I was just scanning replies and was surprised by replies that suggested sitters shouldn’t apply for sits with gardens, if they aren’t willing to do gardening, lawn mowing etc..
I often sit in large houses with big gardens. Nobody has expected me to do anything other than watering.
If was a BIG Loop of slow travel. Eight months long trip, rich with experiences. My Top three highlights were:
I have booked my first UK House Sit Oct 17, 2025. Waiting near Birmingham for my van to arrive Nov 1st-ish (?) in a shipping container. Ocean cargo ship voyage left Montreal to Rotterdam to London. Then will start my 8 month Big Loop tour of Europe. Start in France, then Spain, Portugal, end in Italy, the Balkans. Fly back for my summer sit in Toronto. Repeat 3 years or so.
Pretty sure none of those pics are from near Birmingham, UK!
We recently finished a long house sit where, on arrival, we were informed that we’d need to administer medication to three cats with diarrhoea. We also hadn’t been told that one of the cats was known to scratch when given medicine. Then told that the cats wore GPS collars, and this same cat would lash out when you tried to put on or remove the collar.
The medication was only required for a week, but I was really angry that the HO waited until the last minute to tell us. In my updates, I mentioned the scratching, and their replies were along the lines of “he’s still getting used to the place” and “has the diarrhoea cleared up yet?”. Some quite specific garden tasks hadn’t been included in the WG. The HO had left food, wine, and other thoughtful touches but I hated the entire sit. I’m on the last sit of the year. It’s a gem, but I think I’m going to give THS a miss for a long while.
You have to see alligators on the shore sunning themselves mostly. Not in the water. I have gone on croc sightings also in Australia. You see more in the water there, in northern territories but still best to see them on shore. No manatee sightings? Those are great to see also in FL. Near Cocoa Beach.
Did you go through Canada or US on your northern leg? Going on I 90 in the states you can see the badlands, maybe stop in Sturgis. Very noisy. See Yellowstone. Grand Tetons. Just suggesting. And I 70 through Utah is a great trek to see amazing mountain structures.
But going through Canada, going from Sault Ste Marie through Thunderbay, is an amazing ride around Lake Superior and through Kenora. After Kenora there is nothing to see until you hit the mountains, so best to go south and through the Dakotas.
As I recall, that was a sitter who randomly insisted that for everyone else, despite THS being a matching platform with various host and sitter priorities and expectations. But like you, I’ve done various sits with gardens large and small, which I had no responsibilities for while sitting, happily.
Correct - pics are from the US/Mexico. I soon arrive in Birmingham Oct 15, 2025. No tropical beaches with palm trees in England. Sunset near Acapulco.
Yes, I drove west from Toronto along Lake Superior, praries, then Rocky Mountains to Vancouver. South along Pacific Coast to Acapulco, east along Gulf coast to Key West, north along Atlantic coast to Maritimes.
Saw many alligators sunning right along the road in Everglades Natl Park. Too scared to kayak. Saw one manatee briefly in a protected visitor area at a Power Plant (warm water discharge).
This North America road trip completed Oct/2024-Jun/2025. Europe starts when I pick up my van in Birmingham Nov 1st-ish.
