My Trusted Housesitters Experience

In 2017 I decided to take some time off of work in order to travel, study yoga and contemplate future life options. It was a huge decision and an opportunity for me to grow, leaning into uncertainty. I was extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to save money while I worked and lived in Myanmar, but this blog is about one of my tips to make time off affordable, whether you are on your own sabbatical or simply taking a vacation: Trusted Housesitters.

About a year ago I learned about Trusted Housesitters, a site that matches traveling home and pet owners with sitters. It's an interesting arrangement because no money is exchanged; you get a great place to stay and fuzzy company and they get great petcare and home security. I investigated a bit more and decided to go ahead and sign up, even though there is an annual fee (of about $100 US). I figured that even if I only got one sit of a few days that the membership would pay for itself.

I have had a fabulous experience with the Trusted Housesitters organization and with the homes and pets I have looked after. 

Place: Bangkok, Thailand
Dog: Toby the Corgi

Who could resist that face?!?

This was a very sweet gig. Toby's home was a huge, modern top floor apartment in the trendy Thong Lor neighborhood of Bangkok. I had my own guest room, a gorgeous kitchen and a roof top with a view to enjoy.

Toby was a busy little dog, and still a puppy, but my main task was to take him up on the roof (pictured in the video above) or outside for a walk, twice a day. I spent extra time with him, playing, brushing, even doing a little training, but I had lots of free time to explore the neighborhood, Bangkok and relax in a fantastic apartment, cooking my own food, doing yoga homework, reading and enjoying Netflix. The cleaner came three times a week, which was another perk!

He did spend time chilling, too. 

Place: Taos, New Mexico, USA
Cats: Tennessee and Button

This sit allowed me to explore another part of New Mexico. I know Santa Fe well since my parents have lived there 15+ years. I secured this sit when I was still in Spain. Here is the house:

I fed these two cats their very fresh meals (raw chicken livers for breakfast and dinner and sardines for lunch), read, did yoga homework, wandered around town and spent quality time with these felines. 

I enjoyed fires in the evening. Button did too!

And slept in this princess bed.

These owners were very kind; they sent me a personal thank you after the sit!

Place: El Dorado, just outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
Cats: Skaaget, Nauset and Graham

The owners of these three cats needed a sitter who could commit to a "maybe" because their plans were up in the air. Since I was already staying with my parents in Santa Fe, this it was easy for me to stay flexible. It worked for me and it worked for them! And in the end, I did get the sit. These owners had a special request: that no gluten be brought into their house, as one had a severe allergy. I'm 8 years gluten-free; it worked for me!

Meet the three kitties! Three is the most pets I have ever looked after. Two were very friendly and the third totally warmed up to me by the end of the week. The new skill I learned with this sit was how to give a cat pills, as Graham needed daily medicines. He was really good about my efforts and I can say I am confident doing this now!

The house was a lovely, very Santa Fe style kind of home. There was a woodstove, walking trails, a patio and I even got to use the car to zip into town for an errand or yoga class (or to visit ma n pa). 

My cozy room.

And those southwest sunsets...

---> Okay, so now you want to housesit, right? Here are a few tips. :)

Building Your Trusted Housesitters Profile:

• Take the time to build your profile! Pretty much the rest of the tips come down to this. It is a project, but your investment of time will pay off when you get some great sits. I broke up the task, working a half hour or an hour at a time until I got it where I wanted it. 
• Consider what title captures you as a sitter - this is the first thing viewers of your page will notice.
• Include photos of you and animals you own/know and some that show your personality and hobbies. Homeowners want to know you... you are going to be staying in their house!
• Be honest about your experience and what you can/can't do. There are all types of animals and sits and you want to make sure you can look after the critters you sign up for. I've seen farm animals, cats that need injections and rescue dogs that require special patience and love. Sometimes the sits require, but don't provide, a vehicle, which would mean committing to renting a car. Carefully consider what you can take on.
• Get external references from your boss, landlord and anyone you have petsat for in the past. This helps create your profile and shows you are responsible. 
• Go through the external verification. You pay a fee and Trusted Housesitters runs a background check on you. Having this on your profile gives petowners peace of mind. 

Applying for a Sit:

• Check the site often or set up email notifications. It does pay off to be the first person to apply for a sit, especially in popular areas or at peak travel times. 
• Always include a personal note that shows that you have reviewed the sit and include why you are interested and a good fit! Some owners get a lot of interest so make your note stand out.
• Offer to talk on the phone or over Skype as well as via email. This helps them to see you are a nice person. And take the "interview" seriously!
• Follow up if you don't hear back, but know that sometimes homeowners do get bombarded with offers or change their travel plans...

