Treats and Achievements

As I wander through the house looking at the indents in the carpet, the empty hooks on the wall and the totally stripped children's beds, I'm left thinking how important it is to celebrate each achievement you reach when you're heading towards a big goal. Well… not every achievement, but every decent-sized one at least.

A couple of nights back, for example (COUNTDOWN Day 9) we were lucky enough to have our Aussie-based daughter and her partner over for tea. It was a night of food, games, laughter and it ended with a bonfire and sparklers, making it even more memorable and fun (although maybe for the neighbours it just made it smoky). Although the fire also had the added advantage of being a great way for me to dispose of all those papers I didn't really want the rubbish truck to dump at the local tip.

A little earlier in the month Steve and I also went out and celebrated the official settlement of the house sale, and, of course, there were a few other big events celebrated in the weeks before that. Although, I have to admit I don't think we'll be celebrating the fact that I've just sold our bed which means we'll be sleeping on the floor as of Friday!

Celebrating achievements has a variety of bonus', other than them being fun and giving you some time out, when you're working your way through a challenging (and/or large) task they help keep you on track and reassure you that all the hard work is worthwhile and that you're making headway.

Of course, not all the celebrations have to include fire, (although I find fire quite appealing it's not really that wise in Australia unfortunately). The treat you choose could just as easily involve ice-cream, cappuccinos or chocolate – or at least it does in our family. I guess there must be some people out there who would choose different treats, not that I could think of what they might be.

After all, are there really any better treats than ice-cream, cappuccinos or chocolate? 

If there are, let me know, with 7 days to go there are hopefully still a few more achievements to celebrate.

COUNTDOWN: 7 days

Send It Where?

We're now at the exciting stage of our adventure where everything needs redirecting – but you know what… that's a little tricky when you have nowhere to redirect it to!

We still have our PO Box for a few more months, but that requires us being in the area to empty it or paying the ongoing fee for having our mail redirected (and that's providing the PO would be happy with us constantly changing the address the mail has to be redirected to!)

The solution… again… understanding friends who will let us use their address!

But how about this – would you believe it – despite the wonderful advances in technology and the wide variety of lifestyles – there are still a lot of companies, services and all kinds of businesses that won't deal with you unless you have a bricks and mortar address? That's the aspect of this that I find most interesting and confronting.

After all, don't truly homeless people have to deal with services? What about people, with no family or friends, who travel constantly, don’t they need to be contactable? I know emails and mobile phones aren't the perfect answer, but they are an answer.

After all, if you can communicate with somebody by mobile phone and email, isn't that really enough? Yes, a mailing address might make the transition to a greener environment (i.e. less unnecessary printed matter) easier, but is it essential for everyone?

There you go, there's my thought for this week. What are your thoughts on it, how would you exist in an envelope-free society?

In the meantime, I'm still monitoring everything that arrives in the mailbox and redirecting or cancelling everything I can. But on the other hand, it's amazing how much less mail we'll be getting when we won't have all the household and utility bills to pay.

Apologies for no regular post last week, as you might expect things have been getting a little more chaotic here than usual, and just to make things even more exciting I went down with a head cold. Still, I think we're over the hump of everything now and working towards Moving Day (6th June).

COUNTDOWN: 13 days

Wahoo!

Just a quick post here today because…
believe it or not, it has finally happened…
and I can't even find the words to describe how I feel but…
somebody out there has finally had the decency to buy our house!

Yes, our house is SOLD and our adventure can finally start!

WAHOO!

Please feel free to do a happy dance for us!

But What If...

There’s no doubt about it, one of the major concerns about house-sitting full-time is, what are we going to do when the house-sits don’t match up? In other words, what are we going to do when we have nowhere to sleep?

I know we joke about sleeping in the car, and indeed it is long enough for us to sleep comfortably in it, but even we admit that it wouldn’t be our first choice.

Then, of course, we do have some caring and generous friends who have offered us the use of their spare room. Plus, I have no doubt that, if we turned up on the doorstep of a selection of other friends, that they would be more than happy to offer us their couch for the night. But, the last thing we want to be is a nuisance. For the regular cry to be, ‘Oh look there’s Steve and Lizzie again! I bet they are only visiting because they haven’t got anywhere better to sleep!

