You'll find extra news, reviews and snippets throughout the magazine!
52 house sits in 52 weeks Ian Usher
Tips For Selecting The Best House Sitting Website For Your Needs Vanessa Anderson
Can We Break Free From the Rat Race? Val Baughman
From Cat Sitting to Alpaca Kissing Lynn & Chris Willard
10 Fascinating Facts About Reptiles James Alston
House Sitting With Horses Ali Keeler
A Tribute to Tally Mal Westwood
Caribbean Island House Sitting - Part 2 Destination - The Abacos, Bahamas by Stacie Parsons Destination - St Thomas, USVI by Beth Peach
Caribbean Island House Sitting - Part 2 (continued…) Destination - St Croix, USVI by by Diane Lemieux Destination - Grenada by Lisa Chavis
Destination Mexico - House Sitting in Cozomel JT & Julie
Just Living The Dream - Part 2 Chris Bragg
Travel Insurance - A Cautionary Tale Deborah Clohesy
What is a VPN? James Burrows
Review - EmbedSocial for Instagram Stories Ian Usher
House Sitting News Interview with a House Sitter Vanessa interviews Suzanne
In the next issue...
52 HOUSE SITS IN 52 WEEKS (Get Your FREE House Sitting E-Guides below) by Ian Usher
Do you ever set goals for yourself? Do you enjoy new challenges? Do you welcome changes to your routine?
I think as house sitters, most of us probably do welcome changes and challenges. After all, settling for a period of time in a new house, with new pets, is an intrinsic part of our lifestyle choice. Vanessa and I discuss this from time to time, and when looking at our past choices, we see that we are very similar. Before we met, Vanessa travelled extensively, and has lived in England, Wales, Spain and France. I too have travelled a lot, and have lived in England, Australia, Canada and Panama. In many of these interviews about why I was doing this, I was often asked what I would do once I sold my life.
Ten years ago I had my "15 minutes of fame", when, after a difficult divorce, I decided to list my "whole life" for sale on eBay. I made international headlines, and appeared on TV shows in the UK, USA, Australia and beyond.
My answer was that I could do anything I liked, as I would be completely free of all ties. I made a bucket list of 100 goals - things I had always wanted to do, people I wanted to meet, places I wanted to see. And on 3rd August 2008 I set off on a two year journey in an effort to achieve as many of these goals as I could. I called my adventure "100 goals in 100 weeks", and I blogged almost every day for those two years, and made lots of videos. I ultimately achieved 94 of the 100 goals I had on my list, although by the end of the 100 weeks the journey had become much more about the people I was meeting, rather than ticking goals off a list. You can see more about this adventure on my website here: https://IanUsher.com/stories/100goals or for a more personal telling of the story you can read my book, A Life Sold. There are links to the book on the 100goals webpage.
A couple of months ago, as the ten year anniversary of the start of this big adventure approached, Vanessa suggested we should come up with another adventure to challenge ourselves. And so the idea for "52 house sits in 52 weeks" was born. Could it be done? It would certainly be a logistical challenge, and would involve a lot of changes, but we were both enthusiastic about the idea. So we planned and organised, and on 1st September 2018 our adventure began. As I write this it is 12th October, and we're already on Sit # 6, looking after Springer Spaniel Sammy, aging cats Maximillian and Clementine, and 2 rescued ponies Gecko and Mini. We have quite a few sits booked ahead now, but also have some gaps in the schedule still to be filled. In terms of challenge, adventure and FUN we have certainly found what we were looking for!
So why take on such a challenge? Apart from our own desire for adventure, we feel that doing something unique will help spread the word about house sitting. One of our goals is to demonstrate that house sitting is a great way for pet and home owners to find freedom to travel, as well as for house sitting pet lovers to do so too.
Our stated goals for our 52sits challenge include, to:
inspire people to travel more and explore lifestyle option raise awareness of house sitting and the positive benefits for all encourage more home owners to be confident in allowing house sitters into their homes explain the importance of using respected house sitting platforms organize more meet-ups between house sitters on the road promote the benefits of the sharing economy
You can follow along with the adventure on our new website: https://52sits.com Use the "JOIN THE ADVENTURE" button at the top of the page to join our 52sits mailing list for occasional updates.
Vanessa regularly posts pix and video clips on Instagram, and you can find all sorts of social media using the hashtag #52sits Towards the bottom of the 52sits home page you'll find two links for FREE e-guide downloads, one explaining house sitting from a home and pet owner perspective, the other aimed at helping new house sitters get started. Did I mention that both of these comprehensive guides are FREE ? So, we invite you to follow along on our adventure, and even join us in person to say hello if you're in the same area. You'll see a map overview of our upcoming sits on the 52sits.com page, and you can find a more comprehensive, up-to-date list of exact dates for our current and future locations on our mapahub profile here: https://mapahub.com/people/vanessa-and-ian/
We hope you enjoy this month's magazine, and we look forward to hearing about your travel and house sitting adventures. Ian and Vanessa (currently house sitting in the UK)
HOUSE SITTERS Tips for choosing the best house sitting website for your needs by Vanessa Anderson
With the growing popularity of house sitting, we're seeing a wider choice of house sitting websites from which to find and select house sitting jobs, all over the world. This can be overwhelming when starting out as short term or long term house sitters. How exactly do you know which is the best house sitting website to sign up to, and how do you establish which house sit site is best for your own particular needs? We've been full time house sitters now for five years and we've done a lot of research. We've tried many different house sit platforms, and evaluated those that work best for us in different situations and a variety of destinations. To make the selection process a little easier for you, we've listed here some of our observations to help you make the best decision when looking for the best house sitting website for you.
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However, before making any decision about which house sitting platform to use, there's one initial question you should ask yourself: Where do I want to house sit? Knowing where you want to house sit will affect whether you pick an international house sit platform, or a more local country-based house sit website. You'll also need to make sure that you can get an entry visa for the destination of your choice, and for the length of time needed. But once you've given the location some thought and done your research, what else should you consider when selecting the best house sitting website for your needs?
WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING A HOUSE SITTING WEBSITE THAT WORKS FOR YOU 1. Browse house sit jobs BEFORE signing up We always tell people who ask us about starting out as house sitters that "It's free to browse." In almost all cases it is. So before you hand over your money to anyone, take a look at the sites we've listed below, and view the house sit jobs on offer. If you find a house sitting site where you have to pay, set this aside until you've evaluated all other options. The Top Five International House Sitting Websites:
TrustedHousesitters Nomador HouseCarers MindMyHouse HouseSitMatch
2. Check how many house sits are available in the location of your choice You'll find some house sitting websites are better at marketing into particular locations than others.
For instance, HouseCarers is an international site, but they are based in Australia, so they have a lot of sits on that side of the world. Nomador began in France, and still has a loyal and extensive European following. TrustedHousesitters is the largest of all the sites, based out of the UK, so as well as internationally, you'll always find a huge selection of UK sits on their site too. There's more competition too, so a good profile and a willingness to apply to a lot more sits should be part of your consideration.
If the website has the ability to check both current and completed sits, use this as a way to check out how many sits have been secured in a particular location in the past. You might just be looking during a low season, when in fact plenty of sits are available in your preferred location at other times of the year. They just haven't been listed yet.
3. Does the platform provide email alerts? One of the most important features a house sitting platform can offer is the ability to let you know, on a regular basis, when a house sit becomes available in your chosen location. If it can do this within a date range, all the better. As house and pet sitting becomes more popular, the competition for house sits will become tougher. You need to try and be one of the first people to apply, and email alerts will help you to get your house sit application to the top of the home owner's shortlist. This will of course depend on your profile, relevant experience and references too!
4. Can I place reviews and read reviews from other sitters? In the same way that a home owner likes to read references from other home owners, we sitters too like to know that there's some feedback about the property and pets from other sitters, to help us make an informed decision. Most sites have this facility, but managed in different ways. Check out whether there are twoway reviews available.
5. Does the website have a secure messaging service? How will you be able to get in touch with home owners and make applications? Again most platforms these days have secure messaging services, and a method of storing and organizing your applications. But make sure it's user-friendly and secure.
6. How user-friendly is the back-end of the website? In this digital age, our tolerance for poorly run and badly designed websites is reducing all the time. But we all have our own likes and dislikes in this respect. Get a feel for each of the house sit platforms before you sign-up. Fully evaluate the site, the feature lists, and the different options available before making your final decision.
Is the platform logical - is it easy to navigate around the site? How easy is it to search for a house sit using the free browsing facility? What search filters are available and do they have email alerts? Do they have lots of helpful info to guide you through the process of signing up?
7. Do a high % of adverts have photos and detailed descriptions? A little pet peeve of ours is when a home owner puts up a listing without any photographs, especially of the pets, but also of the property we will be caring for. In fact, we no longer apply for sits without photos. Some house sitting websites are better than others at ensuring their members complete this part of the process - not all sites vet the adverts so this is a good thing to check. Similarly, check out the level of detail provided with each house sit advertisement. Is there plenty of information about the pets and the duties, the location, the home and so on? Remember that as a house sitter you are generally part of a free, but fair, exchange of services, so it's important to know what the home owner is expecting of you during the house sit. The more detail you can see, the better you can assess this.
8. What happens if I lapse my membership? We don't all house sit full-time or even regularly every year, so it's a good idea to find out what happens to your profile, your references, your photos etc., if you let your membership lapse for a year or longer. You can test out the customer service facility when you ask this question!
9. How much is it to join the platform? This can range from totally free, to over $100 USD per year for the largest, most popular of house sitting platforms. Usually a house sitting platform that isn't charging a membership is pretty new to the scene, and they're trying to build up a database of house sitters. Keep this in mind, as while it's always nice to find a free service, you could find your options for sits limited. We think it's better to combine the use of a free site with an alternative paid membership house sitting site too.
10. Does the site have customer support? It's important to remember that house sitting platforms are essentially a match making service. They simply facilitate a connection between home owners and house sitters, and it's your own responsibility to make sure you do your due diligence. You should ask the right questions and pick a house sit that best suits you.
That said, it's comforting to know that there is an easily accessible customer support or help line where you can get advice or assistance should it be needed. Make sure you check out what this includes, what hours it's manned, and how involved customer services can or will get on your behalf, should there be a problem. A number of the house sitting websites also operate discussion forums on Facebook, where you can ask advice of other house sitters too.
