Interests: Hiking, kayaking, ice skating, horseback riding, etc., travel, multicultural places, people and music, and studying alternative health science. My dream is to help homeless children; volunteering, adopting, and/or starting an orphanage.
Quote: “It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude."
Ralph Waldo Emerson.
When I moved to New England, in the rural Boston area, I found a place to rent from a family who was going to be out of the country for two years. And, I fell in love with their home. It was warm, open, large, and comfortable with a beautiful yard that had plentiful flowers to pick from for bouquets. I found myself caring for the home and yard, and giving it the time and attention it needed. It was then I got the idea that maybe I could take care of someone’s home for them; help a homeowner who needed an extra hand, who is too busy and doesn’t have the time, or needs to be out of the area for a while, and have it benefit me. I could love someone’s home for them.
After that idea, I started looking and came across The Caretaker Gazette. When I read about all the great jobs available across the world I instinctively knew it was the right move for me. I found a Caretaker Gazette ad for a caretaking position in the area, responded, met the owners for an interview, and very shortly after was moving into a new home as a caretaker. The situation was, and still is, taking care of a primary home for a busy couple; a 10,000 square foot perfectly restored, historic New England mansion. The arrangement is to be at the home when the owners can’t be - to turn on the lights at dusk, etc., to clean the home once a week, and to take care of the two terriers, in exchange for the fourth floor apartment.
I have now been at this historic home for two years, near Boston, Massachusetts, tending and caring for the historic mansion, and the dogs. I also work a full-time job in the same town, one mile from the house. It has been a perfect arrangement at the perfect time.
My daily routine looks like this:
Between 6 and 7am I get up and dress appropriately for the weather conditions, while the dogs go crazy, because they know they’re getting breakfast and get to go for a walk. After our 15 minute walk, I pick up the newspaper, and bring them back inside where they settle into the kitchen for the morning. Then I straighten up the kitchen, load or unload the dishwasher, take out the trash, etc.
After that, I get ready for work, go to work, and come back at lunchtime to feed and walk the dogs. Before I return to work, I help them settle onto their beds with their toys in the kitchen again. Between 5 and 6pm I come home from work, turn on the outside lights and the few inside lights, pick up the mail and walk the dogs. They love to be walked, and they are always so happy to go outside. Sometimes I walk them longer during this time, especially if it is nice weather, or if there are new Christmas lights to discover. At first this was an odd routine to get used to, but now I enjoy it, especially if one is not apt to going out in certain kinds of weather. I get to experience more… thanks to dogs. Then I have free time until 10pm, when I’ll walk the dogs again, and then bring them upstairs to my room, where they’ll play, then settle down in their beds for the night. I also take them to the vet when needed, for check-ups, and to renew any medication.
On one of my days off I clean the house. This takes around five hours. Most of the home is like a historic time piece, is truly a work of art, and is not often used, so it gets vacuumed, dusted, polished and shined. The common areas are furnished in a different design, modern contemporary, and will also look immaculate after the weekly cleaning.
The historic home is currently for sale, although it is not expected to sell immediately. As a subscriber to The Caretaker Gazette I am planning ahead, and looking at other possible caretaking opportunities. I am ready to travel and explore again. I recently visited Montreal which I enjoyed very much. It is a ‘perfect place,’ full of culture and outdoor activities. I also have an interest in western Montana, to participate in all the outdoor activities, and since it is seasonal possibly travel a month or two a year. I would like to visit parts of Europe, and have an interest in Turkey too.
I am so grateful to be able to use The Caretaker Gazette to enhance my lifestyle. My true love is children and my ultimate dream is to help homeless children. I want to create a home for those in need, but I’m also interested in volunteering in a place that is already established to do so. I recently discovered an orphanage in Mexico that adopted 27 children, who were the least likely to be adopted. I have been corresponding with them via email to possibly volunteer at their school to teach English as a second language. At this stage of life, giving back seems to be more of a priority than anything. Thanks to The Caretaker Gazette for letting me share my experiences and my story. My outlook on life has expanded in so many wonderful ways thanks to the caretaker lifestyle.
