I’m sitting here typing away on my computer, while struggling to keep my mind (and eyes) focused on the task at hand. This would be much easier if the birds would stop chirping in the trees, the waves would stop lapping at the shore, and the lizards would stop running around in the bushes.
Our current Caribbean home is fitted with screened windows and doors, allowing fresh air to pass, sounds to enter, and my mind to drift. With a view of flamboyant trees, soaring Egrets and calm ocean, how could I possibly focus?!
We have found peace and tranquility in both of our temporary homes here in Grenada.
We first came to the island in April of 2014. We were invited to the Caribbean on our first overseas pet-sitting assignment, which we received through TrustedHousesitters.com, and to say that we were excited would be the understatement of the year!
We spent 6 months in Grenada taking care of Spare Dog, while living in a lovely cottage by the sea. When it came time for us to board our plane to Mexico, Nick said:
“We’ll be back, probably in a couple of years from now.”
But I knew we would return sooner than that. There was no way we could stay away. We had fallen in love with this tropical paradise, its jagged coastline, pristine beaches, unique vibe and of course, “our” dog.
Sure enough, I was right. While we were hanging out in Mexico, Spare Dog’s owners asked for us to come back, and we agreed to do part of the sit, for three months from August to November.
As time went on, we both wondered if three months on our island home wouldn’t be long enough, and if going back at the beginning of April for the first part of Spare’s sit would give us enough time to travel around more of Mexico and Guatemala.
Luckily our questions were answered, and our predicament of wanting more time in paradise was solved. On the house sitting site appeared a new posting for a peaceful home with two dogs…in Grenada!
We were in San Cristobal, Mexico, freezing cold and were daydreaming of the tropics when this came in. We were put on the short list, then did a Skype interview with the homeowner, and by the end of the call, we were hired.
She loved the fact that we knew the island so well and was pleased with our references.
And just like that, we had two house / pet sitting jobs from June 3rd to November 4th.
We really enjoyed our first temporary home with Pumpkin and Macy, the two sweet dogs who gave us lots of love…we also didn’t mind the ocean view from the home, or the incredible pool! The house and the area were so peaceful and we enjoyed evening wine as the sun dipped behind the cliff.
After nearly 2 months there, we returned to our cottage on the sea and the divine dog, Spare. We love the natural feel of this home, the property that we’re on, the nearby walks, and of course, “our” furry friend.
As you’re reading this article, we only have a couple of weeks left on our gem in the West Indies. I cannot believe that more than four months have gone by already, but it has definitely been memorable.
This is our second year in Grenada and it truly feels like home to us. So much in fact that we have already given our confirmation to Pumpkin, Macy and Spare’s owners that we will be returning next year to take care of them! There’s just something magical about this place.
Apart from simply loving the island and the dogs we take care of, Grenada has been an excellent base for us to grow our website. By staying in one place for an extended period of time, we’ve been able to get caught up with writing, and have had time to learn about (and be a part of) various campaigns.
When we’re constantly on the go, we often miss out on massive opportunities for our career. Either due to the fact that we aren’t able to check our emails on time, or, we’re just too busy moving around that we find it hard to stay on top of everything.
We’ve had a chance to think about how we want to travel and live in the future, and the simple answer to that is: slowly.
In order to be able to run our website, which provides us with money for travelling and living, we need to have some down time in between moving around.
It simply isn’t feasible to be working on online campaigns, writing articles / creating videos, and keeping up with our freelance projects while constantly on the go.
Although we’ve rented apartments overseas in the past, and probably will in the future, house / pet sitting is a great option for us. We’re able to have a pet, we live in local neighbourhoods rather than in tourist areas, and we have local and expat friends. Plus, we receive free accommodation which really helps us to keep our finances on track.
(Check out these 5 Surefire Ways to Save Thousands of Dollars on Accommodation Costs)
We will be returning to our home base(s) in Grenada at the end of May next year, but we have seven months between when we leave here, and when we return. This is ample time to backpack around and explore more of the world.
We have a flight booked to take us to visit family in Canada for 10 days, before taking off on another pet-sitting assignment, in yet another paradise!
Stay tuned to hear the announcement of where we’re going.
From there, we’re not sure if we’ll be heading south, or east, but that’s the joy of being digital nomads and house sitters. We’re able to be spontaneous and can live / travel anywhere in the world…as long as there is an internet connection 🙂
This is why we always write about, and try to inspire other travel-lovers to consider this lifestyle. It’s almost too good to be true!
We use and recommend TrustedHousesitters.com. Click here to check it out.
What sort of a traveller are you? Do you prefer to jet from place to place, or do you prefer to travel slow? Tell us below!