How well house-sits really join up is something we won’t know until we’re actually doing it full-time. Hopefully there won’t be any problems and it will suit us perfectly, but in the meantime – just in case – we’re making ‘in case’ plans.

At the back of our minds there’s the thought of buying a small two-man tent for those odd nights. It would be cheap and adaptable, but I have to admit not very appealing in weather like we’re having at the moment(i.e. storms), plus it would require us to carry around more bits and pieces. (Also, it’s a long time since we’ve been camping – and who knows the ground may have got harder, bumpier and lower down since we last slept on it!)

Another option would be AirBNB. Cheaper than conventional hotels, doesn’t require us to carry extra bits, plus we get to live in all kinds of different places and have a holiday.

However, one of the other options that really appeals is where we do volunteer work at places for a few hours a day and in return they feed us and provide us with accommodation. When I first heard about this, most of the work was farm labour, which I have to admit I initially felt might not be ideal for me and Steve. It might have been once, and I would like to think it would be again after a bit more exercise, but – if I were honest – probably not at the moment.

Then the other day, whilst doing some more research, I found more online companies putting volunteers in touch with people needing help, and much to my delight these companies were after a lot more than farm labour. They listed babysitters, painters, admin workers, retailers and all kinds of things you (or more importantly ‘we’) can do without being young and fit. We might even find people looking for writers and photographers – even more appealing. Imagine that, travelling Australia or the world writing for somebody four hours a day and being paid in food and accommodation then being allowed to go off and explore or reflect for the rest of the day…

Almost sounds like the perfect life...

Here are some links just in case it appeals to you too:

wwoof

Workaday

HelpX

What The Cats And Dogs Say

It’s been an interesting week. To start with, I think this is quite possibly the fifth blog post I’ve written, having discarded the last four. One because I sounded too angry that nobody had had the decency to buy our house yet, one because I was talking about having to get rid of things again, one for some other reason which I can't remember, and one because I only got two sentences into it before getting bored.

Perhaps the struggle to write a half decent post shows more about the frame of mind we’re in at this moment of our adventure process, than any actual entry. Steve and I are so eager to get started in the new stage of our lives that it gets a little tedious at times having to wait around for the world to catch up with us and our plans.

The good news is, however, that the man is back from doing our first official house-sit (on his own because, of course, I needed to stay here and look after our house - that nobody has, as yet, had the decency to buy).

The even better news is that the house-sit was a definite success. The full and glowing review we received for his work is posted on our site, but as a person who has always believed actions should never be overlooked, I think the response of the retired greyhound he cared for is priceless.

As arranged, Steve finished the sit and left the house and pets late afternoon. He and all the animals had got on really well over the three weeks, but Steve and gorgeous greyhound had struck up a real bond during their walks to the park, games of chasey and regular eye-drops.

Later that evening, long after Steve had returned to our home, the owner arrived back to her home and pets. After an exciting three weeks traveling the world she was met at the car by her energetic greyhound, who followed her into the house. However, then, instead of staying with her to play and make a fuss of each other, he instantly left her alone and raced back out to the garage to hunt for Steve!

Such a lovely and insightful story.

To find out the unexpected effect he had on the cats he cared for as well, check out the review in full.

And, if that wasn’t enough to prove things are now heading in the right direction, our house is finally ‘Under Offer’! (Yes, there is at least one decent person out there.)

Please feel free to keep your fingers crossed for us that the offer goes through.

What Do Your Choices Say About You?

How much space do all your essentials for living take up?    
 
   A three metre by three metre room?
   A two metre by one metre shed?
   A kitchen cupboard?
   A backpack?
   Smaller?
   Larger?

Many years ago after we became bankrupt, I wrote an article in which I said that everything you really need in life fits within your arms, and backed it up with a photo of me holding my husband and our two young daughters. I still believe that, and probably always will. But what if you had a little more say in what you got to keep and what you let go of – how much space would you need then?

Recently there was a television show about the new trend of Tiny Homes, and the person moving into one was told all their essentials (in other words, everything they were taking with them) had to fit in a metre square drawn on the ground.

A bit later on a quiz show, contestants were asked to list essentials needed in every home. To which one person answered, ‘television.’

Maybe it’s because we’re in the process of down-sizing and deciding what’s really essential to us that these two situations seemed so extremely opposite. But, I found myself asking, ‘How would you manage to find space in a one-metre square for a television, when the space already contained basic clothing, kitchen equipment, heirlooms, everyday requirements, photos, and so on?’ Who knows, though, maybe there’s no conflict – maybe it all makes perfect sense and it’s just my priorities that are of whack?

