Sheri Lynn Wilson: The Traveling Caretaker
Sheri Lynn Wilson was born and raised in a small town in Iowa. Sheri recalls, “The extent of my travel experiences as a child and young teen were family trips to our vacation home on a little lake in Nisswa, Minnesota.” Sheri's first trip out of the U.S. came much later in life when, in her early 20’s, she spent a week in Cozumel, Mexico. According to Sheri, “I was hooked! I fell in love with Mexico and knew that someday not only would I go back for another vacation, but I had dreams that I would eventually wind up living there, and so I did.”
After graduating from high school, Sheri attended cosmetology school in Norman, Oklahoma and managed a successful full service salon there. “After a decade of being in business and on almost every board in town, I was tired. I wanted a change of pace so I sold my salon, put my house on the market and spent six months with a friend on his 36-foot luxury boat in the Sea of Cortez in Mexico.” Sheri learned how to read Charlie's charts and co-captain a power boat. After this experience Sheri found, “I quickly realized that I could live a lifestyle that allowed me to travel. I felt I had a lot to offer the caretaker profession, so after reading The Caretaker Gazette for the first time, I started applying for caretaking jobs.”
After responding to an ad in the The Caretaker Gazette, she accepted a caretaking position on Roatan, an island off Honduras. Sheri's responsibilities included caring for a large estate, providing security and taking care of staff. Her boating skills came in handy on Roatan as commuting to the next town, or cay, was by skiff, dodging the coral reefs. Since Sheri's stint on Roatan, she secured several other caretaking jobs thanks to the Gazette. She has been a caretaker for a remote cabin in the Arkansas Ozarks, near the White River. Sheri next secured a position with a friend on Baker's Island, a private island off the New England coast. Sheri's primary responsibility was to look after 60 privately owned cottages, keep trespassers away, and communicate with the Salem harbormaster and the Coast Guard when the Lighthouse needed renovation. Sheri was entirely off the grid there, no cars, no restaurants, or movie theaters but was just a mere boat ride away from all that. Once again her boating skills were honed as the only means of transportation was via a dinghy. She recalls that the island was magical and lush and mystical, and the cottage owners were very kind and friendly.
Sheri also was the sole caretaker for a Cerillos, New Mexico ranch that was featured on The Today Show segment about The Caretaker Gazette. Sheri took care of feeding horses, cows, a bull and several dogs and a cat. “I loved being on this ranch. I love the owners very much as they were extremely good to me and taught me so much about life and not sweating the small stuff.” Sheri remains in contact with the owners of the ranch as they were more than her employers, they became trusted friends. Sheri's most recent caretaking experiences were in Baja Mexico, caring for large estate homes located on Cabo San Lucas and the 'Riviera Corridor' between Cabo and San Jose del Cabo. “I mostly did short term house/petsits for clients on a regular basis, always maintaining a base home, which was also a caretaking job.” For four years she lived off the grid in estates on the Pacific Ocean side of Baja. She has extensive caretaking experience with homes that are solar powered and generator operated and can care for solar batteries and systems. “I am used to this way of living and love it. I am comfortable and at ease in remote settings as well as in populated areas. I have developed many skills by being a professional caretaker, always learning and adapting.”
Sheri has experience supervising gardeners, maids, chefs, landscape architects, construction workers, and other household staff. She ensures that they do their intended jobs and pays them on behalf of the owners. 'My credentials are exemplary, and I take my caretaking jobs very seriously. I try to provide the utmost of care when I am on a job." Her list of references is extensive. Sheri is currently spending time with family and friends in the Oklahoma area until she secures another caretaking job. "As always, I will be perusing the trusty Caretaker Gazette in order to secure another promising opportunity. I am keeping my options wide open and the right job will come along. With my former management skills, I can tackle just about anything that comes my way. I can do off the grid living and fine estate living. I am so grateful for the The Caretaker Gazette as my lifestyle has been wonderful. I have had so many fantastic experiences thus far due to all the people that keep the Gazette published. I am open to long-term positions and short-term." Thanks for letting me share my experiences and my story. My entire outlook on life has expanded in so many wonderful ways thanks to the Caretaker lifestyle. Happy trails!"