11. Are there any associated benefits of joining? You'll find that some platforms have partner offers which will give you discounts on a variety of travel or house sitting services. This may be of no interest to you whatsoever, but it's worth checking. We recently partnered with TrustedHousesitters to offer a free 365 day initial trial of mapahub.com to all members it's on the member's dashboard. This gives you the opportunity to meet up physically with other house sitters all over the world! So you never know, there may be something that will benefit you on your travels.
Which are our favorite house sitting websites? We have our own favourites which include TrustedHousesitters, HouseCarers and AussieHouseSItters. We've had great success with each of these sites depending on where we are looking to house sit around the world. This doesn't mean we wouldn't recommend many of the other platforms, it's just that these are the sites we've used consistently since starting out and they've worked for us. To help you decide, House Sitting Magazine has put together a comprehensive comparison of all of the reputable international websites and the regional house sitting sites - it can be found here: https://housesittingmagazine.com/house-sitting-websites-compared/ This document is updated regularly as new features are added and prices changed. It also includes a number of specially negotiated house sitting discounts - so go ahead and take a look.
Finally.... 12. Is the website registered with an independent review site like TrustPilot? If you are anything like me, then you'll like to check out independent review sites to see what is being said about the services. Both HouseSitMatch and TrustedHousesitters use TrustPilot and Aussie House Sitters use Feefo. I'm sure other platforms can be found on other review sites too. A Google search should help with this. As with any reviews, check out as many as you can. Undoubtedly in an unregulated industry, there will be the occasional house sit that goes wrong, in the same way some people might have problems with a hotel or B&B. House sits that go wrong are usually as a result of one or other of the parties involved not doing their due diligence or not being totally upfront about a particular aspect of the exchange.
Paying for a house sitting platform doesn't guarantee success Signing up to a house sitting platform is just one part of the process to becoming a house sitter. It's probably the easiest step, but paying for this match-making service will not by itself make you a successful sitter. You'll need to create a great profile that helps you stand out from other applicants. Some home owners in top locations get 100+ applications, and profiles that do not show references, pictures and a well-thought out introduction will simply not make it through to selection. It's important too that you understand the original ethos behind house sitting. Home owners are opening up their homes to strangers, allowing them to look after their most precious possessions. So for many home owners it's about personal connections. As no money is changing hands, trust has to be established by making things personal and building a relationship. This isn't always the case, but it's something to be aware of when applying for sits. Think always about what you're bringing to this exchange, and don't make house sitting all about you and what you want. Remember “fair exchange” at all times and you can't go too far wrong.
CAN WE REALLY BREAK FREE FROM THE RAT RACE? by Val Baughman
Breaking away from the rat race takes courage. It takes the same courage that it took to break into it in the first place. Think back to your childhood when life was one big adventure. In our early years, most of us wanted to learn, to work, and to play in pretty equal amounts, but as we became adults we were introduced to the concept of the "American Dream". We were sold the idea of success and of setting goals and making sure we achieved them. Although not all have gone down that path, many of us did and, at least for a while, it seemed like the right thing to do. While basic education was pretty much mandatory, at some point, we were encouraged to choose a career and accept responsibilities. My wife Brenda and I were no exception. Until recently, we were following the path that “society” created for us. We set our career goals, acquired the appropriate education, and have since applied pretty much all of our physical and mental energy to gain distance along that path.
Val and Brenda - breaking away from the rat race!
The problem is that we don't really know where that path is going. That may sound a bit strange as most of us think we have a future in our current jobs or careers. We assume that as long as we stay dedicated and keep up with new technologies, our career will be there for us until we don't need it any longer. We even gain some short term and long term satisfactions from meeting those goals. But in reality we can find ourselves unemployed, broke, unhealthy, or completely disengaged at any time along the way.
How do you change it? I believe that a new injection of courage is the answer. When you embarked on your current career, I’m guessing you felt confident you could do the job. You may not have known everything, but you figured it out - you learned what you needed to and took a few risks. You quite possibly told a prospective employer that you could do something you hadn't done before, just because you had faith in your own dedication and ability to learn what was needed to get the job done. You demonstrated fearless courage. Fast forward to where you’re at now - do you still have that courage?
Choose to do what it takes Whether you want to change careers, retire early, learn a new language, or travel the world, all it takes is the same courage you had when you began your present occupation. Wherever you are now, you had to work to get there - you had to choose to do what it takes. The same can be said for your next adventure - you just have to choose what you want to do and believe in yourself. That said, some proper planning and action can help. Here are some tips that we’ve found helpful as we’ve been preparing for our early retirement.
1) Stop rewarding yourself for useless accomplishments Stop going out for expensive dinners to compensate yourself for a hard weeks work just because you think you deserve it. A home cooked meal can be cheaper, healthier, and maybe even more fun to prepare. Don't buy that new car just because you can, especially when your current one is working fine. Ask yourself this question each time you contemplate an extravagant expense: “Is this purchase worth my freedom?" If the answer is “yes” then that is OK - it means that you value the experience and you should go ahead and treat yourself. But if the answer is “no” then save your money for the bigger reward.
2) Allow yourself to dream a little Picture yourself in a different reality and start dreaming. If you like what you see, take some action towards making it possible. Take practical steps just as you did when you set out to do whatever it is you are doing now.
3) Downsize and minimize We don't own stuff - stuff owns us. Everything requires maintenance and maintenance costs money. Many of us have heard the saying that the two happiest days in a boat owner's life, is the day they buy the boat and the day they sell it! We have found this to be true of almost everything we've owned. Again, if your stuff makes you happy, by all means keep it, but if you’re not happy, consider parting with it. For us, less stuff equals freedom.
4) Don't listen to the nay-sayers The world is full of people who think of all the reasons something can’t be done and they like to impose their reasoning on you. Some of these people may even be your closest friends and
family. Do them a favor and don't get on their boat - maintain your courage and inspire them to join you.
Consider downsizing - check out tiny houses!
5) Build your faith A good friend once told me that faith is like a muscle. If you don't work at building it, it will atrophy and disappear. To me, faith is more spiritual than religious and it can be applied to anything. We can have faith in people, faith in our environment, faith in God, or faith in ourselves. Test your boundaries with faith - take some chances and gain the rewards.
6) "Si se peude" Whatever you are thinking of doing, remember this phrase “Si se puede”. It means in Spanish, "yes it can be done" or "yes it's possible" So to answer my own question "can we really break free from the rat race?" Well, we are just starting out on the next stage of our lives. We have the courage, we are building our faith and we believe that yes, it is possible. And that's a big "YES" in any language!
FROM CAT SITTING... TO ALPACA KISSING by Chris & Lynn Willard
We are an early retired couple who've been together since 2007. Our nomadic adventure started the following year when we spent 6 months traveling around France in a campervan. Reluctantly we went back to work, until a couple of years later when Lynn got offered a job in Australia.
Our journey to becoming house sitters The job in Australia didn’t really work out, so in 2012 we set off in our campervan on a tour around Australia and New Zealand, getting up to all sorts of antics. We had a go at bungee jumping and free falling out of airplanes at 15000ft - all good adrenaline activities! Eventually we circumnavigated Australia, wild camping most of the way, just driving off into the bush and making camp for the night. But, all good things have to come to an end and we finally
returned home and began spending more time renovating our holiday home in France. That’s where our house sitting journey really got started.
A friend and neighbour in France asked us if we would be interested in house and dog sitting a large villa and estate that he manages in Southern France, while he went away on holiday. We already knew the doggies well and we were given instructions on how to maintain the house, pool and gardens. It was an absolutely fantastic experience and we've been back many times. We continued to do sits for friends, and friends of friends, whilst dividing our time between the UK and our holiday home in France. But, it was only when we used house sitters to look after our property in France that we decided this could be a way of life that would suit us too!
In at the deep end So after a lot of discussion we took the bull by the horns and put our French house up for sale and joined Trusted Housesitters. We decided to keep to UK sits at first so we could build our portfolio, whilst still being able to see friends and family. To our surprise, we were accepted for our first sit - a beautifully renovated old Post House in a charming Kent village, with a cute cat, and very friendly and welcoming home owners. By the end of the sit we had become friends and they invited us back to do another sit. We spent the next 6 months house sitting, virtually full time with just the occasional few days in
between and loved every minute. We were extremely fortunate that the majority of the properties we looked after were large country houses, set in their own grounds - the grandest being a 6 bed mansion in 12 acres. There were some really interesting people along the way that we got to meet, including a retired Brigadier with an OBE, a retired Rear Admiral in the Navy who was captain of one of the aircraft carriers, and the owners of a famous vineyard and boutique hotel in South Africa. Many have asked us back, proving that house sitting not only gets you out and about to see the world, but you also get to make good friends along the way.
Getting acquainted with alpacas However our favourite sit so far was on a small holding in Surrey and I will handover to Chris who can tell the story a lot better than I can. "Let’s do THIS house sit…" Lynn said to me. It was looking after alpacas and 60 odd other animals in mid February in the UK, "…it’ll be fun" Well I have to say she was right! It was, one of the best house sits we’ve ever done. With 9 Alpacas, 12 Goats, 25 Sheep, 18 Chickens, 2 Dogs and 3 Cats it certainly kept us busy, but it was really enjoyable too! The two dogs, Phoebe and Scrumpy, were an absolute joy to be with, so affectionate, obedient and no worry whatsoever, even when off leash. We took them on their first ever visit to the seaside one day and they absolutely loved it.
The 3 cats, Leo, Louis and Lily all had characters of their own and when Lily started riding around on Phoebe’s back, it had us in stitches. And so to the alpaca’s and goats. This was our first experience of looking after livestock (apart from the occasional horse for a friend) and we thoroughly enjoyed it, so much so we went back again for a repeat sit. The alpacas are absolutely lovely, they all have their own characters and love their hugs and kisses, especially the young ones. We did have to be on our guard with Amy though as she did like to give us a shower of spit from time to time and occasionally when she had a mouthful of food!
Watch out for goosing! Amy also had the habit of "goosing" you when your back was turned! A daily chore was picking up the Alpaca poo which is apparently very good fertilizer and she would often come up behind you just as you bend over and give you a little nudge! It was really interesting to learn about Alpacas and the fact that they can come into season on demand when they are introduced to a male. Also you can tell when an Alpaca is pregnant by putting it back in the field with a male. If she spits at the male she is pregnant - it's aptly called "The Spit Test".
