House Swapping For A Better World?

~ This is the third in an occasional series of articles about house swapping your home with another family, thereby making the most of your travel experience in another city or country. The first article was House Swaps: The Practical Way To Go, while the second article, House Swapping for Seniors, provided practical advice for that age specific group of travellers. These blog entries are sourced from, and used with the permission of the Aussie House Swap website.

I'd like to spend a few moments looking at a side of house swapping which is real, but probably not given a lot of thought – especially by those who haven't as yet taken part in an actual house exchange.

And that is the role that caring, sharing and generosity of spirit plays in a house swapping program, such as that facilitated by Aussie House Swap. Because when all is said and done, the parties to a house swap are engaging in what is virtually an act of trust and intimacy by opening their homes to each other.

Your home is, after all, very much a reflection and almost a defining part of who you are. It's your "inner sanctum," the private place to which you withdraw after a day out in the world of business and commerce, or even of social or community activity. It's where you rest up, kick off your shoes, and let your "real" self emerge. And where you literally wash your dirty laundry!

The home is where you and those closest to you share your private lives and your most intimate moments. It's also at times the scene of some very difficult passages in your life, and the place where you have to deal with some of your most thorny issues. And it's where you retire to when your working life is done. Opening your home to others is without doubt sharing part of your private, inner self with them.

Inviting somebody into your home is also a demonstration of your hospitality – whether it's to hold some kind of meeting, to stay for a period, or simply to share a meal together. All the more is this the case when you completely vacate your home for a number of weeks, and allow another family or couple the full use of it.

In every way the home is regarded as a special place, the opening of which to strangers, friends and family alike is an act of grace, openness and acceptance. So when two homeowners agree to swap homes, and actually make the exchange, they are showing a considerable amount of trust in each other. They're giving and receiving value, and sharing something which is fundamentally private, in a spirit of generosity.

They are, in their own small way, displaying the kind of attitudes and taking the kinds of actions which – if practised on a grand scale – could genuinely make the world a better place for all. Which, when you think about it, is a pretty worthwhile thing to do, and counters just a little of the animosity, fear and selfishness which is unquestionably harming the home of us all, the earth.

Swapping houses is also engaging in a level of mutual confidence that your home and its contents will be treated with respect, and handled carefully. That this confidence is warranted is shown by surveys which indicate that damage rarely occurs when houses are swapped, and that when it does, it's nearly always of a minor nature.

House swapping also gives you the opportunity to get to know some of the locals, and experience their lifestyle, habits and surroundings by living "in the community," rather than spending all your time in the artificial environment of a hotel or similar holiday accommodation, and just seeing the tourist attractions.

Furthermore, a house swapping holiday allows people with disabilities to take their own time, and when they need it to rest undisturbed – instead of being bumped and jostled in crowded resorts, or disturbed by maids needing to make the beds and clean up the room to meet their schedule, not yours. It's even possible to seek out house swaps with other disabled people, and each have the use of facilities – ramps, special bath rooms, toilets and the like – which are designed for their special needs.

Hosting
As well as straight swap overs covering the identical period of time, some people enjoy "hosting" another couple, then later on being hosted by them in return. This simply means that the owners remain at home, and host their swap partners as guests and visitors for an agreed period. They enjoy each other's company, do some exploring and shopping together, see some of the sights, and perhaps fish or play a round of golf together. Then at a later date, they reverse the process. The hosts become the visitors, just as the visitors become the hosts in their home and town.

Hosting is a great way to build new friendships, and increase mutual empathy and understanding between people of different backgrounds and from different parts of the country, or even overseas.

How much does it cost?
Aussie House Swap membership is only $65 per year! However, if you do not manage to house swap in your first year we will give you another 12 months membership absolutely free! This is our guarantee to you! For $65 (less than the cost of one nights motel accommodation) you can make as many house swaps as you like within your 12 months.

Article courtesy of Aussie House Swap website. Like our Partner site, Home Away, Aussie House Swap gives you the opportunity to stay in someone else’s home, while they stay in yours.

Image used for illustration purposes only.

Your Road Trip Survival Kit

~ Since I have been talking and writing about road trips in previous entries (Tips For a Great American Road Trip), I thought it might be timely to include an article written by Phil Washington outlining some important items you should include in your road trip vehicle survival kit. Over to you, Phil.

~ Summer Calls for a Vehicle Survival Kit, by Phil Washington

Your vehicle may be a safe zone for you in case of an unfortunate incident but it could also be a trap. In case of an emergency on the road, you should be able to make the necessary actions to ensure your safety and those of your passengers. Here are the necessary items that should make up your vehicle survival kit - must-haves during summer:

First Aid kit

A first aid kit is a real must-have for all vehicles. It contains just about everything you need to protect yourself from cuts, scrapes and possible infection. It also contains small equipment that can come in handy in case you need to cut anything (scissors) or signal for help (mirror). If you're travelling any time soon, check your vehicle first aid kit to see if it's complete. Stash extra prescription medication here for easy access.

Jumper cables and tow strap

You'll need these cables in case your vehicle's battery conks out or if your car needs to get towed.

Flashlight and strobe lights

In case your vehicle gets stalled or stuck or if you get lost, you'll need a flashlight to find your way around, particularly after dark. Strobe lights or flares will also come in handy for signalling.

