House Sitting Magazine Issue 27: August 2019

You'll find extra news, reviews and snippets throughout the magazine!

Cover Page Photo Credit - David Daniel of New Nomads

Back for more Ian Usher

Solo, Female, Over 55? Love Travel?

Collaborative piece

How we regained our trust Mati Ortiz

Tales of dog walking Ian Gledhill

Looking after guinea pigs Exotic Direct

House sitting in Asia at 70 Raye Coates

Does being nomadic impact your family?

Andrew Redfern

Travel Apps Collaboration from House Sitting Magazine Facebook Group

Solo traveling in your 50's Jane Buckley-Hall

52 sits - Goal Achieved Ian Usher

Avoid isolation as a female traveler Deborah Provenzale

Are you a professional?

Ian Usher

In the next issue...

BACK FOR MORE...

by Ian Usher Over the past year we've done many more repeat sits than we ever have before.

We've been trying to keep on track with our "52 house sits in 52 weeks" challenge, so we've been doing lots of shorter sits, many just over a weekend. Some of our home owners seem to take these short breaks quite often, and after a successful first assignment, we're often invited back again.

There is a nice feeling of familiarity in returning to the same house, the same pets, the same routines. Handovers are much easier, and on several occasions we've just collected a key and let ourselves in after the home owners have left.

The pets seem to settle quickly too, and in most cases it seems like they remember us. This is easier to gauge with dogs rather than cats, of course, as most cats seem to exude a casual attitude of, "Oh, you're back, are you?"

As we prepare to publish this issue of House Sitting Magazine we have returned to a house and menagerie of animals we looked after three years ago.

In fact, this was where we worked on publishing the very first issue of House Sitting Magazine.

Here is the picture we posted of Hamish helping Vanessa with that first issue, in June of 2016.

I was really looking forward to coming back, as Hamish is such a fun little dog. He likes to tear around the house and garden with a toy, teasing us, wanting us to chase him.

And he just loves to run. Across the road from the house there is a disused railway line that is now a public bridleway and cycle track. We follow the track for a couple of miles in either direction, Hamish loping along tirelessly as I cycle beside him, just keeping pace with him.

In one direction there is a pub which serves great beer and very tasty fish'n'chips. We go that way more often than the other!

Back at the house Hamish is equally helpful as Vanessa works on this issue of the magazine.

Here's Hamish helping out with issue #27, three years after we first met him.

At this sit we also have a small flock of 14 sheep to monitor, two pigs to look after, plus a hamster and a couple of fish. However the pay-off is worth it. We have a swimming pool, a hottub, a tennis court, and a home cinema in a beautifully converted attic area.

Three years seem to have flown by since we were last here, but when we look back at all the places we have been, the animals we have looked after, the people we have met, and the homes we have lived in, we also seem to have squeezed a lot of life into that time too.

And we wouldn't change any of it. House sitting really has helped us create and enjoy a wonderful lifestyle.

So if you're on the fence, wondering if house sitting might be something you'd like to try, we hope to inspire you to jump in and give it a go. In fact, if it's inspiration you're looking for, we believe there is no better place to find it than the very first House & Pet Sitting Conference. It's only a month away, and if you're in or near the UK in late September, we encourage you to come along. Find out more here: https://HouseAndPetSittingConference.com/ We hope you enjoy this issue of House Sitting Magazine.

Ian and Vanessa (currently house sitting in Droxford, Hampshire)

SOLO? OVER 55? FEMALE? LOVE TRAVEL? Collaborative Article

When I headed off around the world on my own 25 years ago, it was considered a brave (some would say foolhardy) thing to do - but I was at that point in my life where I needed the challenge of discovery, both of the world and myself. And it was amazing - it gave me a new found confidence that transitioned me into a new phase of life.

Today it seems there are many women who travel around the world alone and more and more are finding the courage to head off for their first adventures. "Sisters are doing it for themselves" (as Annie Lennox once sang) - and they are loving it!

And it's not just young women, there's a new category of solo travellers, women who have found themselves emptynesters, divorced, retired with stay at home husbands, or sadly widowed prematurely.

You only have to look on Facebook to see how many women are members of female travel groups, and age specific groups too - over 40's, over 50's, over 60's solo female communities.

Booking.com recently surveyed women in the USA and found that 65% are taking vacations without their partners. Often teaming up with other women along the way.

So this month we reached out to some of our solo women house sitters over the age of 55 (age picked out of a hat - no relevance), to see how they got started, how things are panning out and what you might need to consider if thinking of following in their footsteps.

We hope this gives you some inspiration to travel and house sit sometime soon!

DONNAE "The Travelling Crone" Follow Donnae at her website: TravellingCrone.com Before I retired at 65, I went on month long trips "abroad"- isn't that a delightful word? A broad abroad - that was me.

Anyway, for the previous 5 years I was solo and would volunteer at wildlife rescues with a week of R&R at the end. It was a good way for me to learn to travel alone – there was some structure and company in the form of other volunteers, but I also got to push my boundaries learning to travel alone.

The whole time I was plotting and fantasizing about what my retirement would look like. As it evolved, I knew I wanted to experience what full time travelling felt like – to have no home or job to come back to.

I don't have children or a life partner so there was nothing tying me down. In reality, no roots to speak of.

I had been hoping that I would be able to continue volunteering but the last few I did showed me that maybe that wasn't going to be possible anymore. You see when you volunteer at these places without a relevant skill set, your money and your ability to do "grunt work" is what they need most. Well I didn't have as much money as I used to and my physical prowess as I aged, was diminishing.

When I came across TrustedHousesitters I was over the moon! I would have a place to stay in exchange for taking care of the people's pets, so it would help with the budget and I'd get to hang with animals - win win.

I love animals and I had been pet sitting for a friend for years. In preparation I took two pet first aid courses, signed up to the house sit website and took a local sit to get my feet wet. It was a huge success and I even managed to cope with a bear encounter without anyone getting hurt.

The year before I retired, I slowly started clearing out 25 years of accumulated stuff… it was tough. My roommate and I had lived in that apartment for a long time, so it wasn't just the stuff that was a challenge. I have a cat who was bonded to her, as well as her cat. Emotional stuff, to be sure. But we got through it and she agreed to let me have one closet and a locker for the stuff I couldn't part with and to keep the place as my permanent address. She also agreed to keep Sadi and in return I would pay her an agreed upon amount every month. I also kept my beloved Bella (my 1990 Miata) in the downstairs garage.

In January 2018 I flew to Guatemala to start my new life as a gypsy.

Since then I have pet sat all over the world – Mexico, South Africa, Israel, Egypt, Turkey and back here in British Columbia. All together it has been 12 sits.

Of course, there have been challenges – I almost lost a cat in Israel to a bowel obstruction which traumatized me no end. But the pet owner and her vet were amazing, so we got through it and the cat lives on.

I have loved it all, including the challenges. I have learned and grown so much. I am much more confident and believe in my abilities, both as a traveler as well as a pet sitter. I don't ever remember being nervous or scared of pet sitting. I read the reviews and talk to the people and trust my gut.

Being able to stay in someone's home and experience their neighborhood, whether it is in Cairo or Salt Spring Island, is an honor and a blessing. Staying in an Airbnb is great, but doesn't come close to the immersive adventure that pet sitting gives me.

I get to meet awesome people (if they care enough about their pets to give them the gift of staying in their own home instead of a kennel, how could they be anything but awesome?), and delightful pets while I make my way around the world. How lucky am I?

EDITH LENNON Find Edith's profile on TrustedHousesitters Two years ago, I mustered all the courage I had, flew out of New York on New Year's Eve, and rented a car for three weeks to explore Ireland. I was a 58-year-old widow taking my first solo international trip since my college years. I had no real plan, but I would force myself to be open to new possibilities. My approach turned out to be serendipitous.

On a chilly evening, spent near the town of Lisdoonvarna, County Clare, my Airbnb host and I savored a cup of tea while we chatted about our travels. I asked how she managed to get away as often as she did, considering we were surrounded by her large menagerie of pets. "I belong to an organization called TrustedHousesitters," she told me. "I find vetted sitters to stay with my pets and watch my house while I'm gone."

I was intrigued, both as a pet owner and frequent traveler. Of course, I'd sat for many people I knew, but this network of service exchange (free after a membership fee) sounded like a brilliant bargain. My host saw the way I interacted with her many dogs and cats (I spent most of my time on the floor with them) and suggested that I check into becoming a sitter myself.

And so, after another three months of European travel, I returned to the United States, joined TrustedHousesitters and started pulling together my portfolio. I was especially motivated after I lost my Mickey, my sweet 17-year-old Silky Terrier. I'd had dogs all my life and felt the hole he left behind terribly.

Fortunately, I found it easy to get my first sits, because my goal was to stay near home, apply for short stays initially, and seek out more rural destinations (my preference anyway), that might not be as appealing to other sitters.

I also looked to travel over major holidays, like Christmas and the US Thanksgiving, which have less competition.

I've since completed five local sits through TrustedHousesitters (that is, within about 500 miles of home — the US is a big country!). I do many more for friends and through word of mouth, and I am busy enough that I've had to turn down several offers.

