House Sitter in Carlisle, Massachusetts

Although I grew up in Fiji, for the past couple of decades I’ve been based in New England, where I’ve raised two daughters and a son. However, now that my children are successfully launched – one a diplomat abroad, one in business and one in divinity school – I am free to pursue my interest in house – sitting overseas. The transition from my educational and work background to my proposed new venture may seem a non-sequitur. I have taught math and science in Fiji, Vanuatu and Ponapei. I was a Davis Scholar at Wellesley College, where I earned a degree in Biological Science. Subsequently, I worked as a lab technician for a cardiovascular research institute, taught high school biology as a teacher trainee (towards Teaching Certificate), and served as a Fijian language consultant at both Harvard and Yale. While none of these experiences is a mandatory precursor to house-sitting abroad, I hope my work history conveys I am a responsible, reliable person. I am a habitual writer of “To Do” lists. As a house-sitter, I would request the homeowners to leave me a guideline reflecting their priorities, such as a list of practical tips and maintenance requirements, so that I can best meet their expectations. I want homeowners to be able to travel confidently, secure in the knowledge that their home is being well cared for. Years ago, when my family and I were living in Micronesia, we arranged a successful holiday vacation, swapping our home in Ponapei for another family’s in Kosrae. Having made that leap of faith myself, I can empathize with the concerns of those who entrust their home to another! I am comfortable taking care of animals and gardens. I grew up with pets, tropical flowers and subsistence farming. As a high school student, I oversaw my boarding school’s poultry farm. My children grew up with cats and wild blueberries. I have grown vegetable gardens and flowers at home and I am also interested in organic farming. My travels have only increased my curiosity about the world. I have driven across the continental USA with my family three times, everybody packed in a camper. I’ve also been fortunate to visit Bali, the Cook Islands, Egypt, France, Krakow, Vienna and Taipei. I love visiting family and friends here in the States as well as in Europe, UK, Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. I try to keep up with national and world events and have a particular interest in issues affecting the welfare of women and children. As a member of the Pan Pacific South East Asia Women Association, a non-profit organization attached to the United Nations; I keep in touch with women from 20 or so nations I have met during the international conferences. In my term as International Secretary, I gained a sensitive appreciation of the many positive aspects of people from diverse cultures and traditions. At the same time, I also keep up with the quest of knowledge and understanding of my own faith as I grew up a Methodist. I am very excited about the prospect of house-sitting abroad, getting to know a distant place in a manner not available to the average tourist, and vindicating the trust placed in me by the traveling homeowner.