Either way, it made me think about my life priorities… again! Not my everyday requirements for living, but my everyday requirements for being.

When we define what our true priorities in life are, I think it clearly defines who we truly are in all aspects of life. That is, of course, if we’re honest with ourselves and choose entirely for ourselves, not being swayed by other people’s views, expectations and nudges.

My priorities, surprise, surprise, all revolve around writing and family.

What about you?
Can you list your five main priorities in life?
Any surprises in your answers?

A Rubbish Dare

 

If you had to put out a full rubbish bin each week, could you do it?

I know we all, at times, put out bins that are completely full, after the Christmas party perhaps or a weekend when we actually got around to finally doing all that pruning. In fact, if you have a full family at home, chances are you put out a full bin more weeks than not, but what if there were only one or two of you living in your home?

Could you do it on a regular basis?

There’s no doubt that most of us have too many things, but (as I probably say too often) there’s a difference between knowing we’re hoarding too many old, unused things bought in a sale, and actually throwing them out.

Still this is a challenge Steve and I have set ourselves – put out a full rubbish bin each week. This now means I’m rummaging around every weekend to find things it’s not worth selling or recycling, eager to avoid the possibility of a last minute rush and having to hire a rubbish skip because I wasn’t tough enough with myself earlier. The irony in it is that not so long ago we had a humungous pile of bits stacked next to our bin that we never thought we’d get of in time.

My question again therefore is, could you put out a full rubbish bin each week?

Or maybe it shouldn’t be a question, but a dare. That way you can start clearing out the junk you’re hoarding before you have to and while it could still be fun.

Hmm… this brings to mind all those Spring Cleans I carefully avoided.
Do you think there could possibly be such a thing as Penance for Spring Cleans Past…

Then and Now

I’ve always thought that an insightful question to ask at autobiography workshops is ‘How was your milk delivered as a child?’

The responses it brings are so diverse. Stories about jugs being left by the farm gate for the milkman to fill at dawn, visions of frozen milk sticking out the top of glass bottles being pecked at by early morning birds, recollections of milk floats being driven around streets at teatime with milk delivered in cardboard cartons, and all kinds of tales in between. Every decade and lifestyle has its own version of the seemingly commonplace and everyday occurrence. The responses to this one simple question indicate family structure, income, location, community, time frame, chores, and so much more.  

Up until now I’ve never really felt that there’s another autobiographical question that in itself shows so much about a person’s life. But, as of this week, that changed. I now have a question that I think is on par.

'And that question is?’ I hear you ask.

‘How did you stay in touch with your family when you first moved out of home?’

With Steve off house-sitting and our daughters off being adults, this past week was the first time in thirty years that I have (as far as I can remember) lived on my own and had nobody to look after! Quite an interesting week I can tell you (on all kinds of levels). One of the many things it brought to my attention was the differences between my leaving home and what it’s like to do it now.

Back in 1985, when I left the UK and first came to Australia on my Working Visa, the most common way for me to be in touch with home was to write letters and Aerograms. That was mainly because phone calls then cost over a dollar a minute – or over two dollars a minute if you phoned during the day in peak time – and actually seeing somebody on a video chat was, of course, unheard of. In fact, if I were to be honest, even my letters were a little more spasmodic than they should have been.

Now though (with Skype, emails and Facebook, etc) things are so very different – and instantaneous – with letters almost unheard of.

And that’s a change which happened in only thirty years – less than one lifetime!

At the back of my mind, I also have memories of the stories my Grandma used to tell me. Ones when she said travelling to Australia, when she was young, was like going away forever because you’d never know if you’d be heard of again.

The world has got so much smaller over the years, with communication becoming easier, quicker, and more affordable (if occasionally more technical), while milk deliveries have become less commonplace and less interesting.

Just one more thing in life we’ve accepted, I guess, and taken for granted.

So, for the autobiographical writers and contemplators among you, how about this for a thought for today, ‘How did you stay in touch with your family when you first left home, and what does it say about you?’

This One Or That?

  

Okay, here’s a question for you. How many pairs of shoes do you really need?

