Though my usual lifestyle is to stay on the road, traveling throughout the world, I have taken up temporary residence back in the U.S. for the next several months. A five-week visit to my daughter’s family in Colorado has given us our annual reconnection and now a plan to rent an apartment in Santa Fe, New Mexico, will allow me to catch up on my writing, publishing, and learning new skills concerning photography and website design. Somehow, living out of a suitcase, while relying upon iffy wi-fi and a lack of secure working space found along the way, was just too much of a deterrent to getting my To-Do List accomplished.
Theoretically, once I have the know-how to conquer the Photostock World and sell my skillfully-massaged, excellent, international photographs (of which I now have thousands); and when I have figured out how to maximize my two long-standing websites and blogs by linking them to others in the same category and filling them with pertinent and paying ads through Google Adsense….then, I will have created a permanent, silent income stream to supplement my social security. This will give me even more latitude to sashay permanently around the world again, as is my fashion. Thus, I aspire to elevating above the hostel budget and into the spa and resort, daily massage, sort of lifestyle.
Hence, the lovely brain exercise now being undertaken with books such as: “How To Start A Blog That People Will Read” by Mike Omar, who promises to teach me how to use Word Press to make even more websites for myself; “How I Replaced My Day Job With My Blog” by Bob Lotich, and “How To Blog For Profit Without Selling Your Soul” by Ruth Soukup. As well as “Photoshop Elements 12” by Nick Vandome.
Indeed, I do have an eighth-decade brain, so I’ve spent my visit picking the brains of my son-in-law and 16-year-old grandson. In the artsy, casual, interesting little town of Santa Fe, I’ll seek out groups of fellow learners; or perhaps start a club of my own. Wouldn’t you respond to an ad about a meeting of “Bloggers & Photogers“?
However, I do have a tip to pass along now about a free way to live in some wonderful places all over the world absolutely without rent! All you have to do is transport yourself to the location and take on a few simple responsibilities to live very comfortably like a local, usually only needing to pay for your food and entertainment.
HOUSESITTING/PETSITTING
This is a win-win situation for everyone and there are websites which match sitters with homeowners all over the world. Even though I’m not in the market at the moment, I read my daily emails announcing places that I could be heading for, otherwise. Just saw one today for Vanuatu Island in the South Pacific! Actually, I am a very experienced Pet sitter, having enjoyed animals and lovely houses in Brazil, South Africa, and Albuquerque, New Mexico. Always, I wind up being permanent friends with the people I sit for. Also, today, I’m seeing life from the eyes of my little family here who are urgently seeking help minding their three animals while we’re away over the 4-day, Thanksgiving holidays, though we’re trying neighbors and dog pounds rather than a more formal house sitter arrangement.
The homeowner always has much more at stake than the many applicants they might have for the job but they usually have plenty of people to choose from if they post their advertisement well in advance. As a potential sitter, it’s good to keep a long range vision and work several months ahead in planning your journey to match their schedule. The most successful results happen when everyone gets their act together in time. That said, I was able to snag a three week stay in New Mexico on my way here to Colorado with very little advance planning. Of course, the chocolate lab for whom I sat was not too happy with the arrangement and wound up biting me on the hand, two weeks into my stay. I’m still recovering from that experience, but it hasn’t dampened my enthusiasm. Might be a little cautious of big dogs in the future, though.
There’s a whole lot of flexibility in planning a trip because, with a little vigilance, you’ll find dates to suit your own travel needs, from a few days to many months, to even a year. Do it right and you could wind up hopping from one house sitting post to another. I plan, sometime, to headquarter in London and then move about all over the UK because those requests show up so frequently. This allows you to become a part of a local community, living in beautiful homes and not paying rent while you dote on other people’s pets. The more experience you gain, the more likely you are to get chosen for the job. Don’t forget to mention the experience that you might have had as a pet owner yourself.
Just Google the subjects of house sitting and pet sitting and read away. There’s so much information and so many articles to get you started. Here are a few websites to familiarize yourself with this excellent and trustworthy way to see the world:
www.trustedhousesitters.com
www.mindmyhouse.com
www.housecarers.com
Visit Linda’s website and be inspired: www.heyboomers.com
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