As full-time housesitters, we have a routine that we have settled in to.  From the day we arrive at a new home to the day we throw on our backpacks and head off to our next adventure.  We enjoy all aspects of this lifestyle and our roles as professional housesitters.  If there was anything I could say I don’t particularly enjoy……”transition day”.

The day prior to our homeowner returns from their holiday, is what we call transition day.  This is a busy, task filled day.  Anyone who has be away from home for any length of time, knows how good coming home feels.  Tired travelers just want to get home and relax from the hustle and bustle of airports, taxis or a long drive.  There are a few things that make coming home not always as enjoyable as hoped.

An empty pantry and/or refrigerator can be stressful if a family meal will need to be made upon arrival.  A quick trip to the grocery store is not something that brings many people relaxation.  Then there might be some tidying up from the hurried departure to catch a plane or attempt to beat rush hour traffic.  Maybe things were left out of place and it can be stressful thinking about having to clean the house…..and start the inevitable loads of laundry brought home from vacation.  I hate to say it, but way too many times has this been how we arrived home from a trip.  Not very relaxing and by the time you return to work the following day, you need a vacation just to recoup from your vacation.

One of our focuses on transition day is to thoroughly clean each home.  Most of our housesits are considered long-term and we obviously tidy the house while we are living there.  But there are the things that we like to do for our homeowners in an effort to have their return from holiday as relaxing as possible.  Inside and out (depending upon season and property), everything gets a final cleaning and yard work freshly done.  When pets are involved, we ensure all the pet’s bedding and food bowls are freshly cleaned.  All appliances are cleaned (even if we didn’t use them).  Really, who wants to come home to a dirty microwave or oven?  We ensure that the homeowner has basic groceries stocked so there will not be a “quick trip” to the grocery for eggs or milk.  Any item that we may have used, we replace.  I know I wouldn’t want to reach for that bottle of hot sauce and find it was empty!!  Then there is the return meal.  We can either cook a welcome home meal or schedule a dinner out.  Making sure our homeowners are not stressed when returning home is very important to us.  It really does feel great to walk into your home after vacation to a clean and inviting home.  Welcome Home!

Transition day also includes making time to say our goodbyes to all the wonderful people we met and befriended.  Honestly, this part sucks!  Apart from saying farewell to our four-legged house companions, visiting and exchanging numbers with our new friends is the hardest for me.  I get emotional.  I know our intent to visit again in the future is honest, but the reality of life can make that hard to do.  My heart aches with the last hug, kiss on the cheek and firm handshake.  Our new friendships made around the world are the best and the worst part of our nomadic lifestyle.  We leave a little bit of our hearts everywhere we go.

Backpacks are ready, for tomorrow is the start of another adventure!