If you’re a man, chances are you might answer ‘one’, but even then that’s not a definite. However, if you’re a woman chances are the answer is less simple.

I remember last year the topic of shoes came up with a man I was chatting to and I said if what I chose to wear didn’t go with my knee-high boots, Ugg boots, sandals, flat closed-in shoes or runners I was in trouble. Apparently, I found out later, he thought I’d been stirring him about how many shoes I had. Truth was I hadn’t.

Yes, over the years I’ve had my fair share, but not so recently. Probably a good job since there are only so many shoes you can fit in a backpack. But the question is, which ones do I really need to take and which should I bin?

It’s a question that has taken me weeks, if not months, to find an answer to, primarily because it requires I answer two other questions first.

• What will I actually be doing on this new life-style?
• What clothes will I be wearing on a daily basis?

Unless I answer these two questions, it’s almost impossible to answer the shoe one. Please tell me I’m not the only one.

Plus, as a person who loves their clothes, and was taught the importance of protocol and etiquette, these two questions are actually quite hard to answer in themselves. For example will I be doing anything that requires a dress and heels, because none of the shoes I’ve currently picked have heels? Will I be doing anything that requires I dress smartly and sensibly, say short-term, casual employment? It’s taken for granted that I’ll be doing some forms of gardening, but will that include more extreme work on hobby farms too, or even in the outback? Believe me the list goes on in my head – partially because I have to significantly downsize my wardrobe anyway. Don’t get me started on what clothes to throw out or donate.

It’s hard to plan a wardrobe when you don’t really know what your life is going to entail, or what the weather is going to be like.

So, after all this thinking, what did I decide?

I decided, bugger it, I’ll only take the clothes I really love wearing. And if I end up looking like a rock chick or country hippy rather than a polite English lady, tough. I can always nip into Good Sammy’s if I really need to wear a dress.

And, in answer to the original question…

I need a pair of winter boots, sandals, Ugg boots and gardening boots (and/or runners, but then do I ever really exercise, maybe I should take my walking boots instead of runners especially taking in to account all the dog-walking I’ll probably be doing… or… maybe… AGH!

Our First House-sit

There's no doubt that Steve and I are getting impatient for our house-sitting adventure to start – by which I mean, actually house-sit as opposed to prepare for it. We've done so much groundwork and planning, clearing and sorting, discussing and thinking...

One of the main challenges to physically starting is getting the timing right. After all, there's no point in setting up a long list of houses to go and sit, if it means our house is empty while we sit them because we haven't yet sold it, but then neither do we want to sell our house and have nowhere to stay.

It's a transition that would be easier, I guess, if we were renting out our house (instead of selling it) or had local family to go and stay indefinitely with, but since we don't, our first house-sitting job starts this week and we still have our own house and dog to sit!

Of course, we also have the added advantage of there being two of us (most house-sitters sit on their own).

So what does that mean?

It means, Steve gets to start the actual physical house-sitting part of our new adventure first and by himself, while I get to prove how capable and independent I am living on my own! I also get to remember (for the first time in thirty years) how to exist without a car!

Hmm? Why is it that I have this funny feeling that the next few weeks are going to be filled with all kinds of smiles and learning curves?

Buy, Rent, Sell

Yet another Home Open this weekend. We've had so many now, I've lost count – not that I was really counting in the first place.

There've been plenty of reports in the News recently about how slow the current housing market is, and how the prices have dropped. There's even been chat amongst neighbours about other homeowners who can't sell their houses for the same price they paid in the boom eight years ago!

All of which has led to discussions at home about whether we should consider renting instead of selling. It's something we considered for a little while, after all, many house-sitters choose to rent out their house so that they have somewhere to move back to or some form of security, to say nothing of an extra income or the mortgage being paid off.

But there are advantages to selling too, especially when you consider that our change to the house-sitting lifestyle is to make our life more relaxed and simplified, something that doesn't seem supported by taking on renters. In other words, renting out the house (even through an agent) gives us something else to think about – hence the reason to keep our house on the market. To say nothing of the fact that, wouldn't it be great if, during our travels, we saw our dream house and could spontaneously buy it cash!

Therefore, with tomorrow being Sunday – the perfect day for a Home Open – we're planning another trip to the local coffee shop and park (so as to avoid the hoards of home buyers who will be flooding eagerly to see our house), before coming back to a stack of amazing offers for the house.

