Our Travel & Sitting Style
We travel lightly, carrying only what fits in our bicycle panniers. Although we appreciate many cultural and tourist sites, we prefer to venture off the beaten path. We approach new-to-us places and cultures with a sense of humility, curiosity and a willingness to learn. We get to know communities by cycling or walking the streets, stopping to talk with locals and by attending public gatherings like parades, art openings, and dance or musical performances.
Kai has practiced a vegan diet for over 18 years, is openly addicted to peanut butter, loves to cook, and provides us wonderfully tasty and nutritious meals. Sheila is mostly vegetarian but also loves cheese, yogurt and chocolate and is open to trying new foods while traveling. We prefer to buy our food from local markets or directly from farmers and we seek out organic produce as much as possible. We enjoy quiet places in which to write and work but we can also adapt to any distraction or noise. The offerings of city-centers and densely populated areas are attractive but we equally love the serenity of rural locations. We are far more likely to choose tea over alcohol and prefer a night at home alone or spent with a few close friends versus a night out on the town. While normally being more proactive than reactive, we also know when to relax and let things unfold naturally. Attentive and detail-oriented people, we notice ways we can contribute to improving things around us. For example, we may clean shower heads if we find them suffering from hard water build-up. We've been referred to as 'clean freaks' and we're not ashamed of it. Homeowners can expect to come back to a home that is cleaner than when they left it. We practice hands-on, active pet care. In other words, we treat pets as if they were our own while respecting and following the guidelines and instructions given by the pet owners. We like to learn details about a pet's schedule, their diets, their habits or quirks and what their favorite pastimes and toys are. We pay close attention to and follow owners' training protocols while they're away. We require disclosure of the pet's medical needs and history, as well as permission to seek medical attention from certified veterinarians in case of an emergency. Unless directed otherwise, we like to provide pets lots of walking, petting, playing and snuggling. Our primary goal is to build trust so that they feel safe and secure with us. Because we're usually working from home all day, we tend to bond fairly quickly with most pets. For us, the hardest part of pet sitting is saying goodbye to our new animal friends at the completion of the assignment. |