Face rubbing with goats The goats were so friendly and affectionate. Calypso, the cheeky pygmy, was always good for some entertainment, running around stealing everyone else’s food and being generally naughty. There was nothing he liked more than for you to grab his horns and have a good tussle with him. The Guernsey goats always came up for a cuddle and a face rub and if you were sitting down, they would rub their faces over yours. We both smelt of "Eau de la Goat" at the end of a day! When we went back in May we had seven additional baby goats to look after and two lambs who still needed bottle feeding. The baby goats added to the fun, climbing in the wheelbarrow and riding around the paddock, knocking over brooms and generally creating chaos. Goats have a gestation period (pregnancy) of five month and the average birth rate for goats is 2.2 kids per year. Ellwood was especially mischievous, following us everywhere and play butting us whenever he got the opportunity! And especially when you least expected it.
Sheepish behaviour That just leaves the sheep. Squiggle was the naughty one, who, as soon as your back was turned would steal the Alpaca’s food. She'd hang on their trough by her neck, front feet dangling in fresh air. Funny to see, but probably not the most comfortable way to eat. The home owners were also great, very welcoming and because this was our first small holding sit, they left very clear instructions for us to follow. We're going back again for a third installment and no doubt it will be different again. No lambs or baby goats, but maybe the odd pregnant Alpaca! All this just goes to show that you should always try things at least once. We never thought that looking after all these animals would be so much fun, but now we've had the experience, it’s something we'd happily do again. We loved it !
So what will the future hold? Well we're currently house sitting in Grenada in a lovely house with a pool and stunning views out across the ocean, with our canine friend and companion, who does a great impression of a dog that has been flattened by a steamroller! Then the plan is to combine house sitting with campervanning and just hopefully follow the sun! You can follow Lynn & Chris at: https://kayaknomads.wixsite.com/furnfluff or view their TrustedHousesitter Profile
TEN FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT REPTILES by James Alston
ExoticDirect pet insurance (UK) have collected ten of the most fascinating facts about reptiles for reptile awareness day on October 21st 2018, and they've kindly allowed us to share these here with you this month:
1. There are four main reptile groups... These are the Crocodilians, which includes alligators and, of course, crocodiles, the Squamates which includes lizards and snakes, the Tuatara which look like lizards but differ in their bone structure, and the Turtles, which contains, well, turtles. Turtles and Crocodilians have remained largely unchanged since they appeared around 200 million years ago. Squamates are the most diverse group, containing around seven and a half thousand different species. You might remember the famous scene from Planet Earth in which the baby iguana is chased by snakes, perhaps one of the tensest television scenes of all time. This iguana, being a lizard, belongs to the Squamate group.
2. Reptiles and birds are actually related... Some reptiles, like crocodiles, are more closely related to birds than they are to other lizards. For this reason, some scientists have started to consider birds a part of the Reptilia class, one of the stages of the taxonomic rank that groups evolutionary similar animals together. This is because birds, lizards, snakes, turtles and crocodiles all descended from a common ancestor that lived around 300 million years ago. Reptiles evolved from amphibians, being some of the first animals to move to live on the land rather than in the water. For this reason, reptiles are sometimes considered the evolutionary step between these amphibians and more recent animals, including dinosaurs (okay, not that recent), mammals, and birds.
3. ...and reptiles’ skin came with this evolution Reptiles scaly skin evolved as a layer of protection, meaning these animals could finally move away from bodies of water and live on the land without a risk of drying out. For the snake, which is entirely covered in scales, the skin gives protection, helps it move, and also functions as camouflage. Reptiles either shed their skin in flakes, or all at once like snakes do. This shedding of the old, worn out skin means the reptile has a nice new set to live in. It also helps to remove parasites which may harm the reptile .Some geckos even eat their own shed skin. Needs must.
4. Reptiles are cold blooded Or, in scientific terms, ectothermic. This means that they rely on the world to keep them warm, rather than having internal ways to regulate their body temperature. Therefore, reptiles like crocodiles and snake relax in the sun during the way warming themselves up and energising. Then, in the evenings, they become sluggish, having no sun to keep them powered up. This might sound like an inefficient way to live, but it actually means they’re able to eat significantly less than other animals like birds and mammals; it does, however, mean they’re unable to remain active at night.
5. Reptiles’ hearts aren’t like ours Most reptiles have three-chambered hearts, which differs from the human’s four chambers. This poses some health benefits: reptiles are usually better at enduring bigger changes in heart rate and blood pressure. Crocodilians, however, do possess four-chambered hearts. Their anatomy is still pretty different from a human’s, though. (But you could have told that just by looking at them.)
6. Some reptiles change sex based on temperature Almost all reptiles lay eggs which have leathery-feeling shells. These eggs help to protect the reptile, as well as preventing it from drying out. Some reptiles have temperature-dependent sex determination, meaning the sex of the reptile is determined by how hot or cold the egg is incubated. This is exhibited most commonly in turtles and crocs, but is also true of some lizards too. And snakes? Scientists just don’t know yet. Come on, guys, get it together!
7. Unfortunately, reptiles can suffer from some pretty bad illnesses Royal Pythons, for example, can suffer from anorexia. Some have been known to not eat for up to eleven weeks. This can be due to health care problems which cause the python to lose his or her appetite. Bearded dragons can suffer from metabolic bone disease. This can be a pretty serious condition, and ExoticDirect has paid out £396 for this before. Finally, Tegus can suffer, embarrassingly, from constipation - not a very comfortable illness for a reptile (or a human, for that matter).
8. Reptiles can be pretty dangerous, unless you’re in the UK The last recorded death from an Adder bite in England, for example, was in 1975. Saying that, of the roughly 3,400 snake species, 600 are venomous. Luckily, the Adder is the only poisonous species the UK has - that is, lucky if you live in the UK. Then there’s the Alligator Snapping Turtle, the bite of which has been known to take off fingers and limbs due to how strong it is. The Komodo dragon, the largest living lizard species, growing to about three metres long, is a quick mover and attacks on humans have been reported in both the wild and in captivity. And according to some sources, crocodiles kill around 800 people per year. Saltwater crocs, the largest of the crocodiles, have an especially strong bite, exerting thousands of kilos of pressure per square inch when they bite down. But hey, Steve Irwin used to play with crocs all the time we still don’t recommend doing it.
9. Dreaming of snakes….. Perhaps it’s because of an Indiana Jones fear-of-snakes style complex, or perhaps reading too many Harry Potter books, but surveys suggest that the animal people dream of most often is the snake. According to dream websites, dreaming of snakes means you’re working through resolving an issue you have in your life, and can also be a sign of transformation, something taken from the snake’s ability to shed its skin. Whatever the truth of these analyses, you certainly wouldn’t want a snake in your bed.
10. A few world records According to Our Planet, in 2017 the largest croc ever captured and put in captivity was - brace yourself - a whopping 6.17 meters long, and it was suspected he ate two human beings. And in 2017, the Guiness Book of World Records website put the largest crocodile that ever lived as a Sarcosuchus Imperator, who was a petrifying 12 metres long. This writer is getting the shakes just thinking about it. The longest snake, meanwhile, is 7.67 metres long (25.2ft). Medusa, a reticulated python, is housed in Kansas City. She’s eaten a whole deer in one sitting before and weighs a hefty 158.8kg (350 lb). This is according to the Guiness Book of World Records, 2011. She’s owned by Full Moon productions in Kansas City. The oldest tortoise, Adwaita, was estimated to be at least 150 years old according to the BBC in 2006, and some estimates even put his age at a stately 250 years. Finally, the largest reptile zoo in the world is in South Dakota, USA, and houses 225 different species and subspecies (as of 2013). So if this piece has inspired you to learn more about reptiles, head to Reptile Gardens just outside of Rapid City. Own a reptile? ExoticDirect can insure reptiles including tortoises, birds and small and large mammals. If you’re a UK resident, why not get a quote?
HOUSE SITTING WITH HORSES Are you cut out for large animal care? by Ali Keeler
I haven't done a lot of house sitting with horses - just one horse for six days in Suffolk, UK - but I am an ex-horse owner. My own experience of owning horses means I can see the potential issues that might arise when looking after horses that belong to other people. Particularly if you have no direct experience of handling horses or ponies.
Isn't it OK if they don't need to be ridden? The owner may say that you are not required to handle the horses, just keep an eye on them and make sure they have enough water to drink. However, there are situations that may arise where you have to catch a horse that is hurt or sick, and hold onto them while a vet or farrier attends to them. While emergency situations are relatively few and far between, it would be "Murphy's Law" that it happens while the owners are away.
For example, a friend has just called me and talked about house sitting some horses for someone and related a story about one of the horses impaling himself on a dead tree branch and needing veterinary attention. A long time ago one of my own horses ran through a barbed wire fence and made a mess of herself, requiring daily dressings and medication after the vet patched her up. I also ran an agistment property many years ago and a lot of the horses contracted a flu like virus called "strangles" and we had to give them daily injections of antibiotics.
Are you up to coping with any of those situations or does the thought of it horrify you? If it sounds daunting then maybe house sitting with large animals may not be for you. I'm not trying to discourage anyone from house sitting with horses, I just think that questions must be asked before accepting these sits if you don't have any experience yourself. You need to know what to look out for at the very least.
Here are some questions I would want answers to:
Is there someone close by who can help out if there is an incident that requires a horse to be caught and handled? This would preferably be someone that already knows the animal. Are they large horses or small ponies? The point being that the larger and stronger they are, the more terrifying they can be up close, though I've known a few very strong small ponies in my time! How old are the horses, and have they had any prior medical treatment? Are the horses handled and/or ridden regularly or are they a bit on the wild side?
Note: When up close to horses you should always wear solid boots as it is easy to have your feet trodden on. As you can imagine, it is very painful if you are only wearing sandals!
If the climate is cold, are the horses rugged? Would you have to remove the rugs during the day and replace them at night? Are they stabled at night, do you have to shut them up and let them out in the morning? Do they require feeding? How much work is required to make up the feeds? If they are in small paddocks, do you have to pick up the horse poo? Do you have to clean out stables? Is the area known for ticks? What symptoms would they cause in a horse?
Obviously we all know that all sorts of things can go wrong with any animal, but unlike dogs and cats, you can't just throw a horse into the car and take it to the vet. You can't take it inside by the fire on a cold night if it is sick. I'm just trying to emphasize that it's very different to looking after small animals and shouldn't be taken on unless you are sure and confident that you can do it. In saying all of this, I'm really hoping that one day I get to house sit with a gorgeous quiet and bombproof horse that I can ride every day in some pristine area with no dangerous roads or obstacles. Well... we can all dream!