Obviously, as I continue to do this, I'll encounter some negatives, but honestly I haven't yet. I've really enjoyed each experience and have fallen a little in love with all of the animals I've had in my care (just dogs and cats so far, although I would love to expand to horses and farm animals).

I've met lovely people — including other solo women living their own rich lives — and I'm very gratified that pet and homeowners reach out to me for repeat sits.

When I first started through a website, it was with an eye toward doing this internationally. I've been a globetrotter all my life and I'd still like to do sits in other countries if the right opportunities arise. But for now, I'm quite content with my local experiences, because for me, it's actually all about the pets — I so miss the company of animals.

I'll always travel, I'll always manage to do that; what I can't do anymore is commit to having another pet of my own. Sitting provides me with a way to spend extended quality time with animals. That's my half of the bargain, and I'm thrilled with it.

JULIE LOPEZ Follow on Instagram @julielopez54321 It had been a recurring statement of mine. I wanted to leave Seattle and the home that no longer held a spark of happiness for me, so that I could travel. I wanted to explore and have adventures big and small, see new places and meet different people.

So in 2018 I did just that. I sold my condo and I sold my business. My belongings were packed up and put in storage.

I had just turned 55 and it was time to shut up and do what I said I’d wanted to do for so many years.

Between then and now there have been highs and lows, positive experiences and not so positive times. I’m on my 8th house sit and on the lookout for my next.

Having owned a pet care business in Seattle for 10 years looking after homes and pets, it seemed a logical option for seeing new places, providing experienced care and keeping to a fairly strict budget so that I could travel for at least a year. December 2019 will be the 2 year anniversary of what I call "being home free"!

And the lessons I’ve learned… in no particular order: Pack less than what I think I need. Depending on the weather of course, I typically only wear 2 or 3 outfits. But also allow for an item (or items) that make that small sense of "home" to wherever you might be. For me it’s a framed picture of me and my mother when I was a child.

Not all house sits are created equal. But each one provides an opportunity to learn something new and challenge myself (i.e. preparing for a hurricane, power/appliance/ac outages, rogue pets who like to escape, leaking roofs) Always ask detailed questions when speaking to potential house sit homeowners. This is one instance when more is better! Having extensive written instructions and guidelines is crucial especially for longer sits. This is particularly important during emergency situations when the homeowner may not be immediately reachable. Basically "interview" them, because if this is going to be a long sit you need to know what environment you’ll be in and what the personalities and quirks of the animals might be.

No two TV remotes are the same.

THE hardest part of house sitting is saying goodbye to the animals. It breaks my heart every single time!

I am a fairly classic introvert so traveling solo and having a lot of solitude suits me just fine.

When I want to socialize or meet people I join Meetup groups, check Facebook for local events that peak my interest, or sign up for an "Airbnb Experience". Sometimes it's as simple as going to a coffeehouse or bar and striking up a conversation with the barista, bartender or person sitting next to me.

Since I’m currently not working my days are filled with writing, meditation, yoga, reading, walking, playing with the pets I’m looking after and photography. All the things I didn’t have time for when I owned my business and worked 7 days a week.

Am I officially retired?

Not yet, but I’m doing pretty well at practicing for it when the time comes. Researching what "work" (making money to pay the bills - or fund more travel) looks like for me is another way I spend my time. My goal is to find or create work that allows me to remain nomadic.

It’s interesting to see the various responses I get when people ask me "What I do or where I live". They range from a pinch-faced concerned stare to an audible sigh of "Oh, I wish I could do that"!

And here's the thing, while this lifestyle may not be for everyone, if it’s a dream of yours to pack up and go - then by all means DO IT! Is it easy with no worries or cares in the world?

Definitely not… well sometimes, but not all the time. But it is an adventure, and a roller coaster of experiences that allows for a true appreciation of what it means to live and love and to genuinely know what is important to you.

It allows you to see what the world is like outside of your comfort zone and how people live and how, ultimately, we are all truly similar.

NIKI DODSWELL Follow at her website: NickyAbroad.com My marriage had ended and my children were all overseas. I'd moved to another city for a dream job that did not live up to expectations and my health was suffering. Since childhood my dream had been to travel. What better time to start?

My possessions went into storage, I rented out my house and took flight to Mexico where my eldest son was living. We travelled together for two weeks before I joined a tour group in Mexico City. I left it in San Jose in Costa Rica.

After that, I was on my own.

My intended year away from New Zealand crept into three. There was little planning and my decisions sometimes depended on family circumstances. I had not travelled on my own before and was naïve in the ways of solo travel. Central America was perhaps an unusual place to start!

I perfected the art of slow travel.

It didn't matter if I didn't see all the sights. The people I met were more important. Sitting on a park bench in a foreign city provided free entertainment and the opportunity to chat to locals (or be harassed by the hawkers!). I was travelling on a budget and stayed a minimum of three nights in cheap hotels, hostels or Airbnbs. When I wanted to linger in one place for a while, I applied for a house sit with TrustedHousesitters.

Vermont was the location of my first foray into house sitting. I spent two months there in December and January.

This is not the ideal time to visit Vermont unless you like snow! I had a large dog to walk four times a day. He leapt and capered whilst I attempted to re-trace the tracks from our previous walk. We both wore high viz vests as it was hunting season and the owner didn't want us to be mistaken for a deer. It was a lonely time, especially at Christmas. I did a lot of knitting!

At the opposite extreme, I managed an Airbnb in Byron Bay, Australia, also in December and January. There was a constant flow of guests in the two rooms and I was changing sheets and cleaning every morning. I walked up to the lighthouse at 6 am before the sun found its heat, and swam and sunbathed at the panoramic beach in the afternoon. Byron was busy and there was plenty of activity.

I always took care of dogs and/or cats. Dogs were more restrictive and time consuming with regular walking and feeding times. I couldn't leave them alone for too long. Cats were more independent. My charges included a neurotic Airedale, a cat who wouldn't come near me and another who launched a rear attack at my legs if I didn't provide food on demand! I had to get used to dogs sleeping in my room and cats on my bed.

Most owners wanted to chat on Skype beforehand. I found it beneficial to arrive a day or two early so the animals could become accustomed to me. It was also reassuring for the owners to know their pets were in safe hands.

Back in New Zealand and homeless after selling my house, I joined KiwiHouseSitters and was inundated with requests. The demand was such I could afford to be selective. My last house sit was in Taupo with two cats and a dog. I bought a house whilst I was there, am friends with the owners and now have a new base from which to set off and explore the world.

SIAN GRIFFITHS Follow on Facebook I love having something to look forward to. My husband often moans that I plan too much and do too much, but I just see life as an adventure to be had. It'll be over all too soon. I might be 58 but don't feel it. While I'm fit and well, I'm going to keep on doing what I'm doing.

I'm very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work for 30 years and retire on a pension.

Not a huge one but it keeps us ticking over. Both my husband and I were fire-fighters in the London fire brigade.

I travel on some occasions without my husband. Sometimes alone and sometimes with other women friends. I'm constantly thinking of the next thing to do. I don't have savings or loads of money but I make it happen. That's why swapping, volunteering and house sits are great.

I see travel as liberating and informing. I haven't gone as far afield as I would have liked due to work and family obligations (grandkids). But now that's changed I want to go further. I'm planning a train trip with a woman friend to Uzbekistan next year. I have 2 marathons booked with women pals, Valencia & Cyprus. I'm not fast but I'm determined. While I'm alive and well, why not eh!

I've never been good with saving money as I just spend it. Mostly on doing stuff and eating out!!! Often with the family, as well as friends.

I have gratitude for making it this far when some of my friends haven't. People are getting ill or dying and I just take that as a sign to make the most of life for as long as I can.

I also had skin cancer last year. Luckily I'm fine but it heightened the realization that if you're going to do anything, do it now. We only get one chance. So one of the reasons I investigated house sitting was to help us decide where we wanted to live next.

We think it's Devon, so our first sit will be there. When I retired I started to declutter and am now emotionally unattached from my stuff. We rented out our house and moved up north, where our son was, to help with the 2 grandchildren. We enjoyed it so much we concluded that living in London was no longer as desirable as it had been.

It became clear that if we sold our house, we could liberate our money and share it with our two kids. They could buy homes, and wouldn't have to wait until we died to get their inheritance. We on the other hand could move to my dream location, by the sea, wherever that is, we just have to find it.

House sitting will help us do that. We can buy our dream home, rent it out and continue looking after people's homes and pets. It's a win-win. So I'm very excited at this chance to discover the world via people's homes. Much nicer. Also while our first sit is as a couple I have my next one on my own.

I have no qualms about sitting alone. I rather relish it. I have lots of books to catch up on and marathons to train for. So I'm sure there will be future solo sits.

SHARON BOWATER As for many people, it was a life changing event that set me on my house sitting journey. At 52 my marriage ended and my youngest was almost ready to leave home. To be honest after the initial shock, all I could see in front of me was a big world full of opportunities.

