@Mimiemerson thank you so much for your wonderful post and sharing your experience with sitters and now friends, Mike & Judy and what a lovely photo …
We are so happy that you were able to leave your two and four legged family in safe and caring hands and enjoy worry free travel. Owning a farmstead can be hard work, being able to leave for any length of time is often difficult, animals don’t take vacations. We hope you had an amazing 5+ weeks away.
Thank you again for your kind words about Mike and Judy and your appreciation of Trustedhousesitters … we are the lucky ones for having such amazing community members.
Enjoy being home.
My first was early April 2018, recently retired, I had been on road tripping around the entire perimeter of the state of Florida when my daughter suggested house and pet sitting. With great apprehension, I signed up and registered and soon found a woman with two cats, a house on the water in Eastern Florida less than two hours from home.
Upon arriving, I was greeted by a bright and sunny woman and breathtaking views of the water. The gorgeous cats were not impressed.
After a brief overview, the home owner left cheerfully saying, “Enjoy! We will email you when we arrive in Italy!” and there I stood looking out over the water on the outdoor living space with a big silly grin wondering if I should go for a swim in the pool now or after? I decided to swim now and later. In fact, I spent more time in that pool than anywhere else, day and night. I would float and stare at the stars thinking how wonderful life can be and yeah, I could get used to this.
The cats would sit on the deck watching me or chasing lizards, yep this was cool.
What I did not share with the HO was that though I had had many dogs, I had never owned or cared for cats. I had no idea how to clean out a litter box!
So I did the obvious, through the whole thing out!
She laughed when she got back and I thanked her for such a wonderful experience and for her understanding. I had no idea how much my life was about to change.
I returned there about 8-10 times within the two years that followed and each and every time, I felt like I had gone to heaven. I had no idea how much my life was about to change.
@Amparo I’m smiling with a big grin as I read your lovely first sit share! I remember that feeling so well when you almost feel you need to pinch yourself because of how life or vacations have changed because of house sitting. Loved waking up and reading this today - thank you for sharing and long may that feeling last. Look forward to hearing more about your house sit experiences here on the forum 
I hope to never lose that feeling @Vanessa_A. I could never take for granted how wonderful this lifestyle is. More stories coming.
Our very first was the month before I retired seven years ago. I still had three weeks of vacation left to use. Switzerland is my favorite destination anywhere, but since my first of many visits there in 72 and 74 it is SO expensive these days so we have to pet sit most of the time. As newbies I was mostly accepted because the owner was a professional basketball player in CH who originally grew up near by me! His appropriate part Bernese Mountain dog Sammi to this day was our favorite of the many pets that we have looked after here and all over Europe. Before he left I asked the owner if we could take Sammi to still my favorite destination since my very first time in Europe and near where I proposed to my wife years latter. He said of course. We eventually found another pet sit to that area and unfortunately had to cancel one even closer last year because of covid!
Oh dear. I had a similar experience on my first sit. The house looked great in pictures, but when I arrived I was a bit disappointed that it wasn’t what I expected. Also, two of the 3 dogs were puppies and one was not even close to housebroken. I was under the impression they both were. That made leaving to do anything difficult and stepping in urine and feces in the middle of the night was not fun at all. Their light switches were all messed up so I couldn’t even get the light to come on in the bathroom to wipe it up! The toilet clogged the first night and no matter how many times I tried, I couldn’t unclog it so I had to use the hallway bathroom instead of the master bathroom.
I hung in there, got a schedule down with the dogs and it ended up ok, but I will remember to ask more detailed questions next time. They were new to TH and so was I.
Wow! That sounds really awesome! So encouraging!! Thank you.
I’m sorry Angela, maybe I’m just stupid today, but I cannot for the life of me figure out how to post my first housesitting experience! Do I just respond to your first initial message under the “first THS experience”?
Hi @Lizindesun - Underneath the last message on the page you will see a blue ‘REPLY’ button. Click on there and a box will appear for you to add your post
Just as @Colin says @Lizindesun and no you are not stupid at all, just thinking differently … look forward to reading about your first sit.
Thank you @Colin it’s always great to see members helping members … and helping Vanessa and I!! 
