.mapahub.com, and enjoy the gallery there. Perhaps you’ll arrange your own meetups through mapahub and add your own photos to the gallery.
A TALE OF TWO GECKOS by Doug Dyer Book review by Ian Usher When did your last shed your old life and re-invent yourself? Doug Dyer's inspiring new book, A Tale of Two Geckos, has been written with one simple goal in mind - to make you re-assess your current situation, and maybe decide that it is time to make some changes. Most people don't make significant, life-altering changes until they are impacted by significant, life-changing events:
a divorce the death of someone close a diagnosis of cancer an almost fatal accident
It is at these times that we realize how short life can be, and how little time any of us really have. These sort of major-impact events cause us to question what we are doing, where we are going, and if we are getting the most out of life. My own personal crisis came in November 2005, and since then the decisions I've made have taken my life in a most-unexpected direction. And what an adventure it has been. Doug's book is here to inform you that you don't need to wait for life to blindside you. You can simply decide that now is the time to start to live the life you really should be living.
What's holding you back? Doug discusses fear, anxiety, money, goals, planning, and good old just-getting-on-with-it. This book is written in a simple and conversational style that makes for quick easy reading. But don't be fooled... there are many pearls of wisdom hidden in this little gem. Doug's idea of geckos shedding their tails to escape danger is the perfect metaphor for escaping from the routine of a life not fully lived with passion. Read this powerful little book before it's too late. You'll be glad you did! A Tale of Two Geckos is available on Amazon in eBook format: Find out more about Doug and Johanne, two globe trotting geckos who have discovered the secret to a happy, rich and fulfilling life, at their website: http://www.joyfultravellers.com/
We return to A Land Down Under in next month’s issue of
House Sitting Magazine
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15 July 2017
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 2017 by Ian Usher. All rights reserved. Affiliate disclaimer - Our website and apps do contain links to affiliates via advertisements and these are financial relationships. If you choose to apply for any service or product through an affiliate link we may be compensated by way of a small commission. This should never negatively affect the price that you pay for the product or service. House Sitting Magazine offers a FREE subscription service, and we use affiliate sales to ensure that our subscriptions remains free. They help us to fund the production of this magazine to the house sitting community. We will always try to link only to information we have tried or used ourselves, and that we think you will find beneficial and good value. It is your choice, as with any advertisement, whether to obtain further information or make a purchase.