A TRIBUTE TO TALLY by Mal Westwood
A wee piece on horse care and a tribute to my heart horse, Tally We’ve owned horses for most part of our lives, Arabs. Our last Arab, Khalif Talisman (Tally), our heart horse, had a long, happy life. All our pets (dogs and cats) loved him and he was the gentlest at 14.2 hands. Tally loved his two buckets a day, served with fresh apples and carrots from the local farmers market. We also fed him garlic granules, regularly but not daily, and biotin powder in the winter months. We would de-worm him too, for internal parasites. He took the chewable tablets or paste as if it were a treat. Living in the countryside, he always had plenty to graze in our 2+ acres field. We also made our own hay bales which we used as an add-on. Because of this we never had to deal with colic (an excruciating painful and often life threatening condition).
Tally loved his stables and paddock, purpose built to provide shelter from the elements. We provided quality responsible care. He had all the essentials and more (fresh water, hay, nets, salt lick ball), which he chose to use daily at his free will. We played music too... yes, he loved listening to music! Tally enjoyed his regular grooming and used to express his happiness as he was being brushed, bless him. He loved wearing his coats and mask, as needed and consequently never had fly wounds or rain scolds. Without fail, we had the farrier come to check his hooves and shoes every 6-8 weeks, and the equine vet and dentist to check his teeth. Tally was always so cooperative when they visited. Proper horse care is not cheap and can be time consuming if there are more than one, but it is all part of the pleasure of looking after these beautiful creatures. This investment in this care prevents them having laminitis, mud fever, sweet itch, colic, etc. We also picked up his poop and cleaned the field, his stable and paddock every single day without fail. This is an integral part of good care. Horse manure makes for excellent garden fertiliser! Tally loved his outings, and it was often a family affair as our dogs and a few of our cats joined in with the walk too. Everyone had a treat when arriving back home for being good boys and girls. Our horse loved his mint treat and was a good gentle kisser - a welcome thank you. RIP Tally son. You were a one in a lifetime Arab horse.
CARIBBEAN HOUSE SITTING: THE ABACOS, NORTHERN BAHAMAS Great Abaco, Treasure Cay by Stacie Parsons
Introduction The Abacos are a group of Islands and Cays stretching for roughly 120 miles in the Northern Bahamas, and are home to just over 17,000 people. Great Abaco (the largest of the Abaco chain), stretches for 90 miles, but averages only 4 miles across. Marsh Harbor, the largest town of the Abacos, was settled in the late 1700’s by Loyalists escaping the American Revolution. Seventeen miles North of Marsh Harbour is the settlement of Treasure Cay - best known for its beaches and resorts. Sailing, fishing, local cuisine and white sand beaches draw tourists and this is a major part of the income of the Abaconians. There are no Casinos, malls or amusement parks - people come for the natural aquarium and culture of the islands.
The currency is the BSD (Bahamian Dollar) and it is equal to the USD. You can request change in American currency and outlets will happily oblige if the currency is available. Be sure to pick up a copy of the local bi-monthly newspaper "The Abaconian" for all that is happening - it includes a visitors’ guide for services, restaurants and transport information.
Accessibility There are several airlines that fly from the United States and many that originate from Florida. Several European airlines fly into Nassau and you can get a connecting flight to the Abacos. The largest airport is Marsh Harbor, but there is a smaller airport in Treasure Cay that operates seasonally. Getting to any of the other islands requires taking a ferry or use of a boat. There is also a ferry from Grand Bahama to Marsh Harbor.
Cost of Living The cost of living is high, almost everything is imported. Even local produce can be quite expensive. Expect to pay more for almost everything, including services, taxi’s and food. In addition, the VAT (Value Added Tax) was recently increased to 12 percent. The best place to stock up with food is Marsh Harbor. Maxwells is the main grocery store and people come from other islands just to shop here. They carry frozen foods, gourmet items and New Zealand meat, and even some electrical appliances.
Many locals also do their shopping at Abaco Grocery where they can get better prices for buying certain items in bulk. Produce and dairy arrive Wednesday at both stores so it’s best to shop for fruits and vegetables later in the week. You have more choice and the produce will be fresher. I could get almost all the items I needed at Golden Harvest in Treasure Cay. You can expect to pay about $9 for a bag of chips, and $6 for a gallon of milk. Local drinking water must also be purchased and you can get it for about $2 a gallon. I used the tap water for brushing teeth and cooking and have not had any issues. Local foods include poultry, winter vegetables, and a variety of fruits. Fishing is a major part of Bahamian cuisine and local fish and lobster can be purchased quite easily at many of the marina docks. Be sure to get a price in advance and negotiations are not uncommon. Everything is a little more expensive. I brought a lot of dark chocolate with me for "tips" - this has been quite appreciated by the locals. Just make sure to bring enough for yourself. You can save by bringing any specialty coffee or tea you prefer, as well as nuts. Beauty products (lotions, makeup, and hair care) are also quite pricey, so consider bringing enough with you.
Getting Around A car is a must to get you from either of the two airports on Great Abaco. A cab from Marsh Harbor to Treasure cay is about $85 before tips. A short cab ride to the Treasure Cay airport from town will cost you about $30. Taxi rates are somewhat negotiable in the off season.
The cost of a rental car in Treasure Cay will run anywhere from $50-$100. If you aren't being left a car to use, make sure you compare prices and ask the owners who they would recommend. In Treasure Cay many of the homeowners have golf carts, but they can’t go on the main highway and are restricted to the gate entrance.
Medical Care Recently Marsh Harbor opened a new healthcare center. It is state of the art for the Bahamas. They boast administrative offices, a pharmacy and a morgue. Needless to say, bring all your prescription medication from home. There is an also a clinic in Treasure Cay. Local groceries have most over the counter items in case of ailments. Be sure to bring all prescription medications that you need.
Veterinary & Animal Welfare The vet office is open in Marsh Harbor through the week for minor emergencies with a mobile vet arriving from Grand Bahama on a few scheduled days. I had to pre-order Heartguard refill medication (as requested by the homeowner) a week in advance. It gets brought in, as the vets do not stock many basic pet preventatives. I’ve noticed in many island communities that the majority of pets are not treated as family members and are often assumed to be strays. If you are pet sitting, as well as house sitting, this is probably not the case. One of the homeowner’s primary concerns was that strays have come though the yard in the past and caused injuries. Be careful taking a pet to any areas you are unfamiliar with. The northern end of Abaco had a lot of stray dogs wandering around. We walk the beach in Treasure Cay and have yet to meet another dog.
Climate The weather is usually quite lovely, unless there is a hurricane. Businesses in Treasure Cay start shutting down and tourism declines from the middle of August through early November as it is the height of hurricane season. Expect high heat and humidity with an occasional thunderstorm throughout the year. Winter months do have an occasional cold spell. To ensure you are comfortable it’s best to bring a light raincoat. Make sure to ask questions before house sitting during hurricane months. Ask if the home has everything you will need in case of a major tropical storm (generator, shutters, batteries, water storage and supplies). Find out the emergency protocols and if there is someone to assist in preparing for a major weather event.
Things To Do In and around Abaco proper you will find plenty of outdoor activities. Most require going on a boat (ferry, private, or charter). Popular destinations include exploring the out islands of Elbow, Green Turtle, and Guana to go to the famous Nipper’s Sunday pig roast.
The Blue Hole
The best snorkeling will require a boat and charters are happy to take you if you do not have one ($$). Also popular are visiting with the pigs at No Name Cay, and feeding the stingrays, turtles and nurse sharks on Manjack Cay. In addition, Abaco has several blue holes that can be accessed by car or hiking for adventure. It's best to do your research as all the activities are costly. There are plenty of beaches to stroll along and swimming off the beach is quite lovely (as long as you do not meet a jellyfish). I created my own water aerobics routine since the beach is sandy and there are not any rocks or large shells. Just the occasional conch, but they are easy to see and avoidable.
Cost of Eating Out I once heard a couple complain that they received the wrong bill because they each had a sandwich and a beer and it totaled $60 (and that was 30 years ago). The waitress assured them that was indeed their bill and responded with a friendly smile, “Welcome to the islands, Mon.” Eating out in most of the Islands is going to be pricey. Treasure Cay has multiple resorts where a dinner for two will cost you just over $100. Thursdays at the Tipsy Seagull can get quite busy for Pizza night (only time and place to get one). A small pizza will cost you just over $20, but the entertainment is worth it. Finding places that locals go is always a good bet for saving money. The Bahamas are famous for their conch salad and worth every penny of the $13 you'll pay.
Overall Impression I have loved being in Treasure Cay during the off season. The empty beaches and the sleepy town were just what I was looking for. Many places close till November and business is slow for all merchants. I needed a break from the daily American news reports and hope this opportunity rises again. Yes, it is hurricane season and my friends and family were all concerned about my safety during this time. The tables turned as I live North Carolina and they are all safe, but dealing with the aftermath of hurricane Florence.
Score out of 10 An easy 9. Stacie Parsons is an avid sailor. She and her husband are currently living in Asheville, NC between travels. Follow her on Instagram for more of her adventures. The lovely full page image of Stacie with the rays, also features dad, who came to visit!
CARIBBEAN HOUSE SITTING ST THOMAS, USVI by Beth Peach
Introduction I was fortunate to do a long house sit in St Thomas (an island in the US Virgin Islands), prior to Hurricane Irma's destruction. It was a wonderful and magical experience. But despite excellent communication from my hosts and lots of research on my own, there were still things that came as a surprise and many small things I wished I had known. Sharing my experience in hopes of making your own visit a little easier! Some things may well have changed after hurricane Irma.
Credentials
US citizens do NOT need a passport to visit the USVI. But with the British Virgin Islands nearby, DO bring yours in case you have an opportunity for a day trip there! A US drivers license IS accepted in the USVI, including for car rentals. Since I was driving the host's vehicle, I also brought a copy of my insurance policy in case of an accident.
Driving
Driving is on the LEFT. I had driven extensively in the UK and considered myself quite experienced at driving on the left. Most cars in the USVI are LEFT-hand drive however, which definitely adds a new dimension to driving on the left. Be sure to give yourself mental reminders to KEEP LEFT especially when making a right-hand turn! Traffic and parking in Charlotte Amalie can get very congested when a cruise ship is in port. Check the daily ship arrivals and allow extra time. Other than in the city, roads are narrow and winding and very curvy. There are very steep drop-offs so do use caution. There are also few to no street lights outside the city so night visibility is very limited. I tried to be home by sunset most nights as I was located near the top of the island. These roads would NOT be safe for dog walking. St Thomas being only about 14 by 3 miles is deceptive. It can easily take 30-40 minutes to get from Charlotte Amalie to the North East side of the island. Petrol is not inexpensive but distances are short. There are many animals on the roads. Dogs, chickens, goats, and iguanas were everywhere. It was not uncommon to see a dead animal on the road. My phone GPS (AT&T) worked fine. MapQuest seemed the most reliable.