During the Sit:

• Follow through and have fun! Most petowners will walk you through the details about the home and animals when you arrive. They may provide you with a manual with all the info (love it when they do this!); if not, ask questions and take notes!
• Communicate often. It's easy with technology to send photos and videos, showing them that their fur-babies are happy. This keeps them happy too.

After the Sit:

• Of course, leave the house in tip-top order! I've heard that some sitters even stock the fridge or prepare a special meal and leave it as a thank you.
• Send a thank you note/text to express your gratitude for the time in their house. 
• Ask that they review you on Trusted Housesitters so that you can get more sits! This is so important as reviews and trust fuel what this site is all about. 

If you are curious about signing up for Trusted Housesitters, feel free to post questions! You can get a discount off of your membership by using this link when you sign up! (Full disclosure: I get a discount when you use it, also.)

Happy traveling and happy petsitting!!!

Day 1: Madrid - St. Jean Pied de Port

Today marked an early start, especially by Spain standards, with a 5:30 am alarm. I got up, got ready and was out the door by 6. It was a day of travel on foot, by train, by plane and by car! And everything went smoothly! 

Soy milk café con leche, gluten free vegan bocadillo that I made the night before and a few other travel essentials. ;)

The French Basque Country is gorgeous and I had plenty of time to wander around town, check out the Monday market and get my pilgrim passport. St. Jean has a great energy to it and there is a buzz of nervous excitement as pilgrims prepare to embark on the Camino. I've already met new friends from Ireland, Poland, New Zealand, Australia, England and the USA. 

Picture above: 

Registering at the pilgrim office. The pilgrim passport cost €2 and is your "proof" as you move along the Camino. It also ends up being one of your best souvenirs. 

This photo shows the view from my accommodation, Gite Makila. 

I lit a candle inside the church today. 

I bought some snacks for tomorrow, anti-bedbug spray and walking poles. I wanted to try the poles this time - the downhill hurts my knees sometimes. 

The sun sets late; it's 8:30 pm as I finish this post and though the sun has slipped behind the Pyrenees (where I will follow, tomorrow!), it is still light out and the most pleasant temperature. 

Kilometers walked: 12.26 (not a Camino day, but not bad for just roaming around town).

Cambodia: Ream National Park (aka: The Beach)

After too few days in Siem Reap it was already time to pack up my bags and make my way to my next spot... So, what about my luggage? My bags were bulkier than I prefer. But, with hiking boots, a raincoat and fleece for cooler spots and laptop for yoga homework I had a lot to be prepared for! And it still all fit in a tuk-tuk. 

On the way to the airport.

Window seat for my one hour flight.

I flew from Siem Reap to Sihanoukville and it was an easy trip. It’s a small airport and a little beach town; you absolutely have the feeling that you are going somewhere special. I actually didn’t spend any time in Sihanoukville, though I hear it has some good nightlife, especially for the backpacking adventurer type. It’s also a jumping off point for Cambodia’s islands, which I only heard amazing things about, but I did not get to experience on this trip. I'll save those for next time!

Not an island, but I was very happy here.

Where I stayed:
A tip from a friend in Yangon pushed me on to Ream National Park. This is a gorgeous, and as of now, undeveloped area. I stayed at Monkey Maya, the only option around. Accommodation is quite basic (dorms and a few private rooms, no wifi, electricity only a few hours in the evenings), but the charm of this place is it’s chilled-out vibe and proximity to nature. The jungle is nearby for hikes, the terrace is wide for taking in the view and the beach is long and sandy. My favorite part was the bioluminescent algae. The beach was downright magical at night and swimming with these glowing beings was a trip highlight.

My basic bungalow

Million dollar view.

Looking up at my spot.

My new friend. :) Hey, I said it was in the jungle!

What I ate:

Where I stayed and where I ate was the same! There is only one option here! Monkey Maya - there was no reason to leave this paradise at all. The restaurant offers many options, both Western and Asian, caters to gluten-free and gluten-loving eaters and vegans or carnivores. Lots of drinks and a daily happy hour as well.

My favorite meal - gluten free pancakes with peanut butter and maple syrup and an iced coffee.

What I read:

As I mentioned, the lure to this place lies in its remote location. I walked on the beach, swam, worked on my yoga sequence and essays, stared at the sea and read. I decided to read a book about Cambodia and settled on the memoir: First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung. This is a well-written story and an incredible firsthand account of a young girl’s life under the Khmer Rouge takeover and regime. I highly recommend it.

