As Chris turns 60 at the end of this year, and we celebrate 35 years of marriage mid-year, we look to do something completely different in 2018. After 37 years of working for government agencies, private consultants and eventually his own sole trader consultancy, Chris feels ready for a break and time to see the world – our own OE. Carolyn has been a teacher, full-time mum, facilitator of an adventure ropes course, correspondence school teacher, and most recently administrator and co-owner of our Resource Management Planning consultancy.

Along the way, we have travelled extensively, in New Zealand and around the world on a variety of budgets, with and without kids. As life has moved on we have explored more places and have definite favourites. Carolyn has made most of the travel plans, researching destinations, reading reviews on accommodations and food and activities, booking airfares and planning where we go and what we do. Carolyn also writes reviews on places we have been and posts to Trip Advisor and Booking.com where appropriate.

So now, as we plan for our adventure, Carolyn is researching different house-sitting websites and reading up on other people’s adventures. We have joined trustedhousitters.com and are looking forward to our first house sit in a couple of week’s time for a weekend. We have also signed up to a number of other house sitting sites, but will not join financially until later this year, so as to be able to take advantage of listings and applications for 2018.

In the meantime, we have a number of holidays planned for this year that I will blog about and add pictures and reviews as we complete these trips.

Feel free to comment and add suggestions or ask questions that will inform me and others.