We’ve got a house-sitter
As Katie noted at the top of this post, when we go on vacation next week, we’re using a house-sitter. There’s no way we could find to have all three dogs taken care of plus two cats a rat and a fish. Plus, with the economy tanking, our neighborhood has seen an increase in crimes lately.
When I was in high school, I spent more than a few nights sleeping on a random couch or guest bed. House-sitting is a truly interesting experience. Maybe it’s just for a few days, but it could be for weeks. You make a new home at someone else’s home. You get their mail from their mailbox. You pet their cats and try to convince their dogs that you’re a friend (I sat for a mini schnauzer once who never did believe this. She’d cower and soil herself whenever she saw me, and it frustrated me to no end that I couldn’t convince her that I was a friend). You go through their refrigerator and use their internet. You use a key and enter through the front door every day as if it’s your home and not someone else’s.
But this is the first time in my life that I’ve had someone house-sit for me. Yes, we’ve had the occasional friends come by to water the dogs, but no one’s ever done the full house-sitting thing for us. It’s kind of weird being on the other side of the equation. I wonder how I’ll feel while I’m at the beach, knowing that someone else is staying at my house. Mostly, I’ll feel relaxed, knowing the house and pets are being looked after. But will I feel a bit violated, too?
Will I return to a house that has to become “mine” again?
June 11th, 2008 at 10:09 am
We needed a housesitter this weekend too and I thought about asking Katie if H. would be interested. We found someone, but I wonder if he’d be interested in the future? What do you think? I’ve had housesitters a few times and just mostly I come home relieved that everything is safe, and in its place and my dogs are happy. You’ll come home more relaxed than you would’ve without one!
June 11th, 2008 at 10:24 am
I dunno.
But this makes me remember that I have had a housesitter before. When Katie and I got married, we employed one Jack Frost to stay at our house over the weekend.
June 11th, 2008 at 10:31 am
I love house-sitting! Since I live with family, I’m the go-to person for house-sitting. I house-sit for my sisters, my best friend, and a co-worker every time they go on vacation. I also house-sit for my brother when he works out of town for weeks at a time. I love it, but I always wonder how the owners feel when they come home, knowing someone else has been living in their house. I’ll be interested to get your point of view when you guys get back.