I'm an "all or nothing" kind of person so I had no problem getting rid of everything and starting fresh. My sons were supportive... or maybe it was stunned silence, I'm not absolutely sure. That first year was a bit of a blur for all of us I think.

I knew about house sitting because my mum was an occasional house sitter for friends. I already had a small online income so that's how I started. I got on my computer and set up my first profile on a house sit site, started applying for sits and emailed my CV to people offering my typing services online.

During my first few years of house sitting and travel from when I started out in 2015, I stayed close to home for family reasons, but when I landed a sit in Hawaii and I felt like I was really on my journey. I can take myself right back to that feeling I had standing on Waikiki Beach, it blew my mind.

House sitting around the world is my life right now, although I'm not sure if it will always be. I can settle down again anytime I choose, but I'm having too much fun travelling right now.

I enjoy the homeowner and sitter relationship and the trust involved, sometimes with relaxed homeowners who are experienced at having house sitters, and sometimes with more nervous first timers.

It's important to be respectful of a homeowner's privacy, their home and pets. I've learnt to accept that when I'm in someone's home I do things their way. This trust economy works well when everyone plays the game fairly.

I also like the low footprint of house sitting. When I arrive there's usually food in the fridge and a welcome note with any last minute instructions. When I leave I replace anything I used, clean up and make sure there is fresh food in the fridge. My current homeowners are vegan and I know where they like to shop, so it's nice to leave something I know they will appreciate.

Planning far in advance doesn't work for me. I used to book up to a year ahead, but since I've grown more confident I like to leave my options more open, sometimes only booking a couple of months into the future. Something always seems to come up.

I like to do 6 weeks or so in one place but sits can range from a weekend to many months, so it's really a matter of being flexible. I can stay in a tiny bedsit in the centre of London for a week or a huge house in the mountains of Mexico for two months, followed by six weeks in Belgium and four weeks in the south of France, with a week in between to pop to Venice for a holiday.

All of which I have done and yeah, it's fun.

Facebook is my main form of communication. My personal page is where my friends see my travel stories and private groups are where I talk with family, other female traveller groups and our house sitting community. By belonging to our global tribe of house sitters, I never feel alone. We meet up all over the world, share stories and support each other. House sitting can be character building - there are so many opportunities, and people with interesting lifestyles, homes and animals. The sharing economy is alive and pumping and it warms my heart to be a part of it.

HOW WE REGAINED OUR TRUST

by Mati Ortiz In Argentina, where we come from, we do not trust anyone.

I know, it's sad but true.

Our social and economic world is so unstable and we have been deceived so many times that trust is rarely seen these days.

And even though we have always been reluctant to stop trusting, we finally did it after what happened to us in 2018. We were quite sure we would never trust again.

How this adventure began As any story worth telling, it all begins with a happy situation turning into a nightmare.

In 2018, Lu and I were quite tired of our current regular office jobs. And so after an intense search for a change, a single company offered each of us better jobs with higher salaries, more responsibilities and professional development. We were quite excited. It also meant moving to Patagonia and we were sure we would be able to travel more and know new places.

Before taking the plunge, we spent several months negotiating conditions directly with the company owner who at all times encouraged us to do it.

And so, after 10 years in our old job, we decided to quit and follow our instincts.

But the very same week we arrived at the new office, a huge crisis hit Argentina, our currency was devalued and the new company automatically found itself in a big financial situation as well.

Just two months later (August 2018) the owner summoned us in his office to tell us that we were fired as he could not afford our salaries.

We were out. No plans. No jobs. No money.

And definitely, unable to trust again.

Yeah, we did have a plan B So far, 2018 was the year when everything was going wrong.

But we had a plan B: travelling the world.

During our last short vacation trip we had already felt the urge to stay longer, to travel light and to enjoy the culture of the places we visited in a slow way. We wanted to be travellers, not just tourists.

But it's easier said than done. We had no jobs, no tools and we did not trust anybody. Perfect combination to get depressed and spend day after day at home watching Netflix.

However, giving up was not in our plans.

And then what?

At that time, we were lost in the middle of nowhere and knew very little about what to do next.

But what we did know was that being inside an office, with pressures, ugly jobs and people, was no longer an option for us.

I wanted to pick up my profession as an English to Spanish translator but I was not willing to be a victim of low rates, bad clients who do not value your work, and ever changing incomes.

I invested the little savings I had in digital training and founded my project LetrasNómadas through which I translate in the coaching field and help other translators to overcome the freelancers' problems I mentioned above.

Lu, also invested her savings to become a professional virtual assistant and by the end of the year she already had 3 clients.

By then we knew that a new life was possible.

How to slow travel Our economic situation was improving and we were working from home only with our laptops.

One part of our dream (not working in an office), was becoming true.

But… How were we supposed to travel the world? The money we were doing was not enough to pay for long terms B&Bs or hostels.

In our new community of digital nomads a new alternative suddenly appeared: house sitting.

We understood it was a professional job so we decided to take a training course, which turned out to be quite effective.

We never imagined that our passion for animals, for growing our own vegetables and taking care of friend's homes and pets while they were away on holidays would someday serve a higher purpose. But it did.

To our surprise, our first application was a success. We immediately connected with the home owners, who immediately accepted us for their first house sitting experience too.

Like the Phoenix, one more time trust was arising from the ashes.

We were brokenhearted, we had decided not to trust anybody again. We were quite sure of that at the time, but …

Shall we give trust a last chance?

Would house sitting give us hope?

We did give trust a last chance.

And so with eyes folded, we spent the little money we had and bought the tickets at once.

Mexico, here we go!

We left home with a small bag, our camera and our laptops, nothing more, nothing less.

Our first house sit was there, waiting for us and full of surprises.

The magic of the way We have been house sitting for only two months now but we can say they were the best months ever: 

 

The home owners welcomed us as if we were lifelong friends. Before they left,they invited us to have dinner at a restaurant, to share a family movie night and to walk the dogs with them.

As time went by, the neighbours invited us to have a nice dinner out and meet their friends.

We have met other travellers and house sitters who, after seeing how professionally we are taking this lifestyle, have recommended us.

  

We have been enjoying the love of Thor and Pearl, who are now having a nap with their heads on our feet.

We've had the chance to meet local people, go out with them, taste their food and participate in local activities.

We have had a nice and quiet place to work, comfortable and with reliable internet access.

The best way to slow travel And now we think that this is a great opportunity for us in Latin America, to stop complaining about our economic problems, to once and for all change our mindset and start making our dreams come true.

House sitting is that opportunity we were waiting for to travel inexpensively, as long as you understand that:  



It's a job that has to be taken seriously and professionally.

It does not mean free lodging. You have to work. The pets are your clients and you are never paid with money but with the possibility of enjoying a fully equipped house while getting to know new places.

You are not a tourist, you are a traveller whose first priority is not sightseeing, but taking care of other people's house and pets.

What will the future bring?

We do not know for certain.

When we end this house sit, a couple in La Paz, Baja California, and their three dogs will be waiting for us to take care of their home while they are away on holidays in Spain. We are excited about it!

It's said that La Paz has the best beaches in Mexico, and the home owners will leave us their car to visit them all. We hope we can take the dogs with us too!

And after that… who knows?

We trust something good will come with the tide.

Wait, wait, wait… have I just written the word "trust"?

Well, we have to admit it, we found out that trust has finally proved to be at the core of house sitting lifestyle. We are happy to trust and be trusted again!

So if you have also given up trust, pick up house sitting, give trust a second chance and let yourself be amazed by how it pays off.

Mati Ortiz is an English to Spanish Translator who translates for personal development professionals and also in the house sitting field. He is the founder of LetrasNómadas.

Lu is a virtual assistant and is currently working with three clients. She helps them with emails and social media.

TALES OF DOG WALKING

by Ian Gledhill Walking is one of the best exercises that humans can take part in, so as a pet sitter there are some real benefits to going for a stroll with our four-legged friends.

We really enjoy our daily walks with the dogs that we look after, and where we can, we do two walks a day with them. Over the last 10 months, since we started pet sitting, we have walked over 3 million steps and quite a few of those have been with dogs.

Routine Since pet sitting in October 2018 we have looked after 19 dogs in 12 locations in 3 countries.

With all of the dogs we have come to realise that they absolutely love routine from morning to night and every day. We always follow the recommendations and rules supplied by our pet owners. We have looked after dogs of all kinds and all ages and the older dogs tend to not need or want to be walked too far while the younger dogs tend to not know when to stop!

In the mornings our routine may be that we wake and have breakfast and catch up on news, emails, etc., and feed the pets. The dogs that we have looked after have all noticed this morning routine and know the order of things knowing that their walk comes after their

breakfast. Some have been walked first and then returned home to their breakfast, depending on what the owners have asked us to do.

The first clue is when we put on a jacket or our shoes, this is when the dogs become excited.

The excitement levels of dogs can be quite amazing with them running in circles and heading towards the door when they realise it's almost time to go for their walk. On the whole we have walked most of our dogs twice a day, in the morning and again in the late afternoon or early evening depending on the weather or daylight.

