Responsible, Adaptable Traveller with Maintenance Experience

About this sitter

Hello! I am a 28 year old American woman looking to experience somewhere new. I have often been in charge of small properties in past jobs and pride myself on being detail oriented and diligent. I love working with my hands, don't shy away from bad weather, and learn fast. My hobbies are numerous and wide-ranging- hiking, kayaking, puppetry, reading, searching for slime molds, and free-diving, to name a few.

I spent my formative years working in theatre as a carpenter, electrician, and props artisan. After I tired of city life, I spent five years traveling and working overseas. The majority of those years were spent in Southeast Asia, primarily Malaysia and Indonesia. After returning to the USA for a wedding, the closed borders of the pandemic encouraged me to explore more of my own country. Over the last two years I've snowboarded in Utah, led stargazing tours outside of Yellowstone, guided hiking and kayaking in Alaska, and changed tires for ice road truckers in the far north. I'm ready to head back overseas, and open about where I go!

I am very open about possible house sits- my ideal would be a long term house sit somewhere far from an urban center with easy access to nature. I would love to have time to settle into a place- many years of traveling have made me appreciate a slower pace. However, I love having an excuse to go somewhere new, and would be open to shorter term house sits or a stint in a city. I'm flexible in regards to types of work involved and love animals.

Why they want to house sit

I want to experience somewhere new, with a connection to the community and enough time to settle in. I would like to learn about how others live. I want to stay in less-populated areas surrounded by nature, which are often hard to find rentals in.

Their experience

I have done multiple work exchanges, from volunteering on a fruit orchard and bee farm in the tropics to being a live in cleaner in New Zealand. One short term work exchange turned into a house sit when a medical emergency arose.
I have stayed in the homes of many, many strangers while traveling and am used to assisting with chores and learning the ins and outs of culturally different households.
Professionally, I have managed a homestay in the Malaysian jungle, coordinating staff across five languages, maintaining the property, and hosting volunteers. On the other side of the world, I have worked property maintenance in both the far north of Alaska and a backcountry ecolodge in southern Alaska.

What can they bring to the assignment

I am very comfortable living with cultural and linguistic barriers, rarely get homesick, understand the challenges of living overseas. I bring a positive attitude and a whole lot of patience to new and difficult situations.
I have basic property maintenance skills, both in western-style buildings and open-air, traditional architecture in the tropics.
I have cared for both my own and others' cats and dogs. I spent several months administering medication multiple times a day to my own cat towards the end of his life.
I have lived in many isolated locations, and have often worked alone, without supervision and only limited training. I am used to figuring out solutions on my own and under less than ideal circumstances.
I am a strong believer in following instructions, and would gladly adapt to your protocols for your own home.

I have been fortunate to find many work exchanges, couchsurfs, and the occasional house sit via personal interactions with those around me, and thus lack online references through MindMyHouse and similar sites. I would be happy to provide professional and personal references on request.