Barbara

Hello. Thank you for reading my profile. I'm Barbara, a retired Special Education teacher from America. I recently sold my house in South Dakota, U.S and downsized to a more portable me so I could travel and hopefully find some place on the planet to settle down for a while. I have spent quite a lot of time in UK and have a lovely group of friends here, so this will be my first stop on my new life adventure. I am a non-smoker.

Housesitting feels like a good match to my travel dreams of seeing new places, meeting new people and helping my pension stretch a bit further! I like to be helpful so that fits into that lifestyle too. I am open to house sits with or without pets.

I have almost always had pets as a part of my life. After my sweet Irish Setter passed away at age 14, I decided I wanted to travel more, so I haven't had a pet for a while…but I am an "auntie" to quite a few! I have some experience with training and lots experience of walking and cuddling with dogs and cats.

I like to walk and hike and have spent many days out with my friends and their dogs. In fact, one friend says her dog started jumping around in the car when they turned onto my street…he knew that going to see me meant we were going out for a good walk! That felt great!
Another of my housesits' clients say that their pets still react enthusiastically when they hear my name spoken! So funny and touching too.

I practice yoga and meditation most days and have noticed that dogs and cats often seem to connect with time on the mat…especially cats!

I love gardening, so I am happy to take care of plants as well. (Coming from a place with a 3 month growing season, it is actually a treat to be able to garden all year…even if a lot of it is dead-heading!) You can see a picture of my gorgeous garden in my photos. I really appreciate being out in nature and feel grateful for the beauty I have seen in my travels and at home.

As a homeowner, I became quite handy at household maintenance. Before selling up, I had completely remodeled much of my home, (with pro help but a good deal of it with my own two hands!) I also had my own faux finishing business and loved making my home and others' more beautiful. Additionally, as a special education teacher, I learned to stay calm. When I became a private pilot, I learned to stay calm but react quickly if necessary. Both skills seem to have transferred to dealing with house crises as well. (Thank goodness!)

While you are away I am happy to keep in touch with you by WhatsApp etc photos/videos to reassure you that all is well. I know that pet owners often take comfort from this kind of contact.

I consider myself a trustworthy, capable, dependable, responsible and caring person; and so I feel your home would be in good hands with me. I have references from previous house sits which I can make available upon your request. I also have a clear FBI Identity History (fingerprints checked, etc).

FYI: if you use the phone number shown on my profile, you will have to use WhatsApp. If you need help to do so, and you feel comfortable with providing me with your phone number, I can send you a link to WhatsApp.
My WhatsApp is +1605 591 9486.

I hope you will get in touch with me if you need a housesitter. I look forward to the possibility of meeting you and providing your home and pets with excellent care.
Kind Regards,
Barbara