Destination: Ireland. A Home Exchange
A home exchange? What a great idea! Right? Well, that depends on who you talk to. It's not for everyone, I suppose. Most of my friends said they could never do it, could never trust strangers in their own home. My response was simply that everything that I value is coming with me. And I wasn’t referring to what was in my suitcase. The preparations were intense. On top of the regular packing and planning for our trip, there was the additional burden of preparing the house for the other family. I wrote a four-page summary of information complete with instructions on the proper operation of the dishwasher, TV, washing machine, computer, navigation system, coffee maker, etc. Plus, recycling instructions, baby sitter telephone and emergency numbers. Of course the house had to be in tip-top shape, with fresh bedding and towels, as well as waste and laundry baskets emptied. By the time we left, I was exhausted. We swapped cars too. Why not? A rental would have cost n...