I’m curious as to how soon you manage to settle in and feel at home when in another person’s place? Do you ever take anything with you that just helps you get settled that much quicker? I always take some of my favourite fairy lights with me wherever I go and that always seems to do the trick to help me feel far more at home. I’d love to hear your tips and ideas…!
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1: I unpack
2: If I’m not really satisfied with the cleanliness of the home, I give it a brief clean/tidy or remove clutter from an area (e.g kitchen bench) if there’s limited space and I know it’s going to drive insane (I always take photos of where everything was and ensure I put it back in the exact same spot). I change kitchen sponges, dish & hand towels because I don’t know where they’ve been/what they’ve touched and I just feel better when they’re fresh.
3: I familiarise myself with where things are (e.g: kitchen equipment, towels, laundry supplies etc).
4: I ensure I have a clear understanding of my responsibilities and write my own little list of paraphrased notes & reminders and stick it on the fridge (helps me understand what I need to do when).
5: I make a shopping list and go grocery shopping.
6: All set! 
(Aaaanndd then my finance walks in from his online meeting and asks “where on earth are the towels I can’t find them and I’ve looked everywhere!!” and I roll my eyes and point to the cupboard right in front of him 
)
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I usually make my first priority getting to know the pet(s) and then familiarize myself with the kitchen as I love to cook. I’ve had friends ask me if it’s stressful walking into a stranger’s kitchen but I really enjoy that aspect of sitting. Prior to arriving, I have usually checked out if there’s a community centre nearby as I’m a zumba fanatic and like to take in some classes while on a sit. On my last sit, there was a CC nearby but they wouldn’t allow me to do a drop in class which was very disappointing.
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I get comfortable immediately. That’s so even when I overlap with my hosts. If I didn’t feel comfortable, that would be odd and worrisome.
I don’t have rituals or such — just roll with things. One of my most exceptional set of hosts actually rolled with my circumstances:
I’d flown from the U.S. to Heathrow, then taken a train to Cambridge, where one of my hosts kindly picked me up. We arrived at their home and I briefly met his wife and I had to hurry upstairs to my room so I could attend a Zoom mtg for work. (I telecommute.)
They were so kind that they brought up a tea tray for me while I was on my mtg. Then after my mtg, we had tea and scones together in their conservatory. I felt very welcomed and a bit British, LOL. 
I think I’d be uncomfortable if I arrived to a filthy home or were otherwise significantly unpleasantly surprised. I had a mixed bag sit that had a dirty kitchen, but the hosts had already left. And fortunately the bathrooms were clean.
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Hey there @Nagy26 I love how you refer to your fiance as your finance, (not intentionally of course), a kept woman hey? 
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Oh oops… typo… didn’t even realise
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That’s a shame they didn’t allow drop-ins for fitness classes. I love that you aim to keep your Zumba going when you’re on your travels. Hopefully, the next one will be fine with it.
I sometimes try to join a local gym but I find they tend to be overpriced for a short-term membership.
I always try to find a good local Thai takeaway to help settle in that much quicker!
My little fairy lights to cheer up my Airbnb cabin in the frosty Scottish highlands earlier this year.
Cheap, cheerful as well as light and portable. For me, a house definitely feels that much more like a home once these are lit up!
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@ziggy - I definitely need to get myself one of those!
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I love that you had such a great time in the Cambridge area.
Even though I’m not from there, for some reason that town has always felt like a second home to me.
I’m heading back there myself next month to look after one of my regular’s dogs. Even if Ludo hasn’t seen me for almost a year, the minute he sees me, he’s straight over onto his back requesting belly-rubs!!!
Love that the hosts brought you up a tray with tea while you were on your Zoom. That sort of gesture is really welcoming and would make anybody feel settled and comfortable.
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Ludo is a darling. Very glad you get to sit him and enjoy Cambridge. It’s a special place.
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Thanks, Maggie. He’s a really special dog and I agree, there’s something uniquely special about Cambridge too. I always love heading back there to see him again. It’s one of those sits that literally ticks every single box for me!
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@Twitcher you and me both!!
It’s a great way to meet local people who share the same interest! It was in my own country that the community centre didn’t allow drop ins which was a shame. The most fun I had was on the Gold Coast of Australia where I found a very welcoming Zumba class and was even invited out for lunch afterwards by the participants! I have found some local gyms that allowed me a two week free pass which was great.
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Many gyms in the U.S. offer tryout or guest passes. On a sit I did in the Portland area, there was a giant gym across the street that even had a water park attached, with huge, twirly slides like a ride. The hosts mentioned it as one of the features of the sit.
At some gyms, like Planet Fitness, membership gets you access nationwide. Many folks who live in RVs nomadically routinely use them all over for exercise, showers, tanning and more. I mention that, because some folks who RV also do sitting.
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A two week free pass is very generous. Even signing up for a week at a basic council-run gym is around £25-30/week in the UK in my experience.
On this current sit, I’ve been looking after an elderly Labrador with far more energy than any puppies I’ve ever taken care of. I must’ve thrown somewhere between 150-200 rocks and pebbles into the sea every day for him to chase and he never seems to tire of it or ever get bored. I’m classing that as my daily exercise!
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If I was there, I’d be all over those water- slides like a big kid!!!
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Despite not going to Zumba on this most previous sit, I also got tons of exercise looking after two very young dogs who required lots of walking and ball fetching! It was enjoyable but just not the same exercise as my stress relieving and happy place zumba class 
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It’s great you’ve found a form of exercise that lifts your spirits. I know there are plenty of YouTube Zumba classes but the experience probably just isn’t quite the same as doing it in person. You’ve inspired me to look into local communities and see what different classes they have on.
I used to do Callanetics online. I never found it quite as effective as going into the studio though. I remember one time doing an online Callanetics class in Austria and the cat I was looking after at the time decided to join in the fun. He stayed by my side for the entire class swishing his tail away happily to the music! 
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Wherever I’m staying whether it’s Airbnb hotel house etc I must have a cup of tea to start with. I don’t feel ‘at home’ until a proper cup of tea is made and in my hand, I can then think about unpacking and getting sorted. If there’s no tea/milk I feel really discombobulated…… and no, coffee isn’t a substitute at all. Is this a very English thing?
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