House sitting!

As a teacher, I'm trying to work my way into the business of house sitting-- seems like a great way to spend a summer!

Anyway, I'm starting small and local and hopefully I'll have some assignments soon. I've made myself a business card for it. Before now I've always done house sits for friends in Lake Placid and I often watched my neighbor's horses in Massachusetts. The plan is to build enough of a reference base that I can get assignments around the world :) From what I understand, most house sitters tend to be older-- retired namely. Even though I'm only 27 years old, I've already been a houseparent for 9 children at boarding school for a few years and as that school was also an active farm, I have scads of experience with farm animals and organic gardens. I also volunteer at the Humane Society in St. Louis. I'm hoping that someone (and I realize many will not) will find me trustworthy and handy enough to take on the care of the pets, garden and home for next summer. There's a house sitting assignment with four dogs in the Smoky Mountains that I'd fall over myself to do, but I need more references before I apply. We shall see!

Has anyone here ever done some house sitting jobs in other parts of the globe? How did you get into the business?