Spare batteries for all electronic devices or a charger

You should have fully-charged batteries for devices such as cell phones, flashlights, strobe flares and other self-defence gadgets. This will ensure that you will be able to use them immediately when and if you need to.

Safety Vest

A safety vest will help protect you against the elements and make you visible at the same time. Safety vests are designed with reflective coating, usually running horizontally or crosswise on the back. The vest will reflect any light from a distance, making you easier to find.

Fire extinguisher

Your vehicle should have a compact fire extinguisher on board, particularly during long rides. You can easily and safely put out a fire with this.

Cooling pads or ice packs

During summer, even with air-conditioning, the interior of your vehicle could gradually rise in temperature. Avoid the risk of suffering from a heat stroke and keep yourself cool, particularly during long rides. As part of your vehicle survival kit, throw in a couple of cooling pads or ice packs. This will help bring down your temperature and prevent heat-related headaches and nausea.

Extra water

Always bring a bottle of water with you in your vehicle, especially during summer. This will keep you hydrated and help prevent heat stroke and fatigue.

Extra money

Yup, in many vehicle-related emergencies, summer or winter, having cash available when you need it helps.

About the Author
Nobody wants his summer fun to be spoiled by any accident. To be on the safe side, why not always bring with you a vehicle survival kit? You can choose from a wide variety of survival kits.

Thanks for the article, Phil.

So what would you (or do you) include in your road trip survival kit? Feel free to pass on your own essential tips and tricks via the Comments section below - or better still, contibute your own entry to this blog. The more knowledge shared between road trip warriors, the better.

Article Source: Go Articles.com...

Image: Courtesy of Apollo website...

My Dream Vacation

~ So here’s a question for you.

If you had $100,000 and six months to spend it on your dream vacation, where would you go, and what would you do?

And just so you know: No, I don’t have a spare one hundred grand, either for you or myself, but I did think it would be an interesting intellectual exercise to fantasize about my dream vacation for a couple of hours (yes, I know, I do have too much time on my hands). Oh, and just for the record, I am not an intellectual!

Alright… I’ll go first. Let me see…

First up, starting from here (here being Adelaide, Australia), I would travel by merchant ship to the USA, island hopping my way across the Pacific Ocean. Stops along the way would include New Zealand, Tahiti, and Mexico, before disembarking in San Francisco.

From San Francisco, armed with a copy of Jamie Jensen’s Road Trip USA I would begin my long dreamed about road trip across the United States – first down the Pacific coast to Los Angeles, San Diego, and Tucson, Arizona catching up with relatives along the way (making sure I visited Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon of course).

Most serious road trip enthusiasts dream about driving the length of the famed Route 66 at least once in their lives, and I’m no exception. From Tucson, it wouldn’t be to hard to head north again and join Route 66 at Flagstaff. However, being a ‘completist’ (is that even a real word?), if I was going to drive Route 66, I would have to head back to LA and start the journey proper from there.

Now those of you familiar with the song, Route 66, will immediately realize that would be doing it all wrong. According to the song, Route 66 “Winds from Chicago to LA,” but do I really want to fly or drive all the way to Chicago, just so I can spend several weeks singing the lines of the song every mile along the route in the proper order they were written?

Of course, you are right. Am I a completist or aren’t I?

Ok, so I’d fly to Chicago and drive Route 66 north to south (or to be more precise – north to south-west), and make sure I have lots of great adventures along the way. Unfortunately, that means I am back where I started – sort of. I now have to get from LA to New York City. I could fly, but where’s the fun in that? So after resting my numb bum in Los Angeles for a few days, it’s back into the hire car for the long drive across the American south and up the east coast to New York.

After spending a couple of weeks in New York City, it’s on to the Republic of Ireland – via Niagara Falls and Canada. Well, why not?

Now, relax. I don’t mean to bore you with every stop along the way, so here in some sort of order is the rest of my fantasy vacation: From Ireland I would go to England, France, Spain, and Morocco. The north African leg of my trip also takes in Senegal, Mali, Algeria, Libya, and Egypt. From there it’s on to Turkey, Greece, Italy, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Germany, and the Netherlands. Now it’s time to rug up and head north into Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Russia. By train we cross the Russian steppes to Mongolia and China. We’re on the homeward stretch now. Just a few more countries left (Japan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Thailand) before finally setting down in Darwin, Australia.

From Darwin I would drive back to Adelaide the ‘long way’. That is, via Kakadu, Alice Springs, Mount Isa, Brisbane, and then down along east coast passing through Sydney, Melbourne, and finally on to Adelaide.

Whew, that is a sum total of 33 countries in six months, and more miles than I care to think about.

Is it possible? Would $100,000 be enough?

Hey, what do I know? This is a fantasy vacation after all. A pipe dream. A flight of the imagination. A meditation on the possible – or if you insist, the impossible. But who knows? Maybe, just maybe, if I can’t do the whole trip I can do parts of it. Maybe I don’t have to complete the whole journey in six months. What if I only do the ocean voyage and the road trip? That would be a good start in anyone’s book – wouldn’t it? I can always tackle other parts of the journey later.

So what does your dream vacation involve?

Don’t hold back. Let your imagination run wild, and let me know via the comments section below. Alternatively, you could write a longer piece and send it to me. With your permission I might republish it here as part of my blog.

Go on, share the dream.