2014 House and Pet sitting
The first blogs I made, had been destroyed by mistake in February of 2015. I learned a lesson; “always keep your website in your own hands”.
I decided to start all over again, as this is my story from after September 2014; my “suitcase diaries”………..
For one and half year, I lived out of a suitcase. It was a constant packing and unpacking, booking flights, hotels, car rentals, arranging insurances and many other things. Hours of investigation for the cheapest flying arrangements and the less flying hours.
‘House and pet sitting’ is a great way to have a free stay, but it is also very time-consuming. I have been a member of around 5 different house sitting websites and you need to check them a few times a day. If there is an interesting house sit in a country or area of your choice, it is best to apply immediately, as often you are together with another 50 people or more. In my case, I was totally dependent on ‘house sitting jobs’, as I had nowhere else to go. That made the situation rather stressful. You never know if you can find something for the next week or the next month and you have to try to combine sits in one country to avoid travel costs. Of course, sometimes you can stay at the regular family or friend’s place, but as the famous expression tells you “fish starts smelling after 3 days”, it is the same with visitors……..
‘House sitting’ is also convenient when you can choose your assignments dates and when you don’t mind to go to “Timbuktu”. I had to work according to a bucket list and “Timbuktu” was not on it! So my choices were limited and my time also.
2015
This year went by so quickly! I travelled by car from Portugal to Spain in the winter. After, I returned to Canada and then back to the Netherlands, where I enjoyed springtime in between the bulbs. In Portugal I had an amazing time taking care of a Quinta with goats, ducks, Koi Fish and chickens. Again back to the Netherlands, then off to Costa Rica, looking after a Yoga Retreat in the jungle; very exciting and isolated. From Costa Rica to Merida, Mexico, soaking up the culture and diversity of the country. From Mexico, I travelled to Canmore in Canada. There I took care of a very sweet dog, in a beautiful house on the banks of a wild river.
2016
After Canmore, it was time to say goodbye to Ontario and leave the place, where I lived for 12 years. Once back in the Netherlands, I continued packing and unpacking suitcases, travelling in between house sits and rental places and spending Christmas and New Year in Pedreguer, Spain again. It is great that people often ask me back! At least you know where you are going to!
Slowly, I realized that I needed a place to call “home”. A place, where I could drop my belongings, which still had been kept in storage in Toronto.
Although I settled down in my old home country, I still travel, doing different house sits in various places and visit my children in Canada and Australia.
These days, my partner often joins me on my adventures.
My blog became an addiction; I will keep on writing and photographing!