One way round In Bittern in the beautiful Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Australia, we looked after Winnie, a rescue greyhound and Skye, a 13 year old Labrador. They absolutely loved their twice daily walks.

Talking about routine, these girls have been the most routine loving dogs that we have looked after. On the first walk out we tried to go to the left as we walked out of the main gate of the house, the dogs were not happy and pulled us to the right. So we let them lead the way. They led us to their local park and we walked anti-clockwise around the field and then back home.

We did the exact same walk twice a day every day for seven weeks! We did try one day to go around the field for a second lap, but they didn't want to and pulled us towards the gate to go home. We also tried on another day to go around the field clockwise and again this was not on their agenda!

At the side of this playing field was a racing track for small motorised cars, on a few days there were rallies on this racing track. These small racing cars dashing around the track were of great interest to Winnie, the greyhound, they probably brought back memories of her past.

We had to keep her on a tight lead on these days, we didn't want her jumping the fence and chasing the small cars around the track.

Farm boy T Bone was a farm dog that we looked after in the Hunter Valley in New South Wales in Australia. He lived outdoors and was not allowed in the house. He didn't have a lead and so we didn't take him for a walk, but we did go on walks around the farm and he would follow us.

He really enjoyed these walks as we checked upon the horses and cattle that were on the farm.

We were also careful looking for brown snakes, which are in the area, luckily we never saw one.

Run Billie Run In Banstead in Surrey in the UK we looked after Billie a red setter. He would pretty much run a marathon on each walk out! We took him to a large sports field and again we followed the owners method, removing his lead and letting him go on a run.

He would dash up and down the outskirts of the field as we walked around the circumference of the field with his smaller brother, Buddy. Our walk with Buddy was about 2km, Billie's was easily ten times this!

Beware of the rabbit In the northern suburbs of Sydney in Australia we sat for a 35kg Australian Bull Dog, Winston, and his brother, Cooper who was a Boston Terrier. Neither of them were too well trained and they pulled quite a bit on their leads, so we always tried to keep them on short leads.

The streets had wild rabbits that would appear at the most inconvenient moments! Winston, the bull dog, would not miss their moves and make a dash for them almost pulling over which ever one of us was holding him. Luckily we never ended up on the floor or hurt in any way, he was actually a very gentle dog.

Some amazing walking spots In Australia three of our pet sits were around the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales.

This is one of the most beautiful regions of the country and we were able to enjoy walks along the Ballina River, the beaches at East Ballina and Lennox Head and in the Byron Hinterland.

Our very first pet sit for Lucy, a small dog, who lived at Corindi Beach on the New South Wales north coast. She adored a beach walk and splashing in the rock pools and running in and out of the surf. The owner took us on our very first walk along the beach to show us the route that they take each day and showed how she would take the lead off Lucy so that she was free to run. We continued this method while we looked after her, as long as no other dogs were around, and it was pretty quiet the majority of the time that we looked after her.

In the UK Cambridge is a superb dog friendly city with lots of green spaces and common areas, there are even cows on Midsummer Common right in the heart of the city! Cambridge is also very bicycle friendly and so has less traffic in the city and so this makes it perfect for dog walking. We were very lucky to have a fourteen month old Cavoodle here who just loved to walk.

We took him everywhere including bars and cafes, the UK is very dog friendly in these areas, we even took him punting on the River Cam.

Keeping fit while pet sitting Our favourite pet sits have been where we have looked after dogs who love to walk and have great locations to walk in. We have been very lucky that to date we have had some great experiences with the ability to walk beaches, parklands, forests and lakes.

The location of our pet sits is a big decision maker for us and we always look for locations where we can walk and enjoy the pet sit. It's also a great way to stay fit.

Ian Gledhill and his partner Lloyd Pickering took early retirement in 2017. Since then they have traveled between the northern and southern hemispheres enjoying the summer in both.

In late 2018 they commenced house sitting in Australia and in 2019 shall be house sitting in the UK and France before returning to Australia later in the year.

You can follow them at www.nomadicsummer.com or on Instagram at @petsitboys

What you need to know when looking after Guinea Pigs Guinea pigs are a popular choice of pet, especially if you want low maintenance and something less troublesome than a cat or dog.

For kids getting their first pet, the humble guinea pig is ideal as it has plenty of character and doesn't mind a cuddle or two once in a while.

To help you learn more about this brilliant animal, our friends over at ExoticDirect have put together a few interesting facts.

Around 2% of homes own a guinea pig, which equates to roughly half a million of the little critters in cities, towns and villages around the UK. Guinea pigs are profligate breeders which is why most people only have one in the house. A male will look to breed with as many females as possible if it gets the chance. A few years back a male managed to impregnate 100 females at Hatton Adventure World which caused a lot of consternation and kept local pet shops busy for some time to come.

Baby guinea pigs are called pups. A single litter can contain as many as 8 pups but the average is between 2 to 4.

We normally just see the first two prominent buck teeth or incisors of the guinea pig but they actually have 20 teeth in their mouths, hidden by their plump cheeks. These are mostly molars and premolars for grinding food.

Guinea pigs have one thing similar to us humans in that they can't produce vitamin C in their bodies. This needs to be provided in the food they eat. Lack of Vitamin C, as with humans, causes a variety of problems including scurvy.

If you want something to gross the kids out, guinea pigs like to eat their poo. Don't worry though, soft poop is actually full of fibre and nutritional goodness, just be careful if you're giving your pet a kiss.

Guinea pigs like to be kept at the right temperature. If they're too hot or too cold it can cause health problems. The ideal temperature is between 18 and 23 degrees centigrade.

Diet can be an issue with guinea pigs and you should be careful what you feed them. For instance, they shouldn't have buttercups because they are poisonous but they can eat raw sprouts. There's actually quite a lot that is poisonous to guinea pigs so it's worth making a note of what to feed them and what to avoid.

Like most pets, there are health problems to look out for. With guinea pigs, the most common are teeth problems, particularly with the incisors which can become deformed, causing trouble and pain while eating.

The other major problem that guinea pigs suffer from is gut stasis, where food doesn't move through the body as it should. The way to avoid this is to have high fibre, such as hay, in the diet to aid digestion.

You should never feed your guinea pig freshly cut grass, however, as this can lodge in the stomach and begin to ferment causing digestion problems.

As a house sitter, a guinea pig shouldn't cause you too many problems… unless it escapes!

HOUSE SITTING IN ASIA AT 70!

by Raye Coates

When are you too old to house sit?

Never!

July 2019 has taken me house sitting in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). What an adventure for a single, 70 year old Australian. I am living in the best residential area (District 2), in a modern apartment on the 31st floor, enjoying the river views. I'm looking after Henry, a miniature Schnauzer, while his owners are in Europe.

Henry is low maintenance and enjoys 3 walks a day.

The cleaner comes twice a week.

The apartment block is enormous - 5 towers, each with its own pool and gym. On the ground floor there is a French bakery and various convenience stores. Next door is a multi-story shopping centre, a supermarket, restaurants, 6 cinemas and an ice rink.

What more could I want?

Well, not much, except that within walking distance there is a lot to explore :      

excellent restaurants coffee shops bars spas boutique shops the worst footpaths you can imagine

and still a few pockets of life in Saigon as it used to be.

Twenty minutes in a taxi takes me into the centre of the old city which is another world again busy, chaotic, some French colonial architecture and of course an enormous market where you can buy just about anything if you are looking for a "genuine copy". I was told to use Vinasun Taxis and they are reliable, clean and cheap.

Saigon feels very safe. I haven't been hassled anywhere. I've seen very few beggars. The streets are clean. The river is not full of floating garbage.

The people are helpful and friendly, although spoken English is limited. I left my umbrella in a coffee shop. I went back several hours later to see if I might find it. The staff had put it in a safe place, waiting for me to come back.

The food is wonderful and the service in the restaurants is good.

There are English translations on the menus. Even in the best restaurants, the prices are about one third of those in Australia. Wine is available but very expensive. Beer is good, cold and cheap.

So, how did I get here?

1.

2.

3.

4.

I made the decision I wanted to go to S.E. Asia to be away from Australia in winter.

I actively searched for a house sit in either Vietnam or Thailand.

I waited for a house sit that fitted my plan.

I used the TrustedHousesitters website.

I've worked in Tokyo, Sumatra and Singapore; done some volunteer work in Cambodia and I have taken holidays in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. I have a good general knowledge of South East Asia, which made selecting a suitable house sit easier.

Once the initial contact was made, we talked via Skype.

I always have a lot of communication with the pet owners and I felt very comfortable about flying to HCMC for this house sit. I arrived a few days early and stayed at a small resort, recommended by the Australian pet owners. We had dinner and there was plenty of time for them to show me the apartment and to meet Henry.

Northern Thailand Two years ago, I had my first experience of house sitting in SE Asia. This one was a spontaneous decision. Again it was through the TrustedHousesitters website. I had just enough time to organise my visa. In a few weeks I was off to Thailand for five weeks.

I arrived a few days early and stayed in a small resort not far from the house.

This time it was a house with a pool and two cats and a beautiful view from the balcony.

