Went kayaking once in Half Moon Bay. Then left the bay for the open ocean. It was the smallest and most vulnerable I’ve ever felt as a human.
Much later (last year), we met a pair of master kayakers on vacation in Hong Kong, who teach kayaking in the Seattle area. We said we might want to learn in the Portland area and they said it’s really risky on rivers and we should come to Seattle and take their classes on Lake Union instead.
When I looked up later, I found out why:
I took a sit on the West Coast, after we’d moved to the East Coast a few years earlier. We’d lived on both coasts previously, but I hadn’t been back to the Portland, Oregon, area since we’d last moved.
When I started the sit, I unexpectedly felt deep homesickness, which I hadn’t at all previously. Called my husband and asked how he’d feel about moving back. We immediately agreed to return and, during that call, we decided that I would start house hunting. I found an unexpectedly unique one within days, which we bought. We live there now, very happily.
It turned out to be a life-changing sit. Bittersweet, though, because the sickly senior dog I was sitting ended up having to be put down. Fortunately, her family was able to rush back early and we all said goodbye to her the night that they returned. She was such a sweetheart, I still keep her photo on my desk and think of her.
I have one coming up. I really have no idea why I applied for it in the first place, or went into my full Bob Fosse routine during the phone (yup, not video) call. But here I am, signed up to spend the best part of a very grim month (guess which. Clue: It’s in the UK) in a place which does not in any way scream “DYNAMO SIT!!” , in the middle of … Well, it would be Nowhere, but Nowhere has spat it out.
The cat, though, is sweet. And I have DETHLAC for the sp*ders. (Don’t tell the HO).
Now if you’ll excuse me… I’ll be back in approx. 2 months, to report that this was my Best Sit Ever!!
Yikes! I’ve been down the Colorado on a river raft with experienced river raft guides ( on a private trip for 18 days 10 years ago) and was startled by their nervousness when the rapids were famously treacherous ( ie lava falls)… the two guys on my boat hid the fact from me that my best friend had been tossed out ( and retrieved by the kayak guide who’s job was just that) so I wouldn’t freak as our turn came up. I know that the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon is considered the mother of river rafting trips, but it put a healthy fear of rivers into me forevermore. On another trip we capsized at Clavee falls on the Toulame River, and we survived. Going out without those guides would absolutely be out of the question for me. You were brave to even consider it and wise to wait for the experts!
Great that you lived to tell!
I was teased about being willing to go tandem skydiving, which seems more dangerous to some folks. But to me, drowning seems super painful. Meanwhile, if you splat while skydiving, it would be very quick.
Most memorable was a 14th century Tudor house complete with a moat. Only entrance was over a bridge, acres of land, stone flagged floors and beamed ceilings. Oh and I think haunted. 
I’ve done over 100 sits, all of them memorable in different ways, but the stand out was a catsit on a houseboat in Greater London. Watching and feeding the geese, activity on the water, Bushy Park nearby, it was heaven.
@DieFledermaus I can’t wait to hear how it goes 
This reply was pure poetry! I can’t wait to hear your report about the sit 
First time to Europe and I did a pet sit in Paris on the Seine river just half a block from Notre Dame…and it was just opening up after the renovations from the fire, so was able to get in to see it, then went on to Nuremberg after that for a sit in the walled city during the Xmas markets so could walk everywhere and enjoy , then on to Koln after that…I get teary eyed just thinking if I had not signed up with TH, I would have never had those experiences. All the homes, pets and home owners were top notch.
We have had a few amazing sits, but last summer we were fortunate enough to look after the most amazing manor house (yes an actual manor) with lovely cats, vast farmland and a pool. The family were lovely and so kind.
It was idyllic, and i finally understood the meaning of the word bucolic. We barely left the grounds, spent our time walking the fields and watching the red kites and giant hares. But honestly, it was one of the best holidays i have ever had. I think i read 3 whole books in a week while sitting around the pool (with 2 kids, one of whom has a disability, this is usually an impossibility, i might read 3 books a year if i am lucky!). They even had a bmx track in the grounds for their teenage son!
We were really depressed when we came home, because we had a moment of realisation that our amazing holiday is their everyday life. How the other half live!!!
This struck a chord with me. We’ve been housesitting for over 5 years now on and off. To decide on the most special I chose the one I had the most withdrawal symptoms after leaving.
My favourite was because of the pet, the Home Owners, the spectacular home, its perfect location and the social life I enjoyed whilst sitting there. Yes it hit every spot! I was also able to have a dear friend visit for the day to share it with.
Then the owners returned and bought me a cake they were so happy! They wished I could cover again but the dates clashed. I hope I can get back there sometime soon.
Interesting how some pet sitters are keeping quiet on some details and not wanting to up the competition! Yes that also shows it was a special one. I’d move in for a year if they asked me!
I like to keep people guessing too!
Some clues: it was a very old property no longer used as it was originally built for.
It was in UK in the south of England.
The biggest private Stately Home in UK was nearby.
The dog was a Black Lab.
Happy Pet/ housesitting everyone!
Yes, maybe some folks are worried about competition for sits they loved. Not me, though.
The English village sit was magical, but then my curiosity and daydream were quenched. And with the Portland sit, I ended up buying a home in the area and moving back, so not looking to repeat sit.
With sits that I actually have repeated, the hosts and I stay in touch off THS, so we coordinate before they solidify travel plans. That means no worries about them listing sits I want.
It’s probably that way for many sitters and hosts. Even those who list them, many might be done deals behind the scenes. Or the sitters couldn’t repeat, because of timing, so someone else benefits.
Like I did a high-end NYC sit where a pair of sitters have repeated a bunch (something like a dozen sits, as I recall). The hosts not only travel, they have a second home. They always check with their repeat sitters first, then they list only if those sitters aren’t available.
I’ve done repeat sits in the U.S. and in the U.K. and Europe that were never listed, as other sitters have.