Getting Around Research your flights and book as far as possible in advance to get good deals. NOT inexpensive. A Buddy Pass made my trip possible! Pick up some maps and brochures from the Tourist Info stands at the airport on arrival to get you started. This is a very helpful article if you will not be driving: https://www.vinow.com/stthomas/getting_around_stt/ Be sure you know where your pet's Vet is and how to get there. I would ask my host for a dry run just in case.
Phone/Internet Service I have AT&T which was fine most places on the island. As my 'home' was built into the side of the mountain, I did sometimes find myself outside leaning over the balcony looking for a "sweet" spot! My hosts had unlimited Internet but that and TV is definitely something to ask about. Friends were having trouble with Verizon service so do check that as well.
Water Water is limited on the island and NOT inexpensive. My own sit had a large underground cistern, but still doing basic conservation is wise and cost efficient. Don't leave the water running. When showering, turn the water off while shampooing and lathering up. My hosts had several dehumidifiers. I was able to water all of the outside planters and garden area daily with water from those alone.
Security Ask your host for advice. As a woman alone I never felt uneasy. But I also was rarely out walking about downtown after true dark alone. My home was in a gated community and I felt quite safe there as well.
Shopping
A smile and a friendly "Good Morning" or "Good Day" is expected as a courtesy as you enter a shop or restaurant. There are loads of fun tourist shops to visit if that is your thing. There IS a fairly new and well stocked Walgreen's on the island so you can get almost anything you might need there. It is in the center of the island though so you will need transport to get there. There is also a Home Depot on island in case you need to do any minor household repairs.
Groceries This was one of my biggest surprises. I had envisioned myself eating tons of fresh island produce and seafood, and shopping at farmer's markets. In reality, much of the island's food is imported, NOT grown locally. Prices therefore reflect this and food is expensive. Plan on spending easily 2 to 3 times more than at "home". There are grocery stores about, some are not well marked and may take some time to recognize. There is also a nice (and expensive) expat store with a lovely salad bar and many prepared items and imported specialties if you are desperate for a treat of some special US or UK brand item. If your host can give you a tour of where to shop that will be very helpful. Next time I will bring some staples along! There are (or were, you may need to check), many lovely restaurants to visit.
Water sports Snorkeling and swimming are beautiful everywhere. There were beaches within a few minutes drive to give me a "fix", and the beautiful Magen's Bay is a do not miss place to hang out. I went often about 5 PM when parking was easy and free and the crowds were leaving. Do ask about snorkeling equipment. Your host may well have some to lend, mine did. If you have a special prescription mask, definitely bring your own. I was there long enough to take a Scuba Certification class. There are several on island, most well towards the east end. For slightly more than a couple of hundred dollars, I got a full course, individual and group instruction, online resources and a certification dive. Bucket List!!
What to do for fun You can browse the many offerings in the tourist brochures. Depending on your pets and time availability, there are day trips to the British Virgin Islands and St John. One of my favorites was the Tree Limin' ZipLining Experience. I was not entirely sure I was going to like this, but it was the most fun ever! Highly recommended. http://www.ziplinestthomas.com/
Post Sit I allotted time for a few days trip to St John after my sit ended and that was probably the BEST thing I did. A short ferry ride away, it seems like a different world. I stayed in a small guest house not far from the ferry. There are many to choose from online. Had I had more time I would have spent a few days there and then gone to one of the tent camping places on the other side of the island for different snorkeling opportunities. And perhaps rented a jeep for a few days as well. In just a short visit I was able to do a guided day hike to see local flora and fauna, take a day sailing trip around the island with many snorkeling opportunities, and do a kayak trip out to see sea turtles. The tourist office was exceedingly helpful in arranging these mini-adventures but most were easily found and described online as well. Highly recommended...I would say this is a DON'T miss visit. Lodging was reasonably priced but meals were not inexpensive. Keep in mind my trip was just before the Irma devastation and things may well be different still. Do your research but even if there is still lingering damage I would still say go. Magical! In summary, if you ever have the chance to do a USVI sit jump at the chance! Hopefully my hints will help you with your planning.
CARIBBEAN HOUSE SITTING ST. CROIX US Virgin Islands by Diane Lemieux
Introduction St. Croix is the largest of the three Virgin Islands which also includes St.Thomas, St. John. It claims two towns, Christiansted and Fredericksted, both charming Danish towns with lots of green space and mountains in between them. The east end, past Christiansted, is desert, and the west end, by Fredericksted, is rainforest. No matter what you want to do when you’re house sitting, you’ll be able to do it here. Christiansted has more stores and restaurants, Fredericksted has fewer, but it is still worth driving out there to check it out.
Accessibility US direct flights can be found year round from New York and Miami and some times of the year from Boston, Charlotte and Atlanta. Other flights are available with multiple stops, often going through Puerto Rico. It's often easier to fly to the US and then on to the US Virgin Islands if coming from other parts of the world. It’s always a good idea to pack shorts, a bathing suit and necessary toilette items in the event that your luggage takes longer than you to get there. You can take a ferry from St. Thomas, but since that is weather dependent, I would not make it a part of your initial travel plans. I highly recommend a car for your stay on St. Croix. This way, you’ll be able to experience all of the beautiful beaches, restaurants and events. There is always some sort of festival going on, including Christiansted "Jump Ups" four times a year.
Cost of living The cost of living is a little higher than living in the states, mostly due to the fact that it's an island, and everything has to be shipped in. Electricity runs very high, so be very conservative with your use. This is balanced out by the lack of heating bills and winter clothes! Use fans instead of air conditioning whenever possible and limit your water consumption. Ask your host whether you are on cistern or city water so you can adjust your usage accordingly. Dining out costs about the same as in the states. Expect to find good local food at roadside stands and local restaurants. Try to eat the unusual local foods and expand your gastro horizons. Don’t be surprised to find restaurants in unusual places like parking lots and gas stations. These folks are practical!! St. Croix is becoming a foodie location. Some of my favorite restaurants are Blue Water Terrace, Baltar and 40 Strand. If you want to have a great time, go to the Deep End on Thursday night for Disco Bingo!
Supermarket & Other Shopping Plaza Extra is the largest supermarket and can be found in Peter’s Rest and mid-island. Produce is moderate quality and quantity. Smaller supermarkets can be found that offer unique shopping, such as bulk, local products, higher quality, and gourmet items - Pueblo $, Food Town $$, Quality Food $$$, and Seaside Market $$$$. You can buy fresh fruit, veggies and fish at many roadside stands, and at the farmers markets. There are many duty free deals to be had on St. Croix, but I have found the most valuable to be watches, jewelry, electronics and liquor. You can buy alcohol in the grocery store, where they will supply the box to bring it back home.
You must get a hook bracelet from Sonia’s, who made the original design. There are many copies but none is like Sonia’s! And of course, there are the obligatory T-shirts!
Medical Care There are doctors, medical offices, and a hospital open on St. Croix that will be able to handle most incidences during your stay. The hospital is functional but still in recovery mode from 2017 Hurricanes Irma and Maria. If you require significant medical back up, I would call the hospital or a local doctor to ensure that your needs will be met.
Veterinary & Animal Welfare I did not need a vet, and if your host left you a pet to take care of, you might want to use Progressive Veterinary Hospital. The St. Croix Animal Welfare Center does a great job finding new homes for strays if you feel so inclined. Chandra’s Pet Salon will take special care of your pet while on St. Croix. Dogs are welcomed most every place, except fancy restaurants and grocery stores. Dogs will not keep you up at night but be prepared to woken by roosters. They don’t seem to be able to tell the time, so it could be at 4 am or 6 am. Or you might be lucky and not have roosters for neighbors.
Climate St. Croix has mostly "window weather", that is, look outside the window and see what the weather is doing! Sunny, 80’s in the winter, 90’s in the summer, 13-15 knots of wind from the SE. Even though it's paradise, the islands are in the path of tropical weather, so you may experience some disturbances in the form of tropical storms, or even hurricanes in season.
Things To Do Everyone visiting St. Croix must go out to Buck Island, a National Park offshore on the east end of the island. There are several ways to get there, just walk along the boardwalk in Christiansted to find out. The snorkeling and diving in St. Croix is exceptional. You might find a starfish, a dolphin or see a turtle! Take advantage of this while you’re there! Rum drinkers will enjoy touring and sampling rum drinks at Cruzan Rum and Captain Morgans. Don’t do both of these in the same day unless you have a hearty lunch in between! Get up early and be the first one in the US to see the sunrise at Point Udall. Lyric Sails offers sunset sails out of Fredericksted, with snacks and music Friday nights. You can find really good live music everywhere!
Opportunities for Exercise A lot of people use the Christiansted By-Pass to walk or run on. The views at the top are worth it. Some get up early and walk. Be aware of your surroundings and be safe when you are out. There is a Cross Fit gym, or you can always swim in the ocean for exercise!
Overall Impression St. Croix is a great island to live your island life on, especially as a US citizen. Just enough American to be familiar, just local enough to experience different food and cultures.
Score out of 10 I rate St. Croix as a 9 out of 10 as a house sitting destination. You can find more information about St. Croix here: https://www.gotostcroix.com/
Photo Credits: Jennifer Cole Simpson
HOUSE SITTING IN GRENADA by Lisa Chavis
Introduction Grenada is a country in the West Indies in the south-eastern Caribbean Sea. It consists of the main island and six smaller islands which include popular Carriacou and Petit Martinique. Most of the population lives on Grenada, and major towns include the capital of St George's, and Grenville and Gouyave. Grenada is also known as the "Spice Island" due to it being one of the world's largest exporters of nutmeg and mace. The official currency is the Eastern Caribbean dollar (EC$).
Accessibility You can fly to Grenada from major international cities including Miami, New York, Atlanta, Toronto, London, Frankfurt, and from other locations within the Caribbean. International flights stop at Maurice Bishop International Airport. Cruise ships serving the islands depart from Florida and Puerto Rico.
Maurice Bishop International Airport is centrally located on the island and only about a 10minute ride to the beaches. If traveling on to Carriacou, there is a short inter-island charter to Lauriston Airport. There are also daily ferries going to the sister islands of Petite Martinique and Carriacou, that leave from downtown, in the capital of St. George’s.
