It’s not the glamour side of travel, but let’s face it, most people use toilets on a regular basis. You can learn a lot about a country from their toilet facilities, no matter what you call them. Knowing the terminology is important so you can ask for one when you need one – loo, thunder box, washroom, water closet or lavatory… …or  bathroom or restroom, as Americans often refer to them. People from other countries...

Part 1: Hopping House Sits in Northern California After 18 months outside the US, it was time for a brief return. Leaving Thailand when my six months of visas were up, and with the first draft of my book manuscript completed, I made a sweep through California to renew my passport, and more importantly, to see family and friends. Keeping with my backpacker’s budget, this included house and pet sitting, a cobbling together of places to...

  Have you ever wondered what it would be like to move to another country? To be an expat in a foreign land? For six months I had a sampling of what that’s like in Thailand. It’s easier than you might think. At first, it can seem really foreign, different language, even different alphabets…     different foods…     different religions, and different customs.     For someone like me, who finds all of...

What could be a more authentic English experience than living in a home on the High Street in the quaint village of Corsham? Luck was with me when I landed this house sit for sweet William, a 15-year-old pup. His masters, Mark and Andy were headed off on a holiday, and entrusted their furry friend to my care, along with their beautiful home. Will even made happy noises when I scratched behind his floppy ears, and rubbed his tummy. Corsham is a...

Castles in the sky, or at least close – my house sit in Fort William, in the Highlands of Scotland, came in the form of a Victorian manse, complete with a lively companion… The Highlands have long been high on my list, and I had two weeks to enjoy the fall, with free accommodations in exchange for keeping an eye on this lovely home and entertaining my new furry friend, Hamish. Little did I know that he had 100 times my energy, and...