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Jody and Bob live in luxury houses in exotic places on, as Jody says, “very little money.”
More and more, sophisticated travelers want experiences packaged tours cannot offer. House sitting is the anti-tour…the anti-cruise.
For many, becoming part of a local community is more attractive than “if this is Tuesday, this must be Belgium,” even if they become a part of that local community for only two weeks or a month.
An ad for one month free at a fully equipped, century-old traditional country house near a nature reserve in Sweden really got my attention. I saw myself with binoculars and bird book.
An ad for six weeks at a house on the beach in Belize was close second. I saw myself adjusting my snorkel as I waded into the tropic sea. Alas, it cannot be for me…yet.
Creative people everywhere are learning house sitting avoids rising costs of travel without lowering standards. For some frugal individuals and couples, this kind of travel becomes lifestyle.
Jody and Bob look for long-term Latin American house sitting opportunities, usually in Ecuador, but also in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Honduras, and Costa Rica.
Most travelers, though, need opportunities that fit vacation schedules.
Opportunities may be anywhere: beachfront Belize, Mayfair in London, rural Scotland, South Beach in Miami, Mexico, New Zealand, remote Montana, China, Ireland, a Texas hill country ranch, Scandinavia, the South of France, Italy, a Caribbean sailboat…the world. All these opportunities are from caretaker.org.
Jody and Bob act both as house sitters and pet sitters. Free from fatiguing drudgery of earning money – they do not need much money – Jody and Bob have time for reading, writing, the arts, charitable and community activities, long hikes…and each other…on a miniscule budget.
In the Andes mountain town of Baños, Jody and Bob pet-sit Mocha, a genial Lab; Oscar, a Dachshund; Bandera, the grateful street dog; and baby Zoe, a hyper-active wire-haired Dachshund puppy. Oscar – looking and acting like an imperious Inca king on stub legs – is Boss Dog of All Dogs. Jody and Bob will be in Baños six months.
Their biggest crisis came when a neighbor’s chicken flew over the garden wall. The noise was cacophonous. The chicken, cornered by the dogs, flapped and squawked in terror. The dogs barked and snarled. A rooster and three hens squawked and screeched from the top of the wall. Feathers flew. Bob threw the hen back over the wall. Eager to earn his keep, Bandera ran back and forth, picking up feathers and depositing them on the kitchen floor…cleaning up the mess.
The first night Jody and Bob were in the house, there was horrific thunder and lightning. All four dogs tried to squeeze between Jody and Bob in the bed.
This house has a large library, a lovely walled garden, and an excellent kitchen. Jody and Bob shop daily in the outdoor market. Now they are part of the neighborhood, morning shopping is a social occasion.
A retired Canadian merchant marine officer, Chris, found a different fulfilling opportunity. While still at sea, Chris followed caretaker.org ads for four years before he found an ad seeking a volunteer maintenance engineer at Ratna Ling, a Tibetan Buddhist spiritual retreat in the California redwoods.
“I worked at Ratna Ling for a year…growing spiritually through meditation, Tibetan yoga, and teaching by qualified professionals on a range of subjects. An atmosphere of self-discipline and respect for others helped me discover my hidden potential…taught me to silence my mind…taught me to calm pain and fears hidden deep within me. Daily yoga exercises did wonders for my arthritic legs.”
“I studied with – and grew richly spiritual through – volunteers from the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Israel, Germany, the U.K., Poland, Romania, France, and Korea.”
“My ever-supportive assistant, Yeshe, a golden retriever, was always at my side. Yeshe loved most our long walks in the redwoods among turkey, deer, and rabbits.”
A computer crash led Elsa to caretaker.org.
Computers were down in Elsa’s office in Amsterdam, but the Internet worked. To pass the time, Elsa read caretaker.org ads. One ad leapt off her screen. A family in England wanted someone to pet sit their cat while they visited relatives in South Africa. With trembling fingers, Elsa shot off an e-mail. A positive reply came right back. More e-mails were exchanged. Rapport built. Agreement was reached.
By the time the housewife picked up Elsa at the airport, they were already friends from their many e-mail conversations. On the forty-minute drive to the house, a friendship was sealed.
At the house, a freshly baked welcoming cake waited. While the family loaded their luggage into the car, Elsa began developing her friendship with Barney, the cat.
There were two freezers filled with food. A small supermarket was close by. Neighbors welcomed Elsa like an old friend. Neighbors took Elsa on excursions around the area. They hit just the right balance between inclusiveness and not intruding into the solitude Elsa sought. Four weeks passed quickly.
Not everyone wants community. Some seek solo opportunities at frozen Alaska fishing camps or isolated Arizona ranches. There is a house sitting opportunity for every taste.
Thea and Gary, caretakers of www.caretaker.org, report 2,000 new website hits per day, up from 500 five years ago. House sitting is a trend. A sinking dollar and rising fuel prices make house sitting more attractive every day.
Your dream trip is out there. Find it!
Read about Marcus Wilder’s books and travel at www.NaiveAbroad.com
Copyright © 2008 Marcus Wilder
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