Roaming About

A Life Less Ordinary

Tag: friends (page 2 of 3)

Meeting Friends New and Old…

November 30, 2018 / / 49 Comments

From the heat to the cold…

One of the reasons Mark and I moved into our camper van Zesty in July, was to experience the freedom we so desire. Being free to go and stay where we wanted, for as long as we pleased. And, being free to adjust our route to incorporate visiting people dear to us, whether we hadn’t seen them in years, in months, or ever!

And so, one of the highlights of our travels this past summer and fall has been meeting up with friends old and new. What a blast it was! While Mark and I enjoy our “us-time”, socializing with people we connect with, have things in common with, or share interesting conversations with cannot be matched.

John and Andre in Rollinsville, Colorado

We house sat for this amazing couple and their dog Oscar, in the fall of 2017. As we headed north from Santa Fe, where our latest RV adventure in Zesty started, we made it a point to stop by and say hello. They welcomed us with open arms, John took us white water kayaking, we hiked together, and we shared a couple of nice dinners.

Then (2017):

Hike with John, Andre and Oscar, before the house sit

Now:

Dinner out with our Colorado friends
Oscar had stitches from a wound this time around
The first time for Mark and I to go whitewater kayaking.

Rachel in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Mark and I met Rachel in the South Pacific. She and a friend were sailing the area on SV Namaste, just like we did on our 35’ catamaran Irie. We spent many enjoyable nights together on either boat in French Polynesia, shared adventurous hikes and celebrated two Christmases and New Years together. We visited her in Port Coquitlam, near Vancouver, where she and her sister Nina’s family invited us to stay in the house for as long as we wanted. Rachel also took us to Whistler. We ended up staying four days, since we all got along so well.

Then (2014 – 2015):

Fabulous fresh lobster dinner,, received as a trade with a local couple
Sun downers at the beach in the Marquesas
Christmas on Irie in 2013
Christmas on Irie in 2014
New Year’s Eve 2014 in Huahini, French Polynesia: Liesbet, Monique and Rachel

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A Flood of Memories – Emotions and Closure

July 26, 2018 / / 61 Comments

“My parents are selling their house and moving to a one-bedroom flat. They’re kicking me out,” I whined to Mark a few months ago.

“Your mom and dad aren’t kicking you out,” he responded. “Besides, be happy you managed to stay there and use their address as your Belgian residency all those years. I don’t know any other 42-year-old who still lives with her parents…”

Of course, I don’t really live with my parents in Belgium anymore, but my childhood home has been a safe, familiar, and reliable haven during the last 15 years of my travels. I grew up here, made friends, played volleyball as a teenager, enjoyed long walks in nature a couple of blocks away, and happily returned a few weeks of almost every year. While never a vacation, I did soak up the attention and care I received from friends and family, eager to see me, and ready to spoil me with home-cooked meals, a car to use, and laundry services.

Goodbye, childhood home!

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Then and Now – Friends

April 25, 2018 / / 44 Comments

A few years ago, I would have never thought to dedicate a blog post to friendship. After all, we had many friends we stayed in touch with over email, fellow cruisers we ran into again, and new people we met in different harbors. As I have alluded to in previous blogs, the one fallback about house and pet sitting – and being on the move from one more or less isolated home to the next – is that Mark and I lack social interaction. It was an important fact I pointed out in my recent interview with Kristin of Wayward Home. Sure, we sometimes meet neighbors and might nod our heads at one another. Recently, we were even invited to dinner at the house across the street in Albuquerque. A first! It was a nice surprise and evening. But, all our current friendships are treasured via the internet. Outlook, Facebook, blog comments, Skype calls; that’s where my social life happens. Mark, who isn’t on social media, has even less interactions.

BFFs on my bachelorette party in SXM

Luckily, most of our friends are travelers. This means they might find themselves in the same area where we secured a house sit. When that happens, good times are had. New life directions are exchanged in person and wonderful memories are shared! Those are the best times, and I’m grateful for them. Continue reading

Completed House Sits – San Diego, CA (October 31st, 2017 to February 11th, 2018)

February 28, 2018 / / 53 Comments

After every house sit, I post an overview of it on my blog. Here’s the one about our time in San Diego.

When Mark and I were selected for this recent fall/winter house and pet sit in San Diego (this was the ad), we were very excited. We love San Diego – the climate, the sights, the activities, the friends we have there – and looked forward to a healthy balance of restful, exciting, social and productive times. For three full months (later extended by two weeks)! It seemed like a nice, long time to settle in and get things done. Suddenly, it was all over. 3.5 months… gone in a jiffy.

Christmas with Alex and Dave
Visit from Johnny Coconut and his brother
Unexpected visit from our cruising friend Patti and her rescued Mexican puppy
With Kathy and Thom on New Year’s Day
Visit from Amy and Skylos

This house sit was unusual in many ways. We arrived four days earlier, as Mark was scheduled to fly back east for health check-ups the end of October. I became a roommate of Diana, the owner, for a few days before she left. It was a perfect transition for both of us, and for the two sweet Italian Greyhounds, Frida (12) and Elvis (10). The following ten days, I took care of them, the house, the yard and the mail by myself, while working on my book and exploring the area by bike on weekends.

