Is the world no longer designed for us?

by June Spindloe

Will the future be different for us? Has our House sitting lifestyle disappeared? These are the questions that have been on our minds these last six months as we have struggled through lockdown and watched the world redesign itself around Covid 19.

In the last issue of the magazine I had written about how lockdown was easier for us as our nomadic lifestyle had made us resilient and adaptable. Little did I know that by mid April, I would emotionally be at breaking point. Nor did I know that the next few months would be among the most challenging I’ve had to overcome since becoming a house sitter.

When your world falls apart

It’s not often I share my personal struggles with the house sitting community, but when my younger brother became seriously ill with a rare auto immune disease called “Guillian Barre” (GBS) and within 48 hrs was paralysed and on a ventilator in ICU many miles away, my world fell apart. Isolated, confused and unable to communicate with him I hit rock-bottom.

You can read more about this on my blog - nomadicmumsie.wordpress.com

The days dragged into weeks with my brother fighting for every breath on a ventilator and I experienced many sleepless nights. The announcements of ever changing travel restrictions and guidelines filled me with apprehension. I became overwhelmed by these questions:

- What would our plan B look like?

- Where would we live when the holiday park closes at end of October?

- What would we do when we couldn’t find back-to-back house sits anymore?

- How would we finance living permanently anywhere?

- What if my brother needed full time care?

We offered to move in to my brother’s house if necessary to help him when he came home. I was feeling at a loss for answers. Little did I realise that my house sitting network would provide the solution.

For years I had been a life coach helping others, but now I realised that I would have to draw on coaching myself if I was to move forward. I needed time to contemplate and practice some self compassion and to regain some clarity and calmness.

The calm of the Norfolk Broads

In the first week of July the UK lockdown was eased and we decided to book a week on a boat on the Norfolk Broads. It used to be our “go to place”‘ when life was overwhelming us in Canada and now we were just a 30 minute drive from this well loved National Park. The inland waterways that would normally be packed with holidaymakers were now quieter and we could enjoy the solitude.

It was exactly what was needed and we cruised along the waterways at 4 mph while rediscovering a sense of well-being as well as a new perspective.

I stopped responding to texts and watching TV and instead wrote in my Journal and watched the glorious sunsets and scenery from the boat.

After a few days a feeling of calm settled over me and I started to feel more like my old self.

Even though we couldn’t take any direct action right away it didn’t mean that we couldn’t explore possibilities, did it?

Taking action

A week later we returned to the chalet, I started jotting down several different ideas. I contacted two of our repeat sit home owners both of whom lived close to my brother.

The first home owners were happy to hear from us and planned a month away, confirming dates in mid August. The second were so upset that they had cancelled all their trips abroad that I suggested that we do a house swap. We could look after their dog while they stayed in our chalet to enjoy well earned break.

Finally I felt as if we had a plan and that we had also fulfilled some housesit feel good factor by giving two other families a chance to get way themselves. So we packed up the van, rented out the chalet for the summer for income and headed to Hampshire.

My brother, now wheelchair bound, had been given a date to return home. He had a plan for home visits and physio was organised, but it was mid July before he was finally home and we were able to visit and help with reorganising his house.

He has made significant progress since April and is thankful he survived such a rare and often misdiagnosed illness. He is my hero and a survivor and now lives each day with a new found appreciation for life. Here’s a link if you would like more info on GBS

https://gaincharity.org.uk/

House sitting is now on the back burner for awhile and we have decided to spend the winter in Portugal. We’ve rented a tiny apartment in the Algarve where will have ample time to sit back and reflect on what lies ahead for us. It feels so much better to be in control again and feel positive about our future. I’m still really homesick for Canada where my youngest daughter lives and hope to make it back in 2021.

I’m sure many of you have also felt alone and geographically isolated or completely unable to cope with anxiety when personal circumstances are difficult. But remember there are always choices you can make if you take time out and practice self care and compassion.

You can redesign your life - you just need to explore every possibility.