The British/Australian family were off to Vietnam. The house was about 20 minutes drive from Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand. I had been to Chiang Mai before.

The family left me their car. I felt nervous about driving it but it really was easy. Thai people drive on the same side of the road as Australians. The roads were excellent, there are lots of traffic lights and the traffic moved slowly and carefully.

I used Google Maps to get me everywhere. The home owners had told me where to park when I wanted to go to Chiang Mai. I needed an International license which I organised before I left Australia.

I had to look after the two cats, some plants and the pool. The cleaner came each week and a gardener came once every two weeks to mow, prune and tidy. The house was in a housing compound which had guards at the entrance.

The pet owners had shown me where the best eating areas were and I ate out every day. Meals were around $3. Beer was cheap and good. Menus have photos of each dish but not English translation. Sometimes you are given a menu in English, but not always. Again English is limited but more common than in Vietnam.

Apart from driving into Chiang Mai, I was able to explore the surrounding areas. Again, the pet owners had given me advice and left me a map.

These are the questions I'm often asked: How did I start out as a house sitter? I had never heard of house sitting until a friend told me about it. I joined AussieHouseSitters to try it and to see if I liked it.

When will I be too old to house sit? That's impossible to answer. It depends on keeping healthy and enjoying travelling. When I stop enjoying the lifestyle or home owners stop choosing me, I'll stop. It is not looking like any time soon.

Do I get scared by myself? No, but I choose my house sits very carefully and I don't do anything risky.

If you would like to know more about my lifestyle, I keep a blog of my travels here www.rayesjourney.blogspot.com

DOES FAMILY SUFFER IF YOU BECOME A NOMAD?

by Andrew Redfern

As full-time, international house sitters, meeting other house sitters while travelling the world is a definite highlight of our nomadic lifestyle.

During conversations, one topic that frequently comes up is how we (and they) are dealing with family back home. The scenario almost always seems to involve ageing parents requiring increasing care. It's probably a result of demographics, as those able to travel like we do are of a certain age, meaning their parents are older.

The other situation is juggling significant family events such as weddings or birthdays with a travel schedule planned well in advance. Not to mention the feelings of guilt which can arise around such circumstances.

There are several things you can do to ensure your travels accommodate your family and their needs as well as your own.

Andrew and Christopher, from Global Wanderers, share their experiences and tips for juggling family expectations and responsibilities while on the road.

Talk to them Before setting out on our travels, Andrew asked his mother what she thought of our plans to experience a nomadic life. She gave her blessing and said, 'You don't have to wait around for us.

Go and enjoy your life!'

We return regularly and visit her, possibly more so than when we lived in Sydney. In fact, our travels are a topic of conversation among our parent's friends. Several of them now follow us on Facebook. One couple has even taken up house sitting with our help and tips on how to get started.

Often what may seem an awkward conversation can give a very unexpected answer. We now know we can travel with our parent's full support and they, in turn, remember we are only a flight away.

Be prepared for the inevitable Aware that someday we may get a dreaded message about the death or serious illness of a family member, we devised a strategy early in our house sitting career.

Whoever's family member it was would return home with the other staying to honour our house and pet sitting responsibilities. During our interview/video chat with potential homeowners, we tell them this, reassuring them that we won't abandon their home and pets.

Having this plan in place means decisions don't need to be made in stressful times - it is merely a matter of enacting a previously thought out plan.

Solo sitters can also have a plan and these are questions that can help:    

Do the owners have someone who can take over in case of an emergency?

Have you an emergency fund in case you need to return home unexpectedly?

Does your family know that you may not be able to return immediately should something happen?

Is there a family member you can rely on to help with immediate support if you aren't able to get a flight back immediately.

Trust the universe It may sound cliched, but the house sitting lifestyle has proven to us many times, that allowing things to happen will mean, all will be well.

One of our favourite quotes from "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" movie, and now a life adage is: Everything will be alright in the end. And if it's not yet alright, it is not yet the end.

Eight months into our house sitting life, we returned to Sydney for a few months to catch up with friends and family. During this time, Christopher's father (Bill) fell ill, was diagnosed with dementia and subsequently had to be relocated into aged care. We were around and able to assist with this transition.

Then in 2018, we again had some time in Sydney. During this time, Christopher's father had a stroke and passed away a week before we were to depart for a house sitting job in Melbourne.

The timing could not have been more fortuitous.

We had spent several precious months with Bill, were able to arrange his funeral, finish off our house sits in Sydney and fly to Melbourne as planned.

It is the only time Christopher has wished we had our own place, as we were juggling three house-sits during the time of organising the funeral. But we managed and were thankful that it all worked out. And our sit in Melbourne coincided with the wedding of a university friend of Andrew's which was announced after we secured our sit there. Surely this is more than coincidence?

Recently, Andrews father needed doctor visits and hospital tests in Sydney, where we are currently house sitting. He lives in rural NSW, but how fortunate we were able to accommodate his parents (Bill and Marie) and juggle hospital visits.

Our homeowners were delighted we could share their home with them. It also saved other family members having to come to Sydney, find accommodation, transport etc. The universe will really work it out if you trust and let it do its job.

Use technology We probably have more regular contact with our family now that we are on the road. Using messenger apps and video chat, we keep up with what each other is doing. Photos can easily be shared and commented on. Andrew taught his Mum and Dad to use FaceTime, and we regularly send printed postcards using our own images via the Australia Postcards app.

We use Skype credit to allow for cheap phone calls to family, and our Skype number will enable them to contact us anywhere in the world.

Technology actually provides for more accessible and regular communication, and we certainly take advantage of this facility. This included live streaming Christopher's father's funeral to his niece in London who wasn't able to return to Australia.

Plan around family events Time with family and loved ones is precious, and when we do have the opportunity to catch up, we love getting together and sharing a meal. We recently hosted Christopher's brother and wife for a barbecue at our house sit, with the owner's permission and blessing, of course.

Later this year we will hopefully attend Andrew's nephew's wedding, which is taking place nearby a house sit we've secured in northern Victoria. Unfortunately, we weren't able to be at Andrew's Dad's 80th birthday, but provided a fun quiz about his dad for the party guests to complete.

One couple we know got inexpensive flights to return home to surprise a newly arrived grandchild (and her parents)!

Be open to opportunities and the options will present themselves.

Conclusion The nomadic, international lifestyle doesn't have to be at the exclusion of family. Many sitters we've met tell similar stories to our own. Sits are booked around family events, or they find themselves serendipitously nearby when loved ones needed them.

It seems to be an innate calling to return home when needed (even if you don't know it at the time). Grandparents, who are also sitters, communicate regularly with their grandchildren via Facetime, and some grand kids even get to travel to their grandparents' house sits.

Anything is possible - it's just a matter of rethinking expectations and finding an alternative path. Accommodating your own family and their requirements is not really a juggle but another aspect of the wonderful lifestyle we know as house sitting.

Andrew and Christopher have been full time international house sitters since May 2016 when they packed up their Sydney apartment and headed to New Zealand.

Known as Global Wanderers, they love exploring the world as locals and making connections with homeowners and their adorable pets.

Currently on their 42nd house sit, you can read more about them at www.globalwanderers.com or follow them on Facebook & Instagram: @globalwanderersoz

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TRAVEL APPS We asked our Facebook Group recently if they'd like to share any travel apps they'd found and used successfully over the last year. Here's what they came up with - quite an impressive list.

MAPS - NAVIGATIONAL Maps.me Download and use offline. Maps from all over the world. Walking trails. Open Source - can add your own routes, sights etc. https://locals.maps.me/en/ Locals.MAPS.ME is a service for travellers who want to discover new cities with the help of locals. It's all about fun, new things and activities that happen outside your hotel room. With Locals you can start experiencing all of it the moment you arrive at your destination. Just book a local or send an offer to a fellow traveller coming into the city and create a flexible sightseeing tour, convenient for both of you.

Wayz.com https://www.waze.com/ Alternative navigation to Google - need a connection. Waze is all about contributing to the 'common good' out there on the road. Connects drivers in local areas, and offers ride share option.

Google Maps https://www.google.com/maps Good real time navigational driving tool with downloadable maps and lots of other features.

Bing Maps https://www.bing.com/maps

MAPS - TOURIST OSMaps.com https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/ United Kingdom maps - app version costs 20 GBP per year but much cheaper than buying paper maps. Now includes Sustrans (UK Cycle Network) on the desktop version but not on the app.

Citymapper.com https://citymapper.com/ Great for getting around larger cities with loads of train and bus links. Currently only covers 40 cities around the world, but growing all the time, and you can vote for which cities to add.

Shows all transport options.

Mapout.com A smartphone mapping App for route drawing and elevations.

Currently available on Apple Smartphones or tablets, with a website 'coming soon'. Has very good reviews. Gives full topography shows some hiking, biking etc routes. Shows city streets too. Useful when you're in a foreign country and don't want to use up all your data with Google maps.

Wildwalks.com https://www.wildwalks.com/ Australian site showing walks all over Australia and campsites too.

12Go.com https://12go.asia/en An app for booking buses and other modes of transport in Thailand.

