Avid Dog Sitter, Exploring Educator, Eager to Travel!

About this sitter

I am passionate about working with and educating children, exploring the outdoors, and sharing space and companionship with dogs! This past year, I spent my time as an outdoor education instructor for a nature-based program in Vermont. Prior to moving up here, I grew up in the Chicago area and then also lived in Tampa, FL while attending the University of South Florida to get my degree in education. I am eager to explore the world, but through the lens of meeting locals, learning about new cultures, and diving deeper into my own personal interests.

I am looking for a comfortable house, preferably with a dog, that I can call home for about a month in-between my seasonal contract this upcoming winter. My fall instructor contract will end right before Thanksgiving (mid/late November) - so I'm looking for the month of December to house sit. There is also the possibility of house sitting January - February in my schedule. I really don't need much in terms of the house. :) Lots of natural space, hiking trails, and at least in close (20-30 minutes) proximity to a town!

Why they want to house sit

Again, I want to house sit because I want to explore the world but through the lens of a local experience. I have experience solo traveling (Medellin - Colombia, Upstate New York, Shenandoah National Park, Northern Vermont, Montreal - Canada, Fort Myers) - and traveling internationally with a friend for a month (Western Europe); but ultimately, all of those experiences didn't DIRECTLY connect me to the local people who call all of those places home. I want to house sit because I want to experience the daily life of someone who lives in a different place than me. I also want to spend an intentional month unwinding from my busy instructor job, with the goal of connecting with a new place, animals, and nature.

Their experience

I have experience house and dog sitting. In the past year, I have been entrusted to dog sit for my direct supervisor, the program coordinator, the diversity and equity coordinator, and now the executive director of my current place of work (The Aloha Foundation - Fairlee, VT). I stayed at all of these folks' homes while they were away, and in taking care of their dogs, I mostly enjoyed walking them multiple times a day, feeding them on time, and hanging out with them to keep them company. My experience dog and house sitting for all of these important people in my life gave me the opportunity to extend my trust and capability towards my work ethic.

What can they bring to the assignment

I can bring joy! I am so eager to travel and experience new places through a more "homey" setting. In getting the chance to house sit, I will take this responsibility very seriously. I know pets are dear members of a family after spending my whole childhood growing up with multiple dogs, so I would be absolutely honored to have the opportunity to stay and watch over a loved one. I am a tidy, morning person who enjoys lots of sunshine, coffee, and movement. I can bring joy to the animals I take care of as we simultaneously enjoy all of what nature has to offer at your property.