Cost of living Grenada is a beautiful island with many contrasts. Prices for tourist-level accommodations can vary from modest to very expensive ($200USD/night). The cost of living reflects that this area has a large influx of US medical school students who converge on the island every year. The main grocery/supermarket is the centrally located IGA. Prices of local goods are reasonable, however imported items may be quite expensive. Mosquitoes can be a real problem if you’re not house sitting close to the sea breezes. If you have a favorite mosquito repellent, it’s much less expensive to bring your own.
Cost of eating out Eating out can be as inexpensive as a 2 EC roti with vegetables or for a splurge you can spend $50 USD for a lobster dinner at one of the waterfront resorts. Typical meals at local restaurants run about $15 USD for a burger and fries or a local curry plate.
Getting around Public transport options in Grenada are via the popular Reggae Buses - you’ll definitely hear them before you see them. The price is very cheap (1 EC$) for a one-way ride almost anywhere on the island. You simply flag them down and hop on.
Medical Care On Grenada, there is a full teaching hospital and medical/veterinary school.
Veterinary & Animal Welfare On Grenada, because of the proximity of the veterinary school, we had excellent pet care. The vets came to the house to give shots and were extremely competent in the care of our animals. There are many stray dogs wandering the island. The locals we observed always treated the animals well and many kept the strays as pets, feeding and caring for them.
Climate This area is in the southern ridge of Hurricane Alley, and while we were told there wasn’t anything to worry about, we did experience three tropical storms during our 4-month stay. Thankfully it was just lots of wind and rain and not much property damage. It’s a tropical island, so expect hot and humid, with refreshing sea breezes in the evenings.
Things to Do Be sure to get out on and in the water! Snorkeling, swimming, diving are highlights of the island. Snorkel the underwater sculpture garden or dive the wreck of the Bianca C. Grenada has some of the world’s most beautiful beaches (e.g. Grand Anse Beach), so walking and swimming are great ways to stay fit there. There are hikes in the mountain rainforest area to enjoy as well.
Your overall impression Grenada is called the Spice Island for their abundance of delicious nutmeg, cinnamon and other spices. The people are friendly and welcoming and the island itself is spectacularly beautiful. We enjoyed our time exploring the island and learning about her unique history.
Score out of 10 We gave Grenada 7 out of 10 - it can be difficult and expensive to get to there, but once there you’ll find a peaceful oasis to enjoy the slower pace of life, the culture and the friendly local people. You can follow Lisa & Cheryl's travel and house sitting stories at: What Boundaries Travel
HOUSE SITTING IN MEXICO - COZUMEL by JT and Julien
Introduction Cozumel is Mexico's largest Caribbean island and a scuba diving destination due to its location along the world's second largest barrier reef. Located eight miles east of Playa del Carmen, the island is 30 miles long by 10 miles wide and defined by two distinct sides - east and west. On the west side, facing Playa del Carmen and the mainland of Mexico is the town of San Miguel where the majority of the island's 100,000 residents live. It's mostly rocky coastline, which offers the best currents for swimming and snorkelling, either on your own or at a beach club. You can find an occasional sandy public beach. Every evening people gather to exercise and socialize along Avenida Melgar, Cozumel's Malecon. As the sun dips into the horizon, the wide sidewalks and Caribbean sunset view make it a great place to walk dogs.
The east side is undeveloped, other than a few beach bars and a boutique hotel that uses generators for electricity. As you drive to the "other side" the flora switches from overgrown jungle to smaller tropical plants and areas of mangroves. Between the coves of limestone rock are long un-crowded sandy beaches, many of which offer "palapas" for shade. It's the best area to take dogs for long walks, but this does require a car.
Accessibility As a top tourist destination, the island is extremely accessible to foreigners. Spanish is the main language, but it's difficult to practice because so many people speak English. However, we recommend brushing up on at least the basic social greetings, such as "Buenos dias" (Good Morning), "Buenas tardes" (Good Afternoon), and "Buenas noches" (Good Evening). Cozumel has a large population of expats that fluctuate with the season. High season is November through March, with many of the part-time islanders leaving before May. The island's main Facebook group, "Cozumel 4 You" has over 22,000 members, consisting mainly of expats and tourists. It's a wealth of information about Cozumel and also creates a great support system, such as letting others know when sought-after items are in stock at the grocery store!
How to get to Cozumel The easiest way to get to Cozumel is to fly directly to the island. Prices have increased over the past few years, but you can save a significant amount of money by flying into Cancun airport. From Cancun, there are two options to get to Cozumel. A quick 30-minute flight on Mayair is $60 each way. Or an hour ADO bus ride to Playa del Carmen combined with a 45 min ferry to Cozumel is about $20 each way. When booking flights, keep in mind the last ferry from Playa del Carmen to Cozumel departs at 11 pm.
Cost of Living We find the cost of living on Cozumel to be very affordable. The official currency is the Mexican Peso, and while most places accept pesos and USD, you'll get a better exchange rate spending pesos. The only place that consistently gives a good rate when you spend USD are the major grocery stores. There are many places to exchange money or withdraw pesos using your ATM card. We are constantly amazed at how inexpensive the produce is on this infertile limestone rock. Between six major grocery stores, a small Sam's club, and the local Mercado, you can find most of what you need. We do a lot of our shopping at the Mercado and the two main stores Chedraui and Mega. There is even a selection of affordable imported items and wine! But being an island, items do come in waves. The best advice - if you see something you want, buy it. It may not be there next time! Cozumel has a wide range of eateries on the island from seafood restaurants to local luncherias and taco spots. There's also Italian, sushi, vegan and more. We rarely eat out but when we do we spend $5-10 for two people at a local restaurant. And there are plenty of high-end restaurants and beach clubs where you can easily spend more.
Getting Around San Miguel is easy to navigate since most of the streets are one-way and use numbers instead of names. You should ask the homeowner on what area of the island they are located. While the main downtown area can be walked, a car may be needed if you stay at one of the condos in the north or south. There are many taxis available and the cost to travel within town is generally a few dollars. Taxis from downtown to the condos in the north area cost around $5 US and taxis to condos in the south will cost a bit more depending on the location. For the more adventurous, the "colectivos" or "combi" vans are a fun and inexpensive way to get around. You can flag down a combi on any corner along the route. They pass by about every 20 minutes. To get off simply, say "a la proxima esquina, por favor" and they will pull over at the next corner.
All of the colectivos circle around to Chedraui, one of the island's major grocery stores, making it a convenient mode of transportation for the cost of about 50 cents.
Medical Care Mexico has become a medical tourism destination and Cozumel has many great dentists, specialists, and general practitioners. In fact, you may find a $30 teeth cleaning to be an added bonus of your house sit. Many of the doctors on the island speak English and the hospitals are modern. The two main hospital recommendations are CMC Costamed and Amerimed Cozumel.
Veterinary and animal welfare We have never needed to visit a vet during our Cozumel house sits, but we have helped friends with vet appointments. The main vets on the island are readily available and speak English. Cozumel's Humane Society has a large number of volunteers that help to care for and sterilize stray dogs and cats on the island. Pet care varies among the island residents. While an increasing number of owners take their pets for walks or to the beach, many pets sit behind a gate or on the roof as a guard.
The stray dogs in Cozumel have improved tremendously in the past few years but it is advised to keep your distance from them. At our current house sit, the path that we walk the dog on, gets dictated by the location of street dogs. If you do encounter a problem, they are easily deterred by bending down and acting like you're going to pick up a rock to throw. This phantom rock trick has always worked for us.
Climate We're from the South Eastern United States, so we know hot and humid and Cozumel is not lacking this in the summer! While the typical summer high is only 90F, the humidity can make it feel much warmer. Most homes have air conditioning in the bedroom, but the homeowners typically ask you to only use it at night. Luckily the breeze is normally constant here and ceiling fans are in every room. Winter months in Cozumel are much more pleasant with average highs in the low to mid-80s.
Things To Do People travel to Cozumel for the beautiful beaches, snorkeling, and premier diving, but there are a handful of other things to do on the island. Late summer to early fall is turtle hatching season. You can volunteer with the local ecological group to help new hatchlings dig out of the
sand and wander towards the ocean. Punta Sur and Chankanaab Park on the southern tip of the island offer a beach day different from the many beach clubs. And if you're tired of the sun and sand, Cozumel has a planetarium and a modern cinema with several movies in English with Spanish subtitles. We also enjoy watching the local baseball team, The Cozumel Marlins. There are plenty of volunteer opportunities including a very busy Humane Society, an art center for kids, and many races throughout the year, such as an Ironman competition in November. It's easy to connect with Cozumel's expat community. Every Wednesday the Cozumel Ladies Breakfast Club meets at a different restaurant. It's a great mix of expats and snowbirds sharing stories and musings of the island. There is a similar, though less active Men's Breakfast Club that meets every Friday morning.
Overall Impression We love the island vibe of Cozumel. It's why we've called the island home for the past two years! House sitting in the place we live has allowed us to experience different views and give love to animals as we miss having as pets ourselves. Every city anywhere in the world has its issues and Cozumel is one of the safest, but it still has a problem with petty theft. Keep a hand on your stuff, and lock windows and doors when you're not home. It's common sense and the main reason why most homes have a snarling dog behind the gate. If you're sensitive to loud noise you might not like it here. There's a festival all the time - the music from the neighborhood bars, the roosters that never know what time of day it is, and the bad luck to house sit on a block with dueling barking dogs. The city is very compact and with the number of people that live here, it can be loud. But that's also what adds to the charm of Cozumel island life - the people, the quirks, the activity.
Score out of 10 8 - Based on affordability, accessibility, and the beautiful island.
You can find JT and Julien traveling around Mexico and at their website, www.culturestraveled.com
JUST LIVING THE DREAM (Part 2) Making money when you are essentially homeless - a young house sitter's conundrum by Chris Bragg
After people get over the initial surprise that we are full time house sitters and don't actually have a place that we call our own, they connect the dots about how much money we must save. Their next question is generally directed around what we do for work. Our response, "we work online". On their faces I can see them connecting other dots related to commuting and office politics. Rachel started a Contract Paraplanning business and I am developing an E-Health platform that incorporates my dietetics background with my knowledge as a chef.