RoadsideAmerica.com (USA Only) https://www.roadsideamerica.com/ A guide to uniquely odd tourist attractions.

NextStopParis App only - search online for GooglePlay download For Paris metro maps/route guides and everything to do with visiting Paris.

TRIP PLANNING CheckMyTrip.com https://CheckMyTrip.com Your personal travel app, that keeps you organized and productive - Now it's easy to manage all of your travel plans in one place. Android & iTunes Rome2Rio https://www.rome2rio.com/ General consensus is that Rome2Rio is good for initial trip planning options. Shows you various ways of getting from A to B, but then it's often best to look at flight options, or trains, coaches etc., on apps specific to those purposes in the countries you are travelling. Does include ferries which is useful.

Omio.co.uk https://www.omio.co.uk Similar to Rome2Rio but covering UK and Europe. Utilizes all major coach, train and flight companies to help plan your European specific travels.

Track my Tour (i-phone and i-pad only app) https://trackmytour.com/ TrackMyTour lets you create a journal and online map of your travels for friends and family to follow along. Works offline.

PolarSteps.com https://www.polarsteps.com/ Track and share your journeys in an easy and beautiful way, turning your travel moments into lifetime memories - Apple & Android versions of app.

Tripit.com https://www.tripit.com/web An easier trip, every time. Imagine checking one place for all your travel details and getting a heads up as things happen throughout your trip. See why life without TripIt is a distant memory for millions of travelers.

Group Member - "We have been using this for years. At times, we have used the paid version, but recently the free version is just fine for our current purposes. The best value is that we can share our updated (and constantly changing) itinerary with family and close friends. As full-time travellers, they at least know where we are staying on any given night."

GETTING ABOUT - FLIGHTS Hopper.com https://www.hopper.com/ Book at exactly the right time - Hopper predicts prices with 95% accuracy up to 1 year in advance. No ads, no spam, no stress — just accurate predictions and the easiest way to book and save.

Skyscanner.com (flights, hotels, cars) https://www.skyscanner.net/ Kiwi.com (flights, trains, buses) https://www.kiwi.com/ Kayak.com (flights, hotels, cars) https://kayak.com

momondo.com (flights,hotels, holidays, cars) https://momondo.com Google Flights https://www.google.com/flights Jack's Flight Club https://jacksflightclub.com/ Free and membership site for travel deals. They send alerts for cheap flights (and error prices) departing from all airports in the United Kingdom and northern Europe. Not so good for long term planning.

Scotts Cheap Flights https://scottscheapflights.com Membership site - international departures. You can't specify dates but they say most flights are 2-8 months in the future.

I Know the Pilot https://iknowthepilot.com.au/ Australian site for cheap flights, hotels and holiday deals.

GreatEscape.co https://GreatEscape.co Plan your trip with searches to 'anywhere'. Checks across various search platforms - be patient, it's got a lot of data to process.

Tip - If you use a third-party and have booked connecting flights on more than one Airline, you're on your own if your flight is delayed and you miss a connection - when booking with the airline all the way through they will cover you.

GETTING ABOUT - TRAINS, CARS, BUSES, COACHES The Man in Seat 61 https://seat61.com The Man in Seat 61, is the ultimate guide to train travel in the UK, Europe & worldwide Trainline.com (UK only) https://trainline.com App and web version for advance ticket purchases on European trains and coaches. Doesn't cover all of Europe - check website for service providers.

BlaBlaCar.com https://blablacar.com Car sharing website and app. Just say where you're heading, where you're leaving from and when. Then pick a ride that works for you! If you need more info, you can message drivers before booking.

Group Member - I used this app in Europe for ride shares with people driving long distances. I was able to get to places the train and bus transportation fell short. I used it in Spain several times. Note: If your phone is from the USA you will have to use the website, you cannot download the app.

InterrailPlanner.com https://InterrailPlanner.com An Interrail Pass is a ticket that enables you to travel by train in up to 31 countries. There are two types of passes: One Country Passes and Global Passes. Passes also vary by the time period for which they are valid, and the number of travel days allowed within that time period. A Global Pass permits you to travel on trains in 31 European countries, whilst a One Country Pass permits you to travel on trains in one specific country.

UPDATE AUG 2019 - This service will cease in United Kingdom as of 2020.

ACCOMMODATION Hotels.com https://hotels.com Booking.com https://booking.com Website and app versions with synchronisation. Genius discounts to apply against selected rooms. This is our preferred app.

Airbnb.com https://airbnb.com Couchsurfing.com https://couchsurfing.com

VOLUNTEERING Workaway https://workaway.info A website that was set up to promote fair exchange and friendship as well as volunteering and work opportunities Worldpackers https://www.worldpackers.com An organization offering hostels, homestays, NGOs and Eco-Projects - you help for a few hours each day and get accommodation in exchange while you're traveling.

BUDGETING TrailWallet.com - iTunes only http://voyagetravelapps.com/trail-wallet/ Trail Wallet is an easy travel expense tracker for iPhone and iPad. Designed to be fast, it takes the headache out of expense tracking so you can focus on your travels.

Toshl.com https://Toshl.com Track all your cards and cash in one place. Connect your financial accounts, or enter expenses using the Toshl apps. Get a clear picture of what you are spending and on what! How much are your coffee shop stops really costing? Supports multiple currencies but calculates in your home currency. ITunes and Android.

Splitwise.com https://www.splitwise.com/index Less stress when sharing expenses on trips. Keep track of your shared expenses and balances with housemates, trips, groups, friends, and family. 100+ currencies.

From the group - With the app you just record who paid and what % split it will be and end up with totals at the end of the trip in however many currencies you happen to spend in. It worked really well when there were 3 of us on a road trip in BC last year. We were able to reduce transaction fees by using the best cards for a particular currency and ended up $100 USD to square up in the end over the three week trip.

CAMPERVAN / MOTORHOME TRAVEL Park4Night.com https://park4night.com/ Share the nice spots where you like to relax with your camper, your equipped van or normal van. Over 100,000 referenced places all over the world.

SearchForSites https://www.searchforsites.co.uk/ This purpose of this site is to make readily available lists of campsites and motorhome parking places in Western Europe Wikicamps https://www.wikicamps.co/ Available separately for Australia, Canada, New Zealand, UK and USA - go to the site link above and pick your country of choice. WikiCamps is the ultimate camping companion for your smart phone, tablet or Windows PC.

With the largest and most up-to-date database of campgrounds, caravan parks, backpacker hostels, day use area, points of interest, information centres and public dump points, you're sure to find what you're looking for.

The database is kept up-to-date by users so it is forever growing and always being updated with the latest information. The best part is, it works completely offline so you don't have to worry about phone signal or a WiFi connection. Simply download all the content to your device before you go and you'll have it in the palm of your hands, no matter where you are!

MEDICAL Vaxini.com - Android Only https://www.vaxini.com Track your vaccine history and record your paper vaccination book. Gives vaccination reminders based on the vaccine schedule recommended for your country. A vaccination reminder will prompt you when vaccines are upcoming.

TRACKING If you are worried about safety when travelling, especially alone, you can set GPS tracking on your smartphone to give friends or family access to your location. Go to Google Maps and then on the menu you can select 'Location Sharing' - then it talks you through the process.

You can also give them access to Gmail Calendar so they can see your schedule. If you are a member of mapahub.com you can also share your house sitter schedule. If you are going to be out of a WiFi area, you can also send a quick text message with your current details.

55 YEARS & A SOLO SITTER

by Jane Buckley-Hall "Sometimes I have to pinch myself. The life… the lifestyle I have imagined and created for myself, it feels like a dream".

This was a recent comment I shared with friends and it pretty much sums up how I feel about house sitting. I tentatively began my house sitting journey in New Zealand in 2016, when at age 52, I unexpectedly found myself single and an emptynester.

I thought, "well the kids have left home, the husband has left home, I may as well leave home too!"

As a mature solo traveller I was initially concerned about:      

Repairs and maintenance (the house, not me…)

Socializing and maybe even dating?!

Creating an income Health care Would people actually want a single, mature house sitter?

How to keep in touch with my children and family?

Let’s take a look at each of these factors:

Repairs and maintenance To be honest, I haven’t encountered any serious problems. I carry a tool kit in the car and the most I've had to do is hang up a picture frame and fix a curtain hook. I have my own liability insurance just for peace of mind. When I start a house sit I always look at what I can do in the garden, and then commit to 15 minutes a day – it soon mounts up and after a 6 week house sit, I have weeded a large garden bed for the owner.

Socializing The house sitting lifestyle isn’t for everyone, you have to be happy with your own company. I have found the website meetup.com invaluable. It is a global website with many interest related groups (coffee/cinema/hiking etc) that you can join.

My social life can be as busy or as quiet as I choose. I like to give back to the community so I keep an eye out for any local events I can support. On a recent house sit I joined the local "pub choir" which was fantastic and so much fun.

I believe mapahub.com is active in house sitting circles but I haven’t tried that here in New Zealand. Mostly I am happy just doing my own thing.