Netflix is going to release the film version of this story in September. The author wrote the screenplay and it's directed by Angelina Jolie. Here's the trailer. 

Ah.

Cambodia: Siem Reap

Cambodia. I already want to return! While I say this about most places that I visit, Cambodia surprised me. Cambodia had been on my Southeast Asia bucket list ever since I moved to Myanmar and I knew that I needed to make a visit happen before my journey took me off the continent.

I spent 12 days in Cambodia and visited four towns/cities. Cambodia is a small country, but even so, this is a fast trip! It was the time I had and I’m so glad I did it. I was amazed everyday by this beautiful country and met with smiles and help from its friendly people. The downsides of this pace are: I wanted to stay longer everywhere I went, I didn’t have flexibility to explore other spots and I had to spend a little more money to make transit happen faster.

Night Market

Siem Reap and Angkor Wat

Some folks visit Cambodia and only see Siem Reap. It’s a happening little town, but the real draw here is Angkor Wat, the ancient remains of the Khmer civilization with numerous temples of Hindu and Buddhist origin. One traveler told me that in her book of one hundred places to see before you die that Angkor was number one. I’ve visited a lot of ruins and temples in the Americas and Asia and Angkor absolutely blew me away. I’ll share a few pictures here, but the cliché phrase “they don’t do it justice” has never been truer.

Sunrise at Angkor Wat.

The stone engravings' details are incredible.

Faces in the stone at Angkor Thom

One thing to keep in mind is that the entry to this historical zone is expensive and you will probably want to arrange transit as well. It’s hot and you will be walking and climbing at all the sites, so I recommend a tuk-tuk to whisk you around. A big decision that I wasn’t prepared for at five in the morning was whether to buy a one-day, three-day or seven-day pass. I settled on the three-day and was happy that I did as my second day revealed even more marvels than the first. As I said above, I definitely could have spent more time here!

I love the way the lichen and stone colors blend together.

Mother nature takes over.

Trying to capture the expanse of it all in a photo...

My days visiting Angkor involved a four in the morning alarm clock with a departure a half hour later in order to see the sunrise. Then I explored, wandered and wondered at the marvel of it all! I would arrive back to my hotel about eleven, just as the heat was really picking up, swim, nap and eat before heading back out to take in more. Check out the videos of my transport below!

Where I ate:

Great gluten free and vegan options are available in Cambodia! I was delighted to discover that this was a pretty easy country to find food that worked for me. I did stick to more foreigner-friendly eating establishments, but there are lots of healthy options, some local dishes do work and there was a lot of great international cuisines as well.

There are a plethora of options for all tastes and budgets. One highlight was gluten free Italian at La Pasta. This restaurant is READY for customers with dietary limitations, they offer gluten free pasta and vegan cheeses and the servers are knowledgeable of ingredients and cross-contamination.

It's not often that I get to eat Italian food at a real Italian restaurant.

I tasted a Khmer Coconut Curry at Navutu Dreams. Navutu is a swanky resort, but a friend who used to live in Siem Reap gave me the tip that if you go for yoga class, then you can stay and enjoy the THREE pools and gardens all day. After a few days of exploring temples and hiking around, this was a relaxing and revitalizing pause. 

Yoga space at Navutu

Khmer coconut curry... served in a coconut!

Perfect for a dip after yoga.

Not pictured (proabably because I gobbled up my food so quickly): Tasty dosas and South Indian cuisine at The Indian and coffee with homemade nut milks at ARTillery Cafe.

Phare, the Cambodian Circus:

In my opinion, it would be an absolute shame to visit Siem Reap and miss Phare. This circus provides opportunities for Cambodian Youth and the performers put on a sensational show with circus arts, live visual art, dance, music and a look at Cambodian history. A must do.

Where I stayed: 

One of the benefits of visiting Cambodia is that it is less touristy than some other SE Asia destinations. It's not exactly off the beaten track, but I did find great value. Remember, June is "green season" (monsoon), so visiting at an off time also helps the budget.

I had a lovely room at Frangipani Villa Hotel. It's about a 10 minute walk from the busy center so it's a quiet spot. The pool and patios are gorgeous and the buffet breakfast has lots of options! 

Relaxing between Angkor visits.

Feeling like a princess in my room.

I know it's been a minute between blog posts... Stay tuned for more Cambodia stories and then follow me into Europe...