You should see some of the looks we get. Eyes glaze over and brains become muddled. At this point, we normally, break the silence and explain that we make our money online. This is an explanation that most people, may not fully understand, but they can at least live with. In his book, The 4 hour Work Week, Tim Ferris responds in situations like this by telling people that he is a drug dealer! That is the only way they can understand such a revolutionary approach to work and lifestyle. We are fully committed to having a 21st century approach to work, where we take advantage of all the technology available to us. In fact, we wonder why others are so reluctant to embrace technological advances and the opportunities that come as a result. We find our different approach to work exciting and energizing.
A new approach to career development After over two years as house sitters, the way we have redesigned our work lives is the part of our story that excites me the most. For most people, house sitting provides an economical way to travel and see the world. Retirees see it as a way to explore how other people live with less of a commercial influence. We saw it as an opportunity to start our businesses. We cut our ties with the "normal" workplace and started our own virtual workplace. Not having an office that could be considered as both a luxury and a burden, has pushed us to commit to using technology that allows us to maintain our businesses on our laptops and in the "cloud".
How many would take this risk? We ask ourselves, how many 30-year-olds would take these risks, to leave stable employment in exchange for two start up businesses? The reluctance of others has created opportunities for us and anyone else who is prepared to take similar risks. We found that house sitting has taken away some of those risks, however, and eliminated some of the expenses of living. This has allowed us to focus on pursuing our dreams of being successful and independent business owners. I occasionally think back to those "what if" questions that Rachel and I asked ourselves at the beginning of this journey:
What if I could make money anywhere I can access the internet? What If I could house sit overseas and fund my travels? What if I didn't have to spend so many hours each week sitting in traffic?
I could go on for days, but I am sure you get the picture. I like to think about those questions, because we are living that dream, right now. House sitting has provided us with a lifestyle that allows us to operate two start-up businesses anywhere we have the internet! It blows my mind. This may be considered an alternative way to live but it is proving to be a very sensible and practical approach to life.
That infamous crystal ball and the future So, what does the future hold? Other people ask us, "So, when will you have kids?" And “when are you going to settle down?” We have no definite plan, is our answer. Rachel and I do have some guidelines for what our future will look like but we tend not to take a hard line approach to the future as we never know what other paths may present themselves. We may have never found house sitting if we had locked ourselves into a particular life plan. We are definitely going to continue house sitting and loving animals for as long as possible!It brings us such joy to provide a huge service to people and their beloved animals. We are also going to work at developing our businesses. We are lucky enough to be able to do what we want to do and live the way we want to live, and we see no need to change that approach. House sitting has taught us about taking things as they come and being flexible. From our experiences of house sitting we are increasingly more confident in our capacity to take on whatever challenges may come our way. When are we going to have children, and how will that change things? I don't know, but I know damn well that we will be better placed to take on that chapter of our lives because of our house sitting experience. We started this whole thing with the idea of "just living the dream" and there is no reason to ever stop living our dream.
You can see more of our story on our website - Just Living The Dream
TRAVEL INSURANCE A cautionary tale by Deborah Clohesy
When I decided to retire in December last year, my husband and I were living in Malaysia. We each (wisely, we thought) took out a travel insurance policy with AIG Malaysia. They are a multinational company recommended by a friend who sells insurance for a living. To our understanding this would adequately cover us for three monthly, renewable periods while we were away on our house and pet sitting travel adventure around the world. We were leaving behind an empty, but furnished apartment in Kuala Lumpur (KL), which we thought we could use between sits if we needed to.
Change of plans and insurance confusion in Australia On to Australia with three very pleasant sits in Brisbane over Christmas and New Year, where we put the finishing touches on our trip and booked our tickets. During this period we decided to give up the lease on our KL apartment and put our possessions in storage. We decided that we would rather risk being homeless than pay rent on an empty apartment. That meant our first stop after leaving Australia was KL where we packed up our goods and chattels and rented some storage space. I visited AIG and after speaking to various people there, was unable to get a definite answer as to whether or not we were still insured now that we had given up our apartment- something we had not thought would affect our cover. My husband got fed up with the confusion and took out a travel insurance policy with Qantas. He'd used them for cover on previous trips, but had never made a claim, and was now confident we were adequately insured (possibly twice!) as we continued on to Canada and the USA.
Adequately covered? We discovered not! At the beginning of our two month sit in Missouri I mentioned to our home owner that I had a persistent toothache. She recommended the local medical centre and told me to expect to pay “about $US 40” for a visit to her doctor. I was prescribed antibiotics and came away $US 120 (because I was a non-resident and a new patient) lighter, plus an extra $US 8 for the drugs. I had to pay in cash because my card was deemed unacceptable. Expensive, but hey, our insurance would cover it. Perhaps I could visit a dentist as well? When my husband submitted our claim to Qantas he was asked to provide our itinerary. After this was done we were informed that we were not in fact insured because we had taken out the policy after we had begun our trip. This was indeed correct but we were surprised that this was not mentioned when Qantas accepted our payment? We were quickly refunded everything we had paid, at least. AIG was also contacted and after days of emails back and forth it seemed we were not insured with them either, and we’re still awaiting a refund. So here we were in the most expensive country in the world in which to be ill, without any medical coverage. An American friend who was between jobs and thus not medically insured told us that he had taken out travel insurance which covered him if he was away from his home base, even if still in the USA. He was now living with his parents in another state so he was covered. We enquired but were ineligible for cover because we are not US citizens. We had gone from thinking we were doubly covered to not being covered at all. Panic set in.
On the search for a solution I posted about our dilemma on the House Sitting Magazine Group Facebook page and received lots of useful advice from members all over the world which benefited many members. Some who said that they had never taken out travel insurance because they assumed their domestic private health fund automatically covered them when they travelled. This is not the case. Others mentioned that when you pay for your airfare with a credit card you are automatically covered for three months, but this was no good to us as our plan was to travel for almost a year. We do not have credit cards and had already been travelling for a month. We needed to register with a company which would insure us mid-trip and allow us to renew our policy long term, as we now have no actual address and are fully nomadic. Some Group members had done extensive research into health insurance and recommended World Nomads as the best fit in our situation. We were able to take out a 12 month policy with World Nomads even though we were mid-trip. This company is very helpful, answers queries very quickly via email and has a Facebook page. There is also a chat facility via Facebook Messenger. While breathing sighs of relief I received another doctor’s bill for nearly $US 80 in the mail. We couldn’t work out what this extra bill was for, and neither could our local friends, so rather than risk my accent being misunderstood over the phone, I went to the administration office a few towns away. I was told the bill was the result of a computer glitch because I had paid the original amount in cash, and I should ignore the second amount. I wonder how many other, particularly elderly patients, receive similar bills which are paid without question.
The moral of this tale Thoroughly research your health insurance options before you travel. From our research and the suggestions we received, our recommendations would be World Nomads, and also True Traveller if you are British or European. Whoever you choose, make doubly sure that you are covered before you leave and find out what bills you receive are for before you pay them. TrueTraveler are able to insure permanent residents of the UK and all other Countries in the EEA when already travelling up to the age of 65. We have not yet needed to make a claim with World Nomads and are now in the UK, the land of NHS which has a reciprocal agreement with Australian Medicare. However, that tooth still worries me from time to time…
Notice: As with all insurance policies, it is important that you carry out your own research to obtain the cover that best suits you personally and your travel situation. Policies can change without notice and you may find age and medical restrictions apply.
WHAT IS A VPN? by James Burrows
VPN is an acronym for "Virtual Private Network" A VPN secures your devices (smartphone, tablet, laptop, desktop) when connecting to the internet by encrypting your connection end-to-end, protecting you from man-in-the-middle attacks. Information transferred between your devices and the internet (and vice-versa) is encrypted from prying eyes. Every device has an IP (internet protocol) address, which identifies each device using a unique string of numbers. It is a standard system used across the world. It is your IP address (and, by association, your geographical location), which either allows or restricts your device's access to certain websites.
Why do you need a VPN? The internet is, sadly, not as safe as many would like. Today's internet is akin to the Wild West. A VPN hides online activity from hackers, spies, internet service providers (ISPs), and governments. But for many users, the best feature of a VPN is fooling an online service you're in a particular country. For instance, if you're outside the UK, you will have trouble accessing BBC iPlayer. If you use Netflix, some shows will only stream in certain geographical locations. And some countries block websites/apps such as Google, WhatsApp, BBC, and social media platforms.
Individuals and businesses use VPNs for a variety of reasons:
when using open or public Wi-Fi to protect their devices and, more importantly, their data accessing sites which are blocked in a particular country protecting themselves from regimes which severely restrict freedom of speech and/or oppose the individual's or organisation's political ideology exercising their right to roam the web without fear of being under constant surveillance (thank you, Edward Snowden, for shining a light on the antics of the NSA and GCHQ).
For many of us (and especially readers of the House Sitting Magazine), our biggest concern is unlikely to be one of evading government surveillance or protecting our freedom of speech. For those who travel and work internationally, we need to protect ourselves when using public Wi-Fi (cafes, hotels, airports, and any open network). And our biggest requirement is normally ensuring we can access our favourite programs on BBC iPlayer, Netflix, HBO, or watching funny animal videos on YouTube!
Benefits of using a VPN A VPN helps users access online services, no matter where they are in the world. However, not all VPNs are created equal. Each has its strengths and, depending on a user's requirements, the VPN's USPs (unique selling points) will determine which is the best choice. We currently use CyberGhost as we were given a free subscription for writing a complimentary blog about the free version of their software (which, unfortunately, is no longer available). NordVPN is perfect for streaming Netflix (some series only stream in certain countries). And we streamed the 2018 World Cup via BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub whilst house sitting in Vietnam, using ExpressVPN. We did this for free as they offer a free 30-day trial, which was for the duration of the competition. Being an England fan, I didn't expect to need the full 30 days…
Is a VPN legal? VPNs are legal in most countries and have been used by individuals and businesses for years. However, a number of countries have banned VPNs. These include China, Russia, and Turkey. Our advice is to research the country you're visiting, as ignorance is no defence. As a foreigner using a VPN, you're unlikely to get in much trouble if you're caught using one. What you access via the VPN (rather than using a VPN) is what will or won't get you into trouble, should you get caught. Streaming Game of Thrones or watching cat videos on YouTube is unlikely call the attention of the authorities.
How do you use a VPN?
Investigate your options. Decide on a VPN service. Sign-up. Download and install the VPN on your device/s. Select a server in the country you want an online service to think you're in i.e. the UK for the BBC. Use the internet as normal.
That's it. Simple.
