Right, @pietkuip.
The greater the lag(s), the greater the imposition potentially on the other party. That’s true of sits or anything else when you’re asking someone to wait. And if someone automatically expects someone else to wait beyond a cursory period, that’s a sense of entitlement. That’s true on both sides.
Sure, some people’s lives are more busy or in flux than others’. But there’s no obligation for strangers to accommodate your needs. However long or short their willingness to wait is entirely up to them.
Yup, I’ve experienced that, too. Why: The HOs were busy traveling and there were significant time differences, so they didn’t want to impose on me and offered the sit and we caught up later. I’m on that sit now.
And how those HOs behaved initially reflected how they behaved later — thoughtfully. For instance, we decided arrival and departure times mutually. They asked what food I might want. They offered to pick me up if I needed, even an hour away. They showed me around the neighborhood and on walks. They left me a map book with walks marked. They left robust emergency info and contacts. Their neighbors knew I was coming. They offered me whatever was in their pantry. They gave me a bottle of wine. There was plenty of room in the fridge and freezer for my food. They offered me a clean, comfortable and well-outfitted guest and bathroom. There was plenty of drawer space for me.
I didn’t take advantage, either. I told them I’d get my own food. I figured out how to get myself within an easy distance, so they didn’t have to drive far to get me and my baggage. And I’ll be flexible on their return, in case they run late.
