A House & Pet Sitting Lifestyle Review

​Reviewing the Lifestyle of “International House & Pet Sitting” is based on my life experience over the past five years and highlights the areas I believe to be most important.

​Must Love Uncertainty

New Places New Experiences

If you like the security of having your own home or similar then this lifestyle is not for you. We sold all our assets and have not rented anywhere for five years. This makes it really challenging when asked for a home residential address by bureaucratic systems that don’t understand some people choose to be address-less. So our motto is “Houseless But Never Homeless”. Additionally we are on the move a lot. We prefer sits of around 1-2 months and depending on what’s next it can be a new area, state or country. We have stayed in million dollar water front properties, beach shacks, in cities, suburbs and rural areas.

Pros

• So much cheaper to live with no ownership or renting costs
• None of the regular hassles associated with ownership or renting
• Visit new areas, states and countries

Cons

• Have no security of a guaranteed place to live
• Have no real fixed residential address
• No place to store stuff or vehicle

​Must Love People

People Come In All Shapes Sizes & Personalities

International Lifestyle House & Pet Sitting is in the people business. If you don’t like people then think seriously before adopting it. The simple fact is this lifestyle only works by building relationships with all types of people, and when I say all, I mean ALL. This lifestyle teaches us how to be OK with all personality types and see the world from their point of view. We get to appreciate there is more than one way to look after a house and pet, and we are constantly mixing with people, who up until now, we may not have.
Pros

• Opens up your view of the world
• Meet new people and make new friends/connections
• Learn to accept people as they are

Cons

• Living in confined space with strangers
• Accepting others habits and routines
• At times limited personal space

​Must Love Animals

Must Love Animals

Yes there are some house sits without animals, however there are many more with them. We love all types of animals and they are a big factor in the sits we select.  If you don’t love animals then think seriously about whether this lifestyle would suit you. Over the years we have had so much fun looking after all types of animals with many types of personalities. Additionally it is usually us that fit into their routine rather than the other way around so being flexible in the way things are done is a necessity.
Pros

• Enjoy playing and being with animals
• Learn more about different types/breeds of animals
• Enjoy time with animals without the full-time responsibility

Cons

• Leaving the animals you grow to love
• Dealing with animals behavioral issues
• Changing your routine to fit into theirs

​Must Love Change

Change Is The Only Constant

As the old saying goes “the only constant is change”. Well that's it for our lifestyle. Developing and maintaining a constant routine is next to impossible, and this applies to all areas of our life. Eating, sleeping, activities, working, you name it and it usually varies with each sit. Because we travel with two backpacks only we can’t take our juicer, pillow and other things we are used to, so making do with what’s available is a necessity. 
Pros

• If something is not working for us it is sure to change soon
• Get to try a variety of new things and ways of doing them
• Opens up new opportunities by removing comfort zones

Cons

• Hard to develop a routine, both physical and mental
• Finding a favourite food, place, pet, etc. then having it taken away
• Always adapting to new circumstances

Conclusion

This lifestyle is not for everyone, in fact its probably not for most. however if you feel that

• Being of service is more important than what's in it for me
• That people, relationships and pets are more important than money
• Collecting experiences is more important than collecting stuff

Then it just may be right for you.
​

Until next time
Travel Well

jillgavhousesitters.com

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