Jessica Wynne Lockhart and her partner booked back-to-back house sits for the entire year — and then COVID-19 happened.Jessica Wynne Lockhart and her partner first moved to New Zealand in 2018, eager to explore life in the southern hemisphere.
To her surprise, Lockhart then began receiving messages from the homeowners of houses she had cared for, checking on the couple's well-being and offering them places to stay.In 2018, my partner and I moved to New Zealand with the full intention of doing all the things you do when you move to a new place: We were going to find an apartment, look for jobs, and buy furniture. Once we'd ticked those items off the list, any remaining energy would be devoted to making friends.
As it turns out, we were in high demand. As someone who works from home, I can keep someone's pets company during the day. Being in our mid-30s also worked to our advantage: We're young enough to wrangle energetic dogs, but not so young that we're perceived as liable to throw parties. It was lonely at times, but we convinced ourselves the trade-off was worth it. On my modest salary, I managed to pay off 20,000 Canadian dollars in debt in a year. It was also a chance to play Goldilocks, trying on different places for size: We lived everywhere from an off-grid tiny house in Waikari , to a modern build in Christchurch. Our neighbors included vineyards, sheep stations, and even a fortified compound that once housed a cult.