How do you choose a VPN? This depends on what is important to you. It could be ease-of-use, price, speed, accessing a particular platform, customer support, or a mix. Jigsaw Kloud has extensively researched and tested numerous VPNs. We've whittled the many VPNs down to three, based on our experience, and online reviews. VPN's that didn't make the final 3 but deserve a mention are: CyberGhost, PureVPN, TunnelBear, ZenMate, Hide My Ass, VyprVPN, and HotSpot. The 3 VPNs recommended by Jigsaw Kloud are as follows:
James Burrows is a freelance business consultant trading as Jigsaw Kloud. He helps businesses organise and protect their data using cloud software, and designs websites and offers a variety of other services. He travels the world with his girlfriend, Mariandrea, supporting their lifestyle continually by house sitting. You can read more at: https://jigsawkloud.co.uk or check out their TrustedHouseSitter's profile
Attention Travel Bloggers: Embed your social feeds and Instagram Stories with this versatile set of tools Review by Ian Usher
Vanessa and I have taken on a BIG challenge! We're attempting to squeeze 52 house sits into 52 weeks. Why? You'll find the answer to that on the "ABOUT" page at our new website: https://52sits.com/about/ We're already a few weeks into our challenge, as as this issue of the magazine "goes to press" we'll be on Sit #7. The weeks seem to be flying by. Before we began we wondered about the best way to share the adventure with others, as we knew that we'd only have limited time for blogging or making videos.
Vanessa, our social media queen, did her research, and decided that Instagram Stories would be the best medium to use for quick and easy sharing of the fun. If you're not familiar with Instagram they have been a part of the Facebook empire since 2012, when the small app run by a company of 13 people was bought out for a whopping US $1 billion. People thought Mark Zuckerberg was crazy at the time, but the deal now looks cheap when compared to 2014 $19 billion purchase of WhatsApp by Facebook. Anyway, Instagram began as an images social media platform, but later added video sharing too. In August 2016 they launched Instagram Stories, in direct competition with SnapChat, and have gone from strength to strength, with millions of users accessing the platform on a daily basis. Two unique aspects of Instagram's video Stories are: they can only be a maximum of 15 seconds long they only last for 24 hours, then disappear from the platform, never to be seen again I suppose the thinking behind this is that it encourages people to post on a very regular basis, keeping content fresh and new. I think it is also designed to encourage creativity, as it is fun to be imaginative, to see what you can fit into 15 seconds, to try to tell a little story. However, we thought, surely it is nice to keep a back-catalogue of our posts, much like you do on a blog, on YouTube, or even with pictures on Instagram. As we created the 52sits.com website we looked around for something that might suit our needs.
Introducing EmbedSocial EmbedSocial have a range of tools to help embed useful content on your website, but the one we were most interested in was EmbedStories.
This wonderful little plugin does exactly what we were looking for. It was the only app we could find that worked in this way. So now, when we post a new Instagram Story, it goes up on Instagram, where it can be seen for 24 hours, and then disappears. But in the meantime EmbedSocial grabs a copy of the story and stashes it on their server. We can then embed all of our saved stories on our website, using one of EmbedSocial's widget or gallery templates. So now we can have a complete history of all Instagram Stories we have created and posted, embedded right on the home page of our website.
What a great tool for travel bloggers, or for anyone wanting to share via quick, easy-to-make video clips. If you think EmbedSocial might be just what you have been looking for, you can find out more here: https://embedsocial.com/
NOTE: You can find us on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/housesittingmag/ or search for hashtag: #52sits
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HOUSE SITTING WEBSITE NEWS
HOUSE SIT MEXICO NEW MEMBER-TO-MEMBER REVIEW SYSTEM For those of you who are members at House Sit Mexico, you'll be pleased to hear that an important feature - House Sitting Reviews - has now been added! On your dashboard you'll find a new REVIEW section where you can "write a review" and send it for approval, and view reviews you've sent and received. You'll be alerted by email if a review is added on your profile. Members have the option to publish their reviews to their house sitter Profiles, or future Listings. If you'd like to know more about House Sitting Mexico or even join the site with a 25% discount, USE CODE: HSM25 at the link below: https://HouseSittingMagazine.com/HouseSitMexico
MIND MY HOUSE GETS A MAKEOVER! Exciting news this week was the announcement that Mind My House has just launched the slightly overdue but big, bold, new and improved version 3 of their house sitting matching service. They've made the site more user friendly with a new user dashboard. What else did they do?
They added some fun new icons They redesigned the Support Centre to be easier to use They redesigned the edit-my-listing process to be easier to use They redesigned the Message Centre They redesigned the listings pages They also redesigned the MindMyHouse emails
Has anyone checked it out yet? Let us know in the House Sitting Magazine Facebook Group what you think!
INTERVIEW WITH A HOUSE SITTER This month we have the pleasure of interviewing fellow house sitting couple, Suzanne and her husband Les (formerly known as "The Squire" on her blog). They are early retirees and full-time house sitters, who love to travel and explore new countries and cultures.
Q - How did you get introduced to house sitting? After years of working and building up a lifestyle (orchard), to living in a motorhome full time, we needed another challenge which involved traveling. After 3 months touring around parts of Europe in 2015, we came back home to New Zealand with the realization we didn't want to stay in one place.
We had plenty of time to do that after we were 65. So out came Mr Google, who lead us down that information packed tunnel to TrustedHousesitters. As the old saying goes, the rest is history!
Q - When did you decide to sell up and go homeless? During our first year house sitting outside New Zealand, we kept our motorhome in storage and rented out our near new home. Having a rental, and all that goes with it plus a motorhome deteriorating in storage, caused us to rethink how we were doing things. With our commitment to house sitting we decided the best strategy to sell up all our assets (we didn't consider the motorhome an asset) and commit to being full-time house sitters. During the second year we decided to sell our home in Papamoa Beach, New Zealand. Next we sold our accumulated "stuff", keeping some treasures aside in a storage unit. This now made us technically "homeless", but with the knowledge we could buy another home if or when we feel the time is right. We still believe this is the best move we made.
Q - What made you choose Melbourne, Australia, for your first overseas trip? Way back in the seventies having a penpal was a common hobby with teenagers and adults alike. My first penpal was a girl living on the outskirts of Melbourne. As soon as I had saved enough money from the first job, I set about making plans to visit her. This is when I got my first real taste of what traveling was like. I was hooked.
Q - You're obviously a coffee lover - what was your most memorable coffee experience while traveling? At the train station in Paris in 2006, as soon as our feet hit the ground we went in search of a coffee. Tired and needing to catch our breath. A hot coffee and people watching. Thinking at last, we were in Paris once again.
Q - What most attracted you to the idea of house sitting? Slow traveling and our enjoyment of being homebodies for a short time in between travels. With our natural affinity to understanding pets, we've found it very easy to adapt to the house sitter lifestyle. It also gives us a chance to give back to a community and people who we are fortunate enough to visit. When traveling it is hard to do, house sitting is very much a win-win situation, as long as communication and expectations are realistic.
Q - Where was your first house sit and who were the pets? Our first house sit was for friends and family many years ago. Our first "professional" house sit was situated in the beautiful scenic area of Cornwall. The first golden retriever we cared for went by the name of "Seve".
Q - What's your experience with repeat sits? Do you prefer new experiences or are you happy to return for a 2nd or 3rd time? The jury is still out on whether doing repeat house sits are a good idea. We enjoyed doing all that we have agreed to do. The people who we have house sat for, were caring and we enjoyed spending time with them and of course looking after their pets.
As for re-sits, we do enjoy doing some though do prefer to add some new places and faces throughout the year.
Q - What changes have you seen in the world of house sitting since you first started out? Positive - The biggest positive is the increased number of homeowners who are now trusting experienced people to care for their home and pets. Negative - The publishing of blog posts about how you can get free accommodation and travel via house sitting. House sitting is not all about free accommodation. Of course, it does come into it, but it cannot be emphasized enough that there is a big responsibility that comes with taking on the role of looking after someone's most valuable assets and their beloved pets. Most importantly you must have a genuine love for animals and their welfare. A natural affinity has to come into the prerequisite of being a house sitter.
Q - What do you love most about the house sitting lifestyle? The caring of the animals, the comforts that come with staying in a "home" vs. a "hotel". To take a deep breath and spend some time to absorb all that we have seen and experienced. The usual cliche reasons in that we genuinely love animals - when walking dogs, we do get to engage with the locals and become, for a little while, part of that community.
We love experiencing new cultures, trying different foods and learning about the history of the various countries we are fortunate enough to visit.
Q - While traveling, which culture has made the biggest impression on you? Turkey would have to be the most eye-opening culture we have spent months house sitting in. We also spent weeks doing road trips before we started to house sit. We have completed two house sits there, and at both we enjoyed learning more about how life is over there. To be honest all the countries we have visited have made an impression on us that will last a lifetime. Our favourite countries to house sit in would be Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Portugal, France and the UK.
Q - Can you tell us something about the relationships you've built with homeowners over time? Each and every relationship is different. We have kept in touch with some and call them friends. We have been fortunate enough to house sit at some dating back to our first year, which is 3 years ago now. Some people we have chosen not to keep in contact with as time goes on, for various reasons. I think the biggest reason is that most people who do use house sitters are very busy people. We have no hesitation in keeping in touch with those homeowners where there is a mutual connection and respect. Though for most we do only get to spend a day, or sometimes only hours with them, or even less. One reason we do love keeping in contact is to see how the pets are going. It is quite hard and time-consuming to keep in contact with all.
Q - What do you say to a homeowner who says "I couldn't let a stranger into my house" A stranger is a friend you have yet to meet.
Q - What types of people do you think might struggle with house and pet sitting? People who are not flexible, who do not take on board instructions from homeowners. Even if you do think they may be wrong, you need to put previous experience aside, listen and learn a new way of doing things. The biggest asset is having a genuine love of animals, if you don't you won't last as a house sitter.
Having an easy going personality does help to adapt to travel and the many and varied ways people live.
Q - Is house sitting part of a long-term plan or do you have other travel options you'd like to try? At the moment, we are enjoying where our house sitting journey is taking us. As with all things we have undertaken, we do have long-term plans that are flexible and which we do revise yearly. It all depends on our health and whether we are still enjoying the lifestyle. As I have mentioned we are loving it and have no intention of stopping, at the moment!
If you would like to follow Suzanne and Les, take a wander over to their website at: https://globehousesitterx2.com/ or follow them on Instagram
The next issue of House Sitting Magazine will be available from 15th December 2018
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