Just the words, “World Travel,” sound romantic. What’s it like to really chuck it all and travel around the world for a year? After visiting over a dozen countries on a shoestring-budget, I thought I’d do a little visual re-cap of some of the highlights. First stop, on my world travel adventure – Australia, including the Great Barrier Reef in Cairns, where I took a leap of faith as well as a leap in the ocean, and...

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...

How do you know when you’ve landed in Scotland? The men are in skirts, of course! Kilts, to be more accurate (and no, I don’t know what they wear underneath…) Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, was my first stop, with its beautiful medieval Old Town and elegant Royal Mile. The cobblestone streets are lined with shops selling everything in plaid – kilts, scarves, purses, postcards, mugs and key rings, as well as other...

*Note: This is a guest blog post I wrote for Trusted Housesitters, the site I use to find house sitting jobs around the world. You can house sit too, or find free pet care for while you travel, at their site, www.trustedhousesitters.com. I do not get any commission for mentioning them, but I do highly recommend their company! What is a most interesting way to see the world, for a fraction of the cost most people spend? How would you like to try...