A boomer figured out how to travel more!

Many baby boomers are traveling these days in their retirement, but for some, with continuing obligations at home, it is more easily said than done. That’s what Kathe Kline writes about from San Diego County in Southern California: finding ways to travel, worry-free.

My husband and I have a running argument about traveling. I want to travel more. He’s concerned about the cost of getting care for our two rescue dogs, Izzy and Winky, and my Mulluccan cockatoo, Mr. Grant.

Kathe Kline

It’s not just the cost either; it’s the upheaval the animals have to go through when we leave.

So when I found out about the housesitting websites that are out there, I had to dig deeper and learn more.

I have a podcast, so I’m used to speaking with people I don’t actually know.

So that part was easy. I reached out to the online world and found two people with different perspectives about it.

The first was Josie Schneider, and she wowed me with stories. One story was how she and her husband traveled for eight months, staying in other people’s homes the entire time.

They had found out about house sitting but didn’t do it right away. But after a few years of thinking about it, they signed up for a few of the websites that offer the opportunity, and got out there! Josie now has a blog that teaches people how to get picked for house sitting jobs.

I thought it sounded great, but I have three pets, and it costs me a lot of money to travel.

So to get that perspective, I spoke with Chris Ramon.

I asked Chris what interested her in exchanging homes, which was her own first entree into house sitting. She told me that you get someone who is vetted to stay in your home for no charge, and have them do just what you need them to do with your home and your animals while you’re gone at no cost to you.

Chris loves to travel, and now with the ability to have people house sit for free, she’s able to get out more. In fact, she too has started a blog about it. It discusses how to get out and see more, even if you are afraid. It gives travel tips too.

I have to admit, I’m in love with the idea. I don’t know if we would have tried it if we hadn’t already stayed in an AirBNB when we went to the Pasadena Rose Bowl Parade, but since we did, dealing with people on a one-to-one basis, instead of a hotel, appeals to me.

And now, the thought of letting someone stay in our home to watch our animals seems like a fair trade.

In fact, we will try it this summer. It’s our first time, and we didn’t do everything we should have (for example we were told to jump on a Skype call before deciding on who to hire).

But I feel confident that it will all work out!