"A Spontaneous and Synchronistic Life" for an International House Sitter

Meg Cook, a Caretaker Gazette subscriber, talks about her experiences as an international housesitter:
A couple of years ago I was trudging through a mundane and predictable lifestyle. I was working myself to death. I wanted to travel the world alone and LEARN….languages, the view of the world through other’s eyes, how to make my way around and become streetwise.

It takes a special combination of courage, risk-taking (and perhaps a shot of foolishness) to fish oneself out of a secure lifestyle and plunge into unknown territory. In one fell swoop, I quit my job and started looking for opportunities to travel creatively. I talked to fellow travelers of all types and read many books. My favorite is Rolf Pott’s Vagabonding. Rolf describes the traveler’s essential spirit beautifully, and provides practical tips for making it work for you. I searched the internet and, as luck would have it, happened on to The Caretaker Gazette. I immediately got a subscription and began applying for international jobs.

My first housesitting job that I found through The Caretaker Gazette was taking care of a dachshund with a bad back and his gang of four cats in Stirling, Scotland. Stirling is smack in the middle of the country, where ‘the lowlands meet the highlands.’  It is sublime, with a huge castle and lovely walking paths. As I made my way through the woods, I often thought of how folks had been walking these same paths for centuries, connecting one town to another. The homeowners were wonderful people and I enjoyed their books, movies and a professional baker’s kitchen. I journaled the day’s events of the pets' lives and emailed them to the homeowner, who laughed and agreed with my observations of which cat was the gang’s leader and how Freddie could make ANYONE become a dachshund lover.

There’s a closeness one achieves with homeowners that is amazing: you learn their pet’s habits, quirks of the house and the neighborhood’s personality.  You get to know them in a way even their closest friends and family can’t know them. You ‘walk’ their life, and it bonds you.

My next house sitting job that I found through The Caretaker Gazette was in Lucca, Italy, a sweet little town in Tuscany’s hill country. I took care of darling Cocca, a cat who enjoys hot water bottles on the sofa, and may be a bit near-sighted. Lucca has a rich history, dating back to 180 BCE and is surrounded by a ‘passaggia’, this great ancient wall with a lovely walking path along the top. I was able to take day trips to Pisa, and to fabulous Florence, a city filled with art I had wanted to see all my life. I stood in front of ‘The Birth of Venus,’ by Botticelli, for a long time, the beauty of it bringing me almost to tears.

House sitting, as opposed to a typical tourist’s experience, allows one to find the local recycling center, taste the local fare, explore the grocery store. Here are a few such observations:

In Scotland, land of the ‘machair,’ your garbage becomes compost almost overnight. The Highland Games feature men in skirts throwing tree trunks, and yes, they ARE sexy burly men, skirts and all. The tidal river does rise and fall with the tide, and though the River Forth, which flows through Stirling, is far from the sea, occasionally a porpoise can be seen in the water.

In the Lucca, Italy grocery stores, one shouldn’t touch the produce unless wearing the disposable gloves provided-now that’s a great idea! Drinking water is available through the same fountains brought to life by Napolean’s sister, Elisa, who ruled the town in the 1800’s, and EVERYTHING is closed from 12-4, or anytime therein. The gelato guy around the corner is open most of the time, except when not.

I can’t think of another aspect of my life that has offered such a pleasant surprise as house sitting. And thank Heaven, I’m LEARNING, though late, about seeing the world through other’s eyes. I look forward to more eye-opening experiences in whatever town, whatever country...whenever life takes me there.  The Caretaker Gazette has provided a beautiful piece of the puzzle of my ‘new and improved’ spontaneous and synchronistic life.