Dating is not really happening. My friends laugh and say I could have a man in every port! I would never bring back a partner to a house I am looking after. As I said before, you have to be happy with your own company!

Creating an income I have a rental property that provides me with a small income. I am also a creative and draw portraits of the pets in my care. I offer these for sale, and do pet related illustrations and cartoons to bring a smile to the house sitting community.

Earlier this year whilst on a house sit in the UK I was able to exhibit at a Cartoon Festival and sell my work. I go by my pen name "TH.iNK" which stands for "The House Sitters INK".

I only take on paid house sits now (New Zealand only), and I'm always interested to read what others do for an income.

Health care This was a major concern for me. Moving around you don’t have the convenience of being able to call your own doctor or dentist and so have to rely on being a "casual out-patient", which is more expensive here in New Zealand.

My advice is to keep a "health folder/paper trail" so you can show this to any health provider you are visiting. They can then can see at a glance what health issues you are having or being treated for. If I know I will be visiting my home town I book a "check up" with my local doctor.

Will people book a mature single solo traveller?

In short..YES… absolutely!

I have NO trouble getting bookings and am often booked up a year in advance. Many home owners are single too or like to book a mature house sitter because they know we are quiet and respectful. There's the added bonus that we are often able to be at home all day with their pets.

How to keep in touch with the family?

My children still like to see me, so I check with home owner’s if they are happy for me to have guests. You get a gut instinct to know if you can ask, and no-one has said "no" yet. My children are grown up and very respectful if they do come to stay. Or sometimes I will get a house sit near where they are living and meet with them there.

When I started out I checked with my kids that they were happy with mum being a traveller.

They have been so supportive what I do. I do miss having a home base for them sometimes and maybe one day when the grandchildren come along I may take a break from house sitting.

Earlier this year I scored a house sit NEXT DOOR to my niece in the UK... what are the chances!

My tip for those starting out...

Approach your local travel agents and let yourself be known to the tour guides. They often go away for 6 weeks at a time and welcome the chance to use the services of a mature reliable house sitter. It's also a good way for you to get experience and references.

Jane Buckley-Hall 55 and a half years young! You can find out more about her at https://www.facebook.com/thinkcartoons

52 SITS - GOAL ACHIEVED!

by Ian Usher

We've been under quite a bit of pressure this month, and this issue of the magazine is actually being published two weeks late!

Our main focus for some time now has been preparing for the first ever House & Pet Sitting Conference, which, as I write this article, is only 3 weeks away!

On top of that, we've been trying to complete a challenge we set for ourselves exactly one year ago. Our goal was to achieve 52 house sits in 52 weeks, between 1st September 2018 and today, 31st August 2019.

And I'm pleased to report that we've been successful.

In fact we've over-achieved, by completing 53 sits in 52 weeks.

For our final sit of this amazing year we're in Hove, close to Brighton on the beautiful south coast of the UK.

So, what has it been like to do so many short sits?

In the past we've usually taken sits of around two to three months, with a few shorter ones scattered in between. There is a big difference when doing short sits back-to-back.

The main challenge is getting them all to fit together without too many gaps or too many overlaps.

For gaps, we'd often visit friends or family. Occasionally we'd stay in a hotel or Airbnb. For overlaps we would sometimes have to split up, one going on ahead to start the next sit, while one stayed behind to complete the previous one.

Having a vehicle has made a big difference, and means we don't have to worry about buying too much food, then not being able to transport it to the next sit. We even bought a small 12 volt cool box to transport cold foods.

Having our little van has also meant that we have been able to carry more "stuff" with us. This is necessary in the UK as the weather changes a lot over the seasons.

We've also been able to take two bicycles with us, which is great for sightseeing, exercise, and quick shopping trips.

One thing we didn't really consider is how often we'd be doing clean-ups, vacuuming the house, changing beds, washing sheets and towels, etc. I think Vanessa and I could now win any couples speed duvet changing event!!

Has it been difficult to find so many sits?

We thought this was going to be one of the biggest challenges of the year, but in fact it has been so easy. We've used TrustedHousesitters to find all the sits we've done, and we haven't struggled once.

There are so many short sits, and sits posted last minute, that we've never really worried that we'd have any gaps of more than a day or two. Easy.

An added bonus is that we now have an amazing profile on TrustedHousesitters, with over 60 reviews.

Some facts and figures 52 sits in 52 weeks by the numbers: Pets cared for...        

Dogs: 50 Cats: 31 Sheep / goats: 57 Chickens: 27 Ducks: 13 Pigs: 2 Hamster: 1 Fish: Lots

How about costs incurred?

Our trusty van, a diesel Citroen Berlingo, has travelled 11,624 miles. This has cost us around GBP £1,315. That's just over 1,000 litres, or (very) approximately 250 gallons. It depends on whether you measure in US gallons or Imperial gallons - they're different!)

Our biggest expense has been food, of course. Over the year we have spent £4,471 on our grocery shopping.

Entertainment, in which we've also included meals out, bottles of wine, and the occasional bottle of gin, comes to a grand total of £2,566. We feel we've been quite frugal in this department, while still managing to do a lot of things we have really enjoyed.

Total spend over the whole 12 months has been £16,683. This includes all sorts of costs mobile phone bills, the occasional hotel or Airbnb, van maintenance, haircuts, flights to and from Spain, and a bit of holiday travel and accommodation while there too.

We estimate we spent an extra £1,000 on the Spanish trip, which could have been avoided if we'd remained in the UK. Some of this £16,000 is held as assets that we'll be able to sell when we decide to move on from Europe, such as the van, my drone, and the bicycles. Total value of assets is perhaps around £3,000.

This means our costs for the year could quite easily have been held down to around £12,000.

That would be an average monthly living cost of £1,000, which works out at just less than £33 per day.

Our goal wasn't to live as cheaply as possible, but to enjoy a great lifestyle without it costing a fortune.

We believe we found a very good balance.

Would we do it again?

It has been surprisingly enjoyable to be on the move so much. It has felt a bit like being on permanent holiday here in our home country.

However, we think that anything less than a week is just too short to settle in properly.

Following the conference we have a few longer sits booked, one of 3 weeks, and one of 5 weeks. It will be nice to be in one place for a longer period of time.

But in short, no, we wouldn't do so many short sits back-to-back again.

Where did the idea come from?

I (Ian) once tackled my own personal bucket list of lifetime goals, travelling constantly for two full years, on an adventure I called "100 goals in 100 weeks"

Our 52 sits challenge, inspired in part by this earlier adventure, took place 10 years after my goal achieving challenge.

I am a big believer in setting and working towards your goals, and have proved to myself beyond doubt that you will be amazed at what you can achieve when you really get focussed.

I wrote a book about my two years of travels, A Life Sold. I also created an online video course which breaks down my formula for achieving your goals.

You can see more about the course here: Goals Achieved! Goal Setting Success Made Simple (use code HSMAG20 at checkout for 20% off)

What goals would you like to achieve in the future?

AVOID FEELING LONELY & ISOLATED As a female house sitter

by Deborah Provenzale As a solo female expat for the past eight years, I know what it's like to go to a new place and not know anyone. It can feel daunting to go out and make new friends, and sometimes it's easier to just stay home and watch Netflix.

As a house-sitter, however, and especially a full-time one, this can lead to feeling isolated and lonely. So I want to share a few ways I've made friends over the years based on my experience living and traveling overseas by myself.

Use meetup.com to make new friends Many people know about Meetup.com, but if you haven't tried it, this is the first one you should check out. Every time I change cities or countries, I update my Meetup location so it can suggest local groups and events based on the interests in my profile.

Years ago, when I was trying to make new friends in Taiwan, I joined a Meetup event in Taipei where we went on a night-time hike to see fireflies. It was amazing, and I met a lot of nice expats and locals who then invited me for other activities. As a solo female, I like using Meetup because I always feel safe joining group activities.

Couchsurfing isn't just for surfing couches Couchsurfing is another well-known site and app. However, when people think of Couchsurfing, they often think only of staying in someone's home or hosting someone in their own home.

What many people don't know is that Couchsurfing also shows events hosted by locals or other travelers. You don't even need to update your location on your profile. Simply open the app, and it takes the location from your phone and suggests activities in your area.

In 2012, I took an 11-day trip to Cambodia by myself, and the first thing I did when I arrived in Siem Reap was check the Couchsurfing site. I saw that there was another traveler who had posted an event inviting any travelers in town to join him for dinner at a restaurant. I went, and that one event shaped the rest of my trip. I met two guys and a girl from India, two ladies from Germany, a girl from China, and a girl from Malaysia. We all hit it off, and I ended up spending almost every day of my trip with them.

I still keep in touch with three of them, and I visited the Indian and Chinese girls in Singapore for a few days the following year because they were both living there. The year after that, the Indian girl stayed with me in Taiwan and traveled with my friends and me for a week. The Indian girl also introduced me to a friend of hers who was living in the same city as me in Taiwan. What a small world!

As a solo female traveler, just attending one Couchsurfing event can make the world feel like a much smaller and safer place. Plus, Couchsurfing may come in handy for those occasional gaps between sits when you need a place to stay.