I'm not quite sure who enjoys the trips to the park most: Steve taking his photos, me having my coffee or Rockee meeting other dogs.

What do you mean nobody is buying houses?
We don't have to follow the trend… we're going on an exciting and life-changing adventure and creating our own future!

Are We Homeless?

As a writer I've always loved playing with words, and the subtle differences between one word and another. In fact, it might even be part of the reason why I love being a writer.

I like the fact that completely different pictures can be painted by simply changing a word. For example, consider the difference between a person who: 'strode', 'strolled', 'scampered', 'staggered'. The word 'walked' could just as easily have been used, but the picture wouldn't have been the same.

It's not just that, though, to me words have their own energy too. Sometimes everybody feels the same energy in a word, but sometimes it's an energy that only you feel, perhaps triggered by a personal thought, emotion or event from your past. One person might, for example, consider a specific word a compliment whilst another might consider it an insult, simply because the energy and emotion they individually associate with it is different.

'Homeless' can be one of those words. This word comes to mind because it's also a word that has been mentioned in our hearing range many times over the last few months.

So, what does 'homeless' mean?

To many it instantly conjures up the picture of a dirty, sad person, dressed in rags and curled up on a street corner begging and scrounging for the basic necessities of life.

But, think about it – is that really what the word means, or is it simply an individual connotation of what the word means?

Doesn't 'homeless' simply mean somebody who doesn't have what we consider a regular, conventional place to live, not necessarily somebody who is penniless as well?

• Isn't a person who chooses to live under a palm tree on an island paradise homeless?
• Isn't a grandparent invited to spend four months of every of year split between each of their three children homeless?
• Isn't a person travelling around the world's youth hostels homeless?

Yet, do any of these lifestyles bring up the same emotions and reactions as the hungry, grubby person sleeping in a cardboard box? I doubt it. After all, these three people aren't assumed to be desperately short of money and dependant on others, only that they have chosen to live a less conventional lifestyle which doesn't involve a standard home – just like us!

Yes, it's true we won't have a traditional home, but to us that doesn't mean we won't have a home, or that we're reliant on others to survive. Instead we're in a situation that offers up great opportunities, inspires new ways to think, the odd challenge or two to solve even, but it's still a great adventure, full of freedom and unpredictability.

But…
if I want to be truly honest, I always liked the idea of being a nomad, (independent, spontaneous, travelling wherever appeals) and that's exactly what we'll be – nomadic, not homeless.

Now, 'nomad', does that conjure up a different picture from 'homeless'? 

Not What I Expected!

Today took me by surprise, but probably not for the reasons that might be expected.

There's no doubt that Steve and I are making are a decent sized shift in our life, and that at some point (or points) along the journey the slight steps caused by that shift will reverberate around us.

Already there's been the moment we made the definite decision to take up the adventure, the moment we put our house on the market, when we first agreed with a home-owner to take care of their house, for examples. There are also a few adjustments I'm expecting in the future: when we settle on the house, actually move out, and so.

But today was by far the biggest change for me, both up until now and, I expect, in the future as well! What's more, it didn't happen in the way I expected. So what happened?

Steve drove our eldest daughter to the airport, she's off to study abroad for a year. Then, an hour after they left, our second daughter said 'goodbye,' and went off to catch a bus and stay with a friend for a few days.

All of which left just me (and the dog) alone in the house – not a big deal in itself, you'd have to agree, which is perhaps what threw me. Only I can't remember the last time I was alone for more than the time it takes to pop out to buy a bottle of milk. Of course, the timing probably had something to do with it as well. Maybe it was the being alone in a big house, with the dog and laundry to amuse me, whilst my first-born left home to start an adventure that would bring her back a totally independent and capable adult, and my second-born went off to experiment with hers. 2016 is definitely a year of changes, opportunities and adventures for so many.

So, after a cup of tea and a handful of tissues, I began to reflect on the day and realised this is when it all starts. This is the first day for us too. Our new adventure starts here  – not because we have clients, buyers, or only a suitcase of belongings – but because this is when it all falls into to place. Steve and I have reached a stage, crossed a border – our children are officially adults and we are officially … ?

How Do You Think Other People See You?

It's not something I ask myself particularly often, but it is a question that's crossed my mind a few times recently. After all, if you're offering to look after other people's most trusted things it's important they see you as you truly are.

