The Home Exchange Experiment (aka - how to travel for free!)

I've been bitten by the travel bug... I actually think it happened in utero because I came into this world trying to figure out how I could get out of the particular location I found myself in. I could live on the road and be completely happy - thus the appeal of my job! However, outside of traveling for work, there is one big problem with wanting to travel - the cost.

Thus the brilliant idea of doing a home exchange! We love our home and feel it really does offer a lot to people who want to experience the desert. My dream has always been to go to Paris - and not just for a quick visit, but long enough to acclimate to the environment and just soak in the culture and the language. I did some research on home exchanges, including watching the movie "The Holiday" and we decided to take a chance and list our home on HomeExchange.com. Essentially, you list your home and include information about yourself. The idea is not just to switch homes but actually develop friendships with the people you are exchanging with. Think personal ads but we're swapping houses instead of dating! There's something so beautiful to me about the concept of ultimate trust and friendship in this age of deception and fraud.

I was very excited about putting up our posting and both D and I agree that it would be fun to just entertain any offers we may get. Think: Sure, you want our home and we'll go to Tahiti?? I think we can hook that up! LOL. But first course of business was finding an exchange in Paris. Luckily, there are a lot of Parisians who want to travel. :-)

I excitedly wrote out post, gathered pictures, and pushed the submit button! Voila! Next step was to find appropriate exchanges in Paris. You are allowed to save profiles in Your Favorites and then send a note to those that you marked, up to 25 per day. I sent out my first 25 and waited....

By the next morning, we had received 10 responses. All very, very nice, but none looking for an exchange in Arizona. Although one in particular touched my heart. It seems that the family's teenage daughter has been diagnosed with leukemia and is undergoing chemo. The lady was so sweet, though, despite this situation she offered to do a "hospitality" exchange, where D and I could stay with them in their spare bedroom. It really touched me and I'm making sure to include their daughter in my prayers. What a horrible thing for any mother to experience.

I was getting a little discouraged (I know... it had been a whole 24 hours! Impatient, you think??) and then it happened! We got a response from a young professional couple who live in the 15th arrondissement in a cute little flat. They have a baby and are excited to visit Arizona. We've had a few email exchanges, including exchanging pictures, and it appears to be a great match!

To sweeten the vacation experience, we stumbled upon another opportunity. There is a Transatlantic cruise that is available for purchase using our VCA barter dollars. Given that we have a healthy balance in our barter account, we could more than cover the entire cost of the cruise (thanks to our huge Valentine's day order!!). Interestingly enough, the cruise sets sail from Rome exactly during the time period we wanted to be in Europe. Add two weeks on to the vacation.... no out of pocket! (other than our taxes and port fees!!).

So it's shaping up like this: We use our free companion flight vouchers round-trip from PHX to New York. Buy a one-way ticket from NY to Paris (and I think I'll have enough miles we can get my flight for free on a Star Alliance carrier). Two weeks in Paris, take the train to Rome, a few nights in Rome, and then sail home on the cruise!

I've started brushing up on my French using Rosetta Stone and I'm looking forward to practicing on our new friends - but could only muster a "bonjour" this morning (the only other thing I seem to be able to say is "I'm a doctor" or "the dog is white" - tough trying to fit that into conversation).

Now next challenge: finding care for the dogs while we're gone... this could be a tricky one!