Just finished my first dit on THS and altrough i knew i cant be picky with no review, the sit went fine. House was fine no issue, the dog behaved well.
I cant say it about my experience in different UK website not this one! I had 2 sits there and both id rather forget. I think hosts here take it more seriously, write down the welcome guides, better communicate etc.
Wonderful, I loved reading this 
One of my favorite destinations is Switzerland. I have visited many times since Summer College break in the early 70’s. We have actually done three house sits there. I retired seven years ago and needed to use up my vacation days or loose them so I joined Trusted House Sitters and saw an opportunity to look after a wonderful dog named Sam in a small village outside of Geneva. The owner like me was from Washington State. There was the connection plus our mutual love of CH. He was a retired professional basketball player in the European League married to a European. It was a great opportunity and he even gave us permission to take Sam to my favorite place in the Alps anywhere for a weekend.
My very first house sit was a weekend in Boulder, Colorado where I was living at the time. It was the host’s first time also and we were both a bit nervous. I wanted everything to be perfect. I couldn’t find an extra blanket, and the apartment was too cold for me at night (daytime was fine), so I slept in my jeans and jacket. I didn’t want to call and bother the host.
Her cat was very, very old and slept a lot, and I was just hoping she would stay healthy so I was often checking to make sure she was fine.
Needless to say, after 70 sits I look at things a little bit differently. I’m doing my absolute best to care for these sweet animals, and it’s important that I’m comfortable too. I wouldn’t hesitate to ask for a blanket or how to work the thermostat. I just do it before the host goes on vacation so that I don’t have to ask them later.
Four years ago today I started my very first house sit in Alexandria, Virginia.
I was nervous and very apprehensive. The pets were two toy poodles who loved me on sight. The feeling was mutual. The house was gorgeous, the garden was wonderful and the people, well, we are still friends to his day. Who would have ever guessed that small leap of faith would have taken us to such beautiful places, met fantastic pets and made so many friends. Four years of bliss. Long may it continue.
So my first housesit experience was funny but not funny. My first night in Cantley, Quebec consisted of a large French shepherd aged 6 months and a wee lil lad Yorkshire terrier, a senior and two cats. Evening was closing in so I decided to take the dogs out before bed. I threw on my mitts, coat and boots. Cell phone was on the table and the back door I locked previously. Stella the pup I took out through the patio door and she did her business. Ti-Pou the Yorkshire was next. Outside Ti-pou looked like he was shivering ice cubes. Business finished, I picked up Ti-pou and put him in my coat and headed back to the patio door to go inside. OH NO Stella the pup jumped up on the patio door and latched it shut warm and cozy inside looking out at Ti-Pou and I…LOL OH Shite! Assessing the situation and wondering if I could scale to a second story level patio doors which were unlocked quickly became a quick no. No cell either and it was cold out. So over to nearest neighbor I go Ti-pou and I. I don’t speak French but luckily this kind neighbor did speak English. I explained my situation and this wonderful person got dressed dug out his extension ladder and proceeded up to second story balcony up over the rails and into the house to rescue Ti-pou and I. What a great human…Only 20 minutes had passed and back inside the warm abode to munch on some sweet chocolates before bed.
What a scary experience and in the cold! Thank God for helpful, caring neighbours. Can’t imagine what was going through your mind while you were stuck outside.
Dear all,
First of all Happy New Year!
Our holidays have been full of joy and great family time and I hope yours were too!
I can’t thank TrustedHousesitters enough for the experience we have gotten.
We had a chance to celebrate the most important holidays of the year - Christmas and New Year with a wonderful English Bulldog Cleo in an amazing house.
It was a great pleasure to know the owners - Zennie and Steen who are just wonderful couple with a great mission in life. It seems almost a destiny to come to their place, read some of the wonderful books they have about yoga and mindfulness and enrich myself with new goals for 2022.
Thank you Zennie and Steen and thank you TrustedHousesitters team!
Happy New Year @anutaa_i and what a lovely message to share the joy of your Christmas and New Year house sit with Cleo! Your post embodies all that is wonderful about house sitting… pets, places and people, and it sounds like you enjoyed them all. Are you back in Denmark now or onto another house sit? In either case, have a lovely time!