How I Escaped the Rat Race and Followed My Dreams Part One - Travelling, Writing & House-sitting

Ever wished you could step away from the rat race and follow long-held dreams?

Here is how I have made those first steps to follow my dreams.

Perhaps you could too?

Giving up a secure career...

A few months ago I made the decision to give up my nursing career that has lasted the past two decades and explore my potential as a freelance content and copywriter.

A new career as a writer!

I handed in my notice in a job I was not happy with and launched my business as Helen Freelance Writer.

This change felt good - there were days when I thought, ‘what am I doing?!?’, but deep down I knew that this was the right decision for me.

Despite this, I still did not feel completely fulfilled.

I realised that there was still more missing from my life - more itches that I needed to scratch!

A career change did not feel enough:

For years I have wanted to travel - to try not just holidaying but really living in other parts of the world and within different cultures.

Life has, until recently, always thrown up challenges to prevent this urge to be a nomad from becoming a reality.

Now, though I look around and realise - what is really stopping me?

If not now, then when?

I am a grown woman - I don’t need permission from others to find my true path in life… I need to give permission to myself to live and to explore.

Planning travels!

Permission to self granted, I decided to establish if it is possible to live my dream lifestyle….

To travel, to stay in nice places and to still earn enough of a living writing to meet daily costs.

Now, I am going to confess….

Despite always longing to travel, I do also enjoy home comforts.

A life in hostels, camping, living out a backpack is not one I relish the thought of.

Staying in 4 or 5 star hotels was not going to work either. First, I could not afford to do so and secondly, hotels can feel impersonal and don’t encompass being part of a local community.

It was no good, I had to find another way - a budget friendly and homely way to roam the globe.

In trying to solve this small problem I stumbled across the notion of house-sitting.

International house-sitting is a growing phenomenon.

Starting house-sitting

More people now use house-sitting websites in one of two ways. Some seek a responsible person to look after their home and pets while they are away. Others sign up as a sitter as a means to stay in new locations while taking on the responsibilities of caring for someone else’s home and furry friends.

Becoming a house-sitter felt a perfect fit for me.

House-sitting could be my means to travel while still staying in a home environment. I have always loved animals and would enjoy the company of the pets I look after.

House-sitting could give me the opportunity to have home comforts, the company of a family pet, keep the space to write and explore new parts of the world.

All of this while living like a local and travelling relatively inexpensively.

Signing up to a house-sitting website I began to apply for opportunities that I felt would be good initial trips to ensure house-sitting and I were suited.

Quicker than I had dared to hope I landed my first house-sitting offer.

A lovely family in Cork, Ireland were offering me a house-sit in their home for a week, looking after their two cats….

The excitement took hold. I instantly set to booking cheap flights and arranging my Euros and passport!

Two cats

A sense of adventure fired in my belly and I felt instantly more alive.

I knew that house and cat sitting was a responsibility and my intention to take on this role was not only to travel but to test whether I could work and travel together…

but I was ready to set foot into my new life and make it work!

Read my next post to see how Cork fared…

In the meantime, please share your stories with me -

Have you escaped the rat-race of modern society and made travelling your life?

Do you dream of travelling but have not yet taken the plunge?

Let’s share and inspire one another!

*The house-sitting sites I currently use and can recommend are Trusted Housesitters and KiwiHousesitters... Many more are available!