San Diego skyline from Harbor Island

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Roaming About in 2017 – Our Year in Review

January 4, 2018 / / 50 Comments

The end of the year is a good time for reflection. In the past, Mark and I would do so by recalling the islands visited, the people met, or the countries explored. The last two years, we look back at the house sits we fulfilled; new places we discovered in the US and animals we took care of. To give this review of 2017 a bit more depth, I am combining Donna’s and Peta’s idea of breaking the post down in months and Janis’ end-of-the-year focus by incorporating what I am grateful for.

January 2017 – Hospitality of others

In the beginning of the year, Mark and I finished a three-month dog sit with Herk in the Sacramento area, California. After that, we faced a short gap between house sits. Thanks to the home owner, who let us stay a few extra days, and a blogging friend offering up her guest room, we did not become homeless. Friends happily hosted us at other times during the month as well, keeping our accommodation free. During our 2+ years of house and pet sitting, Mark and I never paid for a hotel room.

Dinner with our hospitable home owner
Cuddling with Pixel, while staying at our friends Kathy and Steve’s house in the SF Bay Area for the night
Walk with Terri and Aero in Sacramento, where she and husband Hans housed us for two nights

February 2017 – The warmth of Southern California Continue reading

Ask a House Sitter – What Do You Do between House Sits?

February 20, 2017 / / 38 Comments

For house sit assignments to line up perfectly, house sitters have to be pretty lucky. Finding consecutive house sits in highly desirable locations is pretty rare, unless you are able to secure every sit of your choice and all the dates are flexible. Or, you are in an ideal position where home owners consult with you to see when you are available. That would be the dream of all house sitters: having different owners bombard you with invitations, so you can choose which situation and location works best for you. Unfortunately, home owners are the ones to pick from an array of sitters, since the demand for house and pet sitting jobs is higher than the supply. So, what do we do to fill the gaps between house sits?

The drive west increased our gap with Mark’s family in distance

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Then and Now – Christmas

December 27, 2016 / / 22 Comments

Here is another topic for my “Then and Now” series. This festive time of the year has been different for us, over the years, as my article “Caribbean Christmas Afloat” in All At Sea magazine partly depicts. Underneath is a glimpse into our Christmases then (mostly during the time we lived and sailed on Irie) and now, at our current house sit.

2008 – Culebra, Puerto Rico

Mark, Darwin, Kali and I were ready to explore the real Caribbean in our 35′ sailboat. Unfortunately, the day after Christmas, our sweet girl Kali passed away and nothing would ever be the same anymore.

A special breakfast with bacon grease for Kali and Darwin

2009 – St. Pierre, Martinique

One of the most beautiful anchorages in the Caribbean was our location on Christmas in 2009. It was just the three of us enjoying a quiet day of giving Darwin a bath and exploring the town.

A bath for Darwin

2010 – Bequia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines Continue reading

A Fun-filled Memorial Day Weekend

June 2, 2016 / / 18 Comments

I’ve mentioned before that one of the nicest things about the A-Z Blogging Challenge was meeting a bunch of interesting people online through stories and comments. That I would actually meet one of these blogging travelers in person a month later came as an unexpected bonus!

The second half of April, I discovered Jaye and Dan’s blog “Life Afloat”, where she writes about her minimalistic life on their 33’ sailboat Cinderella. I learned that, over the summer, she and her husband would crew on the tall ship El Galeon a second time. This life-size replica of a Spanish galleon would pull into Newburyport over Memorial Day weekend. And the rest was history as they say…

With our tour guides Jaye and Dan

With our “off duty” tour guides Jaye and Dan in front of the tall ship El Galeon

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Spring Break in Belgium

May 26, 2016 / / 15 Comments

To many it came as a surprise that, all of a sudden, I showed up in Belgium. It was only May, and I had “just” been there, eight months prior. At times, it even felt as if I never left. Usually, I visit my home country once a year, or every other year, based on my current location. Why was I going back so soon? Because I craved spring and it refused to arrive in Heath, MA! 🙂

I love the spring colors in the countryside
Spring in my parents’ yard 1
Spring in my parents’ yard 2

In the past, visiting Belgium had multiple purposes, ranging from special events (like weddings and birthdays) to medical reasons to having been away too long already, in combination with needing a break from the challenging boat life. And, I always preferred to go to Europe during the summer for the nicer weather and delightful atmosphere of high-spirited people, fun festivals and sunny café patios. Continue reading

R is for Relationships

April 21, 2016 / / 13 Comments
Day 17 of the A to Z Blogging Challenge – Thoughts on Being a Nomad

While it is healthy to be by yourself once in a while – a little me time boosts confidence, brings inner peace, focuses on what it is that you want and allows you to reflect and prioritize as you see fit – humans are social creatures. Experiencing life with someone else to share the good, the bad and the ugly is much more rewarding, meaningful and satisfying than going at it alone. Of course, there are exceptions, but when I look around me, whether it is here in small town USA, on a boat surrounded by tropical islands or from a camper in lush Central America, people prefer to do things with a mate or as a family.

All of our parents visited (and first met each other) in St. Martin in 2009

All of our parents visited (and first met each other) in St. Martin in 2009

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