Join Facebook Groups for Expats One thing that has been indispensible for me as a solo traveler and expat is Facebook groups.

Whenever I'm checking out a new location, I immediately join the expat groups in that city or country to get a feel for the general vibe of the expat community.

When I lived in Taiwan, it was useful for finding good restaurants, the best supermarkets that carried Western foods, and must-see sights in the area. These groups are also great for getting advice on everything from local customs to what SIM cards are recommended for the best service. Of course, the best part is hearing about events and activities to meet locals and other expats.

As a solo female, it's a great idea to even make some contacts ahead of your arrival so you have a ready-made support system. In addition, you very well may meet other solo women who can give you advice and camaraderie.

The best way to find the expat groups is simply to type "Expats in (city or country name)" in the Facebook search bar. I've joined many groups even as a traveler, so don't feel like you have to permanently move there in order to join.

Meet Like-Minded Women in Facebook Groups for Solo Female Travelers Another essential is female-only travel groups, and there are lots to choose from. Some of my favorites include The Solo Female Travel Network (which also has sub-groups for women 40+, female digital nomads, and free travel accommodation), Female Digital Nomads, Expat Women – A World of Opportunities, Nomad Women 40s & Up, Women Who Travel, Solo Women Travel Tribe, Girls vs Globe, and Girls Love Travel.

You can post in any of these groups to get tips and advice about traveling or about a particular area, and you can let others know that you'll be in a city for a certain time to see if any ladies living there would like to meet up with you. Female-only travel groups are a great way to make new friends wherever you go.

There's also a group I recently joined but haven't tried yet called Host a Sister. The premise is that women in different cities and countries post that they're willing to host a female traveler for a period of time, and ladies can contact the host to make arrangements. It's very similar to Couchsurfing, except that it's for women only.

This could be another great group to try for those gaps between house sits. I'm definitely going to try it when I get the chance.

Make Friends through Mutual Interests Facebook is such a great way to meet new people, and I've made so many friends through various special interest groups, events, and pages. Much like with the expat groups, I simply type into the search something like "hiking in Taipei" or "photo tours in Portland" and see what comes up.

These are actual searches I've done, and they helped me discover a great hiking group in Taiwan, a few photo tour events for my upcoming sit in Portland, Oregon, USA, and many other groups, events, and people with similar interests. As a solo female, it's nice to go to a new place and meet other people who share the same interests as me.

Utilize International Organizations When I was still in the US, I was an active member of Toastmasters International. So when I moved to Taiwan, I looked for a local Toastmasters chapter in my city. I didn't join any clubs, due to schedule conflicts, but I did meet some fellow Toastmasters at a speaking competition who then became my good friends.

This can work for any international organizations. Are you a member of Rotary International or Internations?

Check their websites to see if there are any local chapters or events where you'll be sitting. Do this for any other organizations you're a part of, as well, to meet new people across the globe.

If you like to volunteer, there are always local groups, too, who often welcome the help, even for a short time.

Make Friends with the Neighbors Hopefully, the homeowners will introduce you to at least one or two trusted neighbors, because having great neighbors can really break up the feelings of isolation. I've been fortunate on my current 10-week sit to have the most wonderful neighbors.

The homeowners introduced me to a retired couple next door and a retired woman down the street. The woman down the street then introduced me to two other neighbor ladies, and the four of us have met several times for lunches, dinners, and wine.

The next door neighbors have been such a blessing, too. They took me to the supermarket almost every week, treated me to lunches and dinners at different pubs in the area, and invited me to their home for 'a cuppa' several times.

They took me to a couple of National Trust houses, and their daughter took me to Stratfordupon-Avon for a day. Over the course of this 10-week sit, we've spent so much time together talking and laughing that we've genuinely become good friends. Being in this tiny village for 2 ½

months by myself, and my first time in England, all these amazing neighbors made me feel so welcome, allowing me to experience a beautiful part of English culture.

As a lone female house-sitter, it's easy to start feeling lonely and isolated during a sit. When in a new place, it can feel overwhelming to go out and meet new people or to do activities by yourself. Sometimes, the alone time is a welcomed blessing, but even for introverts, it can get old, week after week.

So I hope these tips give you the inspiration and courage to make new friends no matter where or for how long you sit.

Deborah Provenzale is a solo female expat-turned-nomad. Having lived in Taiwan for eight years, she utilized her background in Sales and Marketing to teach Business English to professionals in high-tech companies. She later built her own online teaching business so she could work from anywhere.

Now Deborah house sits nearly full-time and teaches women how to create a passion-based online business so they, too, can become location independent. Find out more at: https://DeborahProvenzale.com

ARE YOU A PROFESSIONAL?

by Ian Usher

How do we, as a group, refer to house sitting in general?

Is it an industry? A community? A business? A lifestyle? An occupation? Or a profession?

All of these terms come with particular definitions, and a Google search can quickly take you down a rabbit hole of hair-splitting specifics.

Let's just take a look at the word "profession", as this is the one which causes the most online controversy – at times outrage – when applied to house and pet sitters, in the ever on-going paid/unpaid debate.

The main bone of contention is this: Can you call yourself "professional house sitters" when not being paid money for providing a service?

Let's consult the dictionaries: PROFESSIONAL Google: a paid occupation, especially one that involves prolonged training and a formal qualification – hmm, paid?

Merriam-Webster: a calling requiring specialized knowledge and often long and intensive academic preparation – a calling? specialized knowledge?

Dictionary.com: 1) a vocation requiring knowledge of some department of learning or science 2) the body of persons engaged in an occupation or calling – ahh, now we need to look up "vocation", "occupation" and "calling" Wikipedia: an occupation founded upon specialized educational training, the purpose of which is to supply disinterested objective counsel and service to others, for a direct and definite compensation, wholly apart from expectation of other business gain – occupation again, and specialized training again – direct and definite compensation?

See what I mean about the rabbit hole?

OK. Lets try again with the word: OCCUPATION Dictionary.com a person's usual or principal work or business, especially as a means of earning a living; vocation Wikipedia doesn't have a page for the word "Occupation", but does have this to say: Occupation or job: one's role in society, often a regular activity performed for payment Their definition of job is: A job, or occupation, is a person's role in society. More specifically, a job is an activity, often regular and often performed in exchange for payment ("for a living") OK… so let’s look at a few aspects of being a professional…

Getting paid for house sitting When we get down to specifics, a job is "often performed in exchange for payment", but this would suggest this is not always so. The idea of being "paid" is a slippery one too. Does that just mean cash?

If a job includes a company car, the tax man sees this as a taxable benefit… a part of the salaried package – in other words, a payment. But it isn't a cash payment… it's a benefit. In the same way, surely being given free accommodation in return for pet and house sitting services rendered, is a form of benefit… or payment?

In fact all we're doing is cutting out the middleman - cash - from the equation. When we have a "proper job" (as my mum would say!) we earn cash from our employer. One of the main uses of this cash for most wage earners is to pay either rent or a mortgage.

So… one of the primary goals of having a job / occupation / profession, is to cover our accommodation costs !!

I think house sitting ticks this box.

Specialized knowledge I don't think this particular hoop is hard to jump through.

Dogs, cats, horses, sheep, fish and more. Swimming pools, power systems, solar. Travel, visas, language barriers. Becoming a good house sitter is an ever on-going process of learning and personal improvement.

Specialized knowledge? Tick.

Although house sitting is not yet at the level of "formal qualification" or "intense academic training", there are courses you can take, offered by house sitters with a wealth of practical experience gained over years of house sitting. It is a skill you can learn and develop through training.

Your role in society Under both "occupation" and "job" Wikipedia talks about one's role in society. When someone asks, "What do you do?" and your cheerful answer is "We're house sitters!" then I think this would qualify as your role in society, in the same way "I'm a dentist" or "I'm an electrician" does.

So, if we aren't paid ?

One final point I'd like to make in response to the "you have to be paid money to be considered a professional" argument is this: "So if I'm not paid in cash, what would you call me… an amateur?"

Even if the very narrow "paid in cash" definition is accepted as true, then it is still quite possible to have a very professional approach to what you do.

And I would argue, "Who is the most dedicated to their "profession"? Someone who does it to earn a cash income, or someone who does it for the love of the pets and the lifestyle?

At the end of the day, it really doesn't matter if you are paid in cash, or paid in kind (in the form of free accommodation)… if your "Number One" concern is to do a great job for both the home owner and for the pets, then you are a true professional.

Paid or unpaid, say it loud, say it proud…

"I'm a professional house sitter!"

Yeah! High five!

The next issue of House Sitting Magazine will be available from 15th October 2019

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Disclaimer - Information provided in this publication is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only.

It should not be used as travel, lifestyle, financial or legal advice. You should always consult with your qualified and licensed professional practitioner. The publisher accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of any of the opinions, advice, representations or information contained within this publication. The publisher expressly disclaims responsibility for any adverse effect that may result from the use and application of the information contained in this magazine. Readers should rely on their own advice and enquiries when making decisions affecting their interests.

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