Week Without Walls 2017: Hong Kong

Many international schools take annual trips which focus on experiential education, service learning and/or introducing the students to new activities that aren't possible within the walls of a classroom. This year, I travelled with 36 tenth graders and 3 other teacher-chaperones to Hong Kong for nine days. This was a conceptual trip, planned by the art and business teachers at my school and we didn't work with a tour company or guide. These two passionate educators spent hundreds of hours organizing the experience that follow...

Day 1: It was not just another normal Friday. As school ended and we packed up to go home teachers and students were going home to rest a little, finish packing our bags and then take flight on a red eye to Hong Kong!

Full moon rising on my pre-plane walk around the neighborhood

We all met at the new terminal of Yangon International Airport and amidst many hugs, smiles and goodbyes from nervous parents, we gathered the students, checked in and made our way to our gate. 

The flight from Yangon to Hong Kong is only about three and a half hours, but this was our first night's sleep. Most of us dozed in and out and then...

Day 2: We arrived in Hong Kong! We collected all but one suitcase (which would be delivered the following day - the student wasn't upset, he was pysched to go shopping!), made our way through customs and sleepily boarded the bus waiting for us. It was probably only a 30 minute drive to our hotel, but I was fast asleep when we pulled up to the Intercontinental. Luckily, this amazing hotel was ready to check us in, even though it was only 7:30 in the morning. 

Checking in to the hotel

After a much-needed rest in the rooms and we wandered nearby for a late breakfast/early lunch. Next up was shopping! The students were thrilled to have some time in the mall. Shopping opportunities remain scarce in Yangon, especially for brand-name clothes and electronics can have a 100% mark-up.

Snack at the mall - this shop resembled an Eddie Bauer/Ikea with a cute restaurant.

We boarded our chartered bus once again and headed to The Peak, where we dug right into the art component of the trip, visiting Madame Tussauds wax museum and the Trick Eye Museum.

Pablo y yo - in Madame Tussauds

Chaperone shot @ the Trick Eye Museum

Chaperone selfie - we are in Hong Kong!!!

Day 3: This day was full of public transport: boat, bus and subway! We enjoyed breakfast in our hotel and then walked to the ferry dock, relying on our Chinese-speaking students to help us with directions, where we took a ferry to the other side of town. Here, we waited for another boat, which brought us across the water, out of the city. It looked like there were lots of hiking trails, but we found a bus to take us up up up where we would visit the Po Lin Monastery.

View from the little "town" back towards the Buddha

Cows relaxing in the monastery below the Big Buddha

Stairs leading up

View from the top - another opportunity to fall in love with Hong Kong!

Obligatory shoe shot for mom - not usually taken with jeans + sneakers!

On the boat ride back many students napped. They would visit the Great European Carnival on the Waterfront Promenade for dinner, rides and games once we returned to the city center. I had arranged to meet a friend, E, another international school teacher who lives in Hong Kong, so I separated from my group at the Carnival entrance. It felt strange to be away from my "Hong Kong family," but it was great to share a gluten free vegan Italian dinner with E and wander around the center. She follows a similar diet to mine and she showed me her favorite snacks, available at 7-11. Score!

Thank you E for showing me around!

Day 4: Once again, we headed out on a chartered bus, all wearing matching splash-painted t-shirts, this time to Ocean Park! Ocean Park is an amusement park-sea world kind of combination. There would be plenty of fun, but we also had a tour booked of the dolphin facility and the students were divided into small groups to work on their "polaroid challenge" - a photography assignment which would span the entire trip and take advantage of some of the amazing locations we were in.

The best view I've seen from a roller coaster :D

Lunch inside the aquarium

Behind the Scenes Dolphin Experience

Day 5: On Valentine's Day our big group broke into two groups: the advanced art students and two teachers went on their own artsy itinerary, while the business teacher, many students and I ventured back towards the airport, this time to visit Cathay City. We started with an extensive lunch in the corporate cafeteria (the nicest cafeteria I have ever seen; I would eat there everyday!). We had a special tour of the flight training center, learned all about the training process for pilots and crew and even met the CEO!

We all dressed in uniform - one of Cathay's requirements for all tours. Flight attendant and our guide in red on the side!

Inside the office building! Practice space for flight attendants in training. 

We met back up with our full group at the hotel where we had a little rest and some time to get dressed up. We celebrated Valentine's Day and our last night in the center of Hong Kong with a dinner boat cruise.

Hong Kong, will you be my Valentine? ;)

To be continued...

What I'm Listening to:

Glass Animals - How to be a Human Being - My ears haven't had this much fun in a long time!

Just finished eating:
Gluten free and vegan and only eight ingredients? These peanut butter chocolate chip muffins may become my new favorite breakfast! (Or dinner...or snack...)