But then, of course, how you see yourself might not be how others see you…

A long-time friend of ours was chatting to a soon-to-be-holidaying friend about our house-sitting services, when her friend asked her the all-important question:

     'Are they honest and trustworthy?'

     'Yes,' she replied.

     'Are you sure?'

     'Of course, even my boys refer to their family as The Brady Brunch.'

I sniggered for days (if not weeks) after I'd been told about this conversation. Quite a compliment really, and quite possibly true in many ways I guess, but not what I'd expected. Not that I knew what I'd expected, but it did lead to an even stranger thought - Do other people see us that way too? I mean this family have known us as long as we'd been married and their boys for well over twenty, so they should know…

So I ask you again, just for the fun of it, how do you think other people see you?

5 Garage Sales On

Well, this is how our pergola looks after five garage sales. I think we can safely say that although a lot of our things have gone, we're still left with a whole load of bits that need a new home – and price is not the deciding factor. How can I be sure of that? Because, for our last garage sale, we priced everything at a gold coin for ten items and we're still left with this!

So what does that mean? Two things as far as I can see – maybe our junk really is junk, and secondly, we have to be more creative with our shifting.

When we started with the sales the plan was to make at least a small amount of money – which we did. But as the number of garage sales we held increased that focus clearly decreased. In fact, to be honest, after a couple of weeks if somebody had turned up with a truck and a few hundred dollars, Steve would have happily loaded everything onto their truck.

Now the garage sales are just becoming frustrating. They're taking up time, having everything stored outside the house is distracting and probably not increasing our chances of getting an offer on the house, plus it feels like it's keeping us attached to the house when we really need to feel our connection to this house and lifestyle lessening.

So our decision… hold on to the minimal items we need for living (no matter how many times we've been asked for desks, televisions and fridges) and try out other ways of moving our goodies. Options like Gumtree, Facebook's buy and sell pages, and Paying-it Forward are at the top of the list. Funnily enough one of the biggest concerns isn't making a stack load of money from our everyday bits (although it would be nice), but simply shifting them off our property. There is, after all, only so much a green wheelie bin can hold – and even now we have enough for at least another six weeks.

You're What?!

You never know quite what people are going to say, especially friends, when you tell them you're going to do something they might consider unexpected – or even crazy. Over the years our patient friends have given us all kinds of surprised, jovial and 'you've got to be kidding' responses to our life choices, but their reactions to the news that we're going to become full-time house-sitters has (on the whole) been relatively consistent.

There were the predictable:
     'You're selling everything?'
     'Where will you stay when you haven't got somewhere to home-sit?'
     'What will you do with the dog?'

There were also a few hopefully well-meaning comments I can't repeat in print.

But also, much to our surprise, there were a lot of, 'Oh, we have friends who've been doing it for years and loving it!'

Again, it's been a case of us never having heard of anybody house-sitting – ever – and yet now everybody we speak to knows somebody who's doing it! Which I have to say is remarkably reassuring, especially since they all seem to be having a great time – with many of them becoming selective about where they stay and having very few 'homeless' nights in between stays.

All of which is really just making us more excited and impatient to get things happening, there are after all only so many plans you can put in place when you really have no definites (like when we will have sold our house) to work with. Still, it's all giving us more time to sell more things and sort, and I'm sure I'd be complaining if that had become incredibly rushed. Besides, all this extra time will just give us even more time to hear about other happy house-sitters, won't it…

ALSO, just for the record:

• Yes we are selling just about everything, except for the heirlooms we're storing and the backpack and suitcase of 'must haves' we're each taking with us.
• We're hoping there will be no 'homeless days', but if there are we've been offered a friends' spare room (or caravan), may buy a tent and may even go on holidays.
• Our much-loved dog is actually our daughter's so he will be moving in with her.

A Friend Solves A Problem

In the last post I mentioned the four piles we're sorting all our household contents in to. The Rubbish Pile and Sell Pile we had clear plans for (bin and sell obviously), the other two piles we're less sure of – especially the Store Pile.

Whilst it's possible to drastically reduce the things you own, you don't get to our age without gathering at least a few things that count as heirlooms, or hold huge amounts of sentimental value. In many respects, it would be easier to just stand up and walk away from a house, than sort everything. I remember somebody saying that, it's just a case of deciding what you want to take with you, but in truth I think it's actually deciding what you can't leave behind.

