Part 1: Hopping House Sits in Northern California After 18 months outside the US, it was time for a brief return. Leaving Thailand when my six months of visas were up, and with the first draft of my book manuscript completed, I made a sweep through California to renew my passport, and more importantly, to see family and friends. Keeping with my backpacker’s budget, this included house and pet sitting, a cobbling together of places to...

Just the words, “World Travel,” sound romantic. What’s it like to really chuck it all and travel around the world for a year? After visiting over a dozen countries on a shoestring-budget, I thought I’d do a little visual re-cap of some of the highlights. First stop, on my world travel adventure – Australia, including the Great Barrier Reef in Cairns, where I took a leap of faith as well as a leap in the ocean, and...

Brilliant and beautiful Brighton & Hove, on the south coast of England, offer much to enjoy, and I found myself with three weeks to explore while pet sitting for two mischievous dachshunds. Twin cities, of a sort, Hove and Brighton are like bookends, linked by a long seaside promenade. The prom is full of life, action, and beautiful views, where you can take part in numerous activities – the usual bike riding, jogging and dog walking,...

What could be a more authentic English experience than living in a home on the High Street in the quaint village of Corsham? Luck was with me when I landed this house sit for sweet William, a 15-year-old pup. His masters, Mark and Andy were headed off on a holiday, and entrusted their furry friend to my care, along with their beautiful home. Will even made happy noises when I scratched behind his floppy ears, and rubbed his tummy. Corsham is a...

Castles in the sky, or at least close – my house sit in Fort William, in the Highlands of Scotland, came in the form of a Victorian manse, complete with a lively companion… The Highlands have long been high on my list, and I had two weeks to enjoy the fall, with free accommodations in exchange for keeping an eye on this lovely home and entertaining my new furry friend, Hamish. Little did I know that he had 100 times my energy, and...