Many of the things we have I absolutely love, but in honesty it's unlikely we'll need them when we next buy a house. After all, this is a large family house we're packing up, it's served us well, and we've raised a wonderful family here, but chances are the next place we buy or rent will just be for the two of us. It won't quite be a retirement villa (unless we house-sit for the next twenty or more years), but it will be well on the way to it.

Even so, we're going to need more than a single cupboard to store our belongings in. Not a cheap thing when you look at commercial storage for an indefinite time.

Many people when they choose to house-sit still have local family they can fall back on, family who will let them put a shed on their block to store their things in, and guarantee them use of a spare room or sofa if they find themselves without a house to sit or bed to sleep on. Steve and I, though, don't have this option. As far as the back-up bed is concerned, we're not overly bothered – a tent and sleeping-bag work fine – but the storage issue is a concern and something I'm trusting will sort itself out.

UPDATE: Don't you love fate, just as I'm putting together this blog, a friend called over for lunch and offered us not only her spare bed when/if we need it, but also some space in the sea-container she uses for storage on her rural block. What's more she even arrived with a bunch of flowers for me! With some people the line between friend and family blurs. It looks like the PROBLEM'S
 SOLVED!

The Sorting

Well, it's taken a good few years, but we've finally done it, we finally found the back of the shed. Yes, believe it or not we have actually waded through all the standard shed contents, plus a whole stack of off-cuts, worn-outs, keep-for-laters, and even a few just-in-cases. Not that it any of it went very far, most of it is now under the pergola.

The good news is though that it is now in specific piles, all of which makes the sorting easier to deal with (and the disorganisation easier to live with). Although to the untrained eye it might look like a total mess, there are actually four piles. We have a Rubbish Pile, a Sell Pile, a Store Pile and the Must-Keep-And-Take-With-Us Pile.

The next step, along with so much more sorting, is this week to order a skip to take away all the rubbish. Hopefully, we'll gauge the right size one - otherwise, we'll be running up and down the street early each Tuesday for the next month helping our neighbours fill their bins.

As to the selling pile, we had planned on having a Garage Sale this coming Sunday until we saw the weather forecast was for 38 degrees! Suddenly it didn't seem like a good idea anymore (can't think why) and we're now planning one for Sunday week.

There's no two way about it, having all this junk outside our kitchen window is a little distracting, but having somewhere to put things as soon as they're sorted is definitely making clearing easier – and more appealing. After all, there's nothing appealing about clearing out a cupboard, desk, or drawer if you know that once it's done you're just going to be left with a stack of oddments in the middle of the carpet. 

So there you have it, sorting is one heck of a job – challenging, exhausting and distracting – but it certainly makes it feel like things are happening.

How It All Began

Two months ago if somebody had suggested Steve and I become full-time house-sitters… we'll I don't think I'd have laughed in their faces (that's rude after all), but I certainly wouldn't have considered it a serious option. 

Truth is, Steve and I were ready for a change, even if we weren't particularly sure what the change would be. We'd never been particularly good at living the traditional nine-to-five life, although we'd given it a good go for the last twenty-plus years for the sake of our two daughters, but they were off learning to be independent and we, much to our surprise, found ourselves free to explore the world and rediscover ourselves.

But where do you start? After so many years of convention and limitation how do you know which way to look?

The only thing we did know was that our new life could officially start in April when it would just be the two of us rattling around in our well-loved family home. So as is a norm for me, I simply trusted my instinct and that 'the path' would appear AND, equally as important, that I would notice it.

Thankfully, true to form, it did. But it was nowhere near to what I expected.
In the two weeks after our realisation it seemed as if I every time I chatted to somebody about our half-baked plans, they raised the topic of house-sitting. It was truly amazing, conversations went from everything bar house-sitting to everything to do with house-sitting – people knew house-sitters, hired house-sitters, quoted articles on house-sitting, shared stories on house-sitting, the list went on. The discussions on the topic were endless, and even though I didn't twig for the first week that this might be 'the path', by the second week I was in no doubt. There was some conspiracy going on. So I mentioned it to Steve, who did some research… and here we are starting one of the biggest, craziest, and thrilling adventures of our lives. Starting off by selling just about every single thing we own.

So please come join us, explore the world with us and be part of our blog.