How I Escaped the Rat Race and Followed My Dreams Part Two - A House-Sitting Virgin in Cork

In my last post I told all of you amazing readers (hi mum!) about why I chose to start house-sitting as a way to start my new life as a Nomad with a Notebook.

If you have not yet made your day complete with my initial ramblings, please don’t miss out. Here is a link to that post - have a little read over there and you can always then pop back and rejoin us here if you still have the will!

Stuck in the Rat-Race

So, where were we…

Yes - I had secured my first house-sit and very excitedly awaited a Cork adventure.

In this post, let me share with you what happened when I took my life dream to escape the rat race to the next level.

To travel and work as a digital nomad...

What happened on my first travel venture as a house-sitter in Cork.

Cork as a House-Sitting Location

Cork felt the perfect destination for my first travels. I have always loved Ireland and the distance felt far enough but not too far…

Ireland also had the benefit that they speak English (no, they really do!) and seemed a good place to start to build my confidence.

Finding cheap flights over to Cork from London, the journey was hassle-free.

Locating the house I would be looking after was also simple. The house was a 10 minute walk from the centre of Cork, with incredible views from the kitchen and terrace all across the city.

City of Cork

The young couple who owned the house were very relaxed and I got on with them well. They also had a lovely baby and I happily played with her and had baby cuddles while they finished their packing.

The family departed, leaving me with clear instructions of my responsibilities for their home and cats while they were gone, relaying any concerns I might have had.

Cork itself is a great city (to be explored more in a future post).

The city is compact with plenty to see and do.

I was also immensely blessed with the weather - just one day of rain in the whole week…. I know, in Ireland this is apparently a rarity!!

My House-Sit Experience

Over the week the cats were well behaved and easy to look after. I enjoyed their comings and goings and their company when they were at home with me.

The house felt safe and I spent my time enjoying the views and the location.

Looking after two cats

I also had been left with permission to use their Netflix subscription and so enjoyed some new TV shows and films in the evenings!

Is Combining Working Remotely With House-Sitting Feasible?

One thing I was keen to establish in my first sit was whether continuing to write and work from a different location was feasible.

Establishing a routine from the first day of working on my laptop in the morning, before going out and exploring parts of the city worked well. I would then return to the house in the late afternoon, ensure the cats were fed and happy and continue some more work.

Working from home-sit!

The evenings I spent with the cats (when they were not out hunting), doing some more work and enjoying Netflix!

Other Benefits of Being Away From Home

Being away from home I also found that I did other things I would not usually take the time to do.

At home I never go to the cinema but in Cork there was a local cinema not far from the house which was cheaper than the UK.

I had long been wanting to see Mamma Mia - Here we Go Again and so decided to bite the bullet and went one afternoon.

The cinema is an experience that is good for me all around.

Two hours in which the environment forces us to switch off entirely and just to become immersed in the big screen (and not the usual small screens of laptops and phones!).. It is a time to really sit, really relax.

Overall, my trip to Cork was a success...

I left happy that the house still stood, the cats had seemingly enjoyed my attentions and the family expressed no complaints when they returned!

My homecoming though left me feeling flat...

Suddenly the desire to travel more had been ignited.

Back in England, the evenings are rapidly becoming darker, the weather is steadily becoming colder and I understood I needed more to look forward to.

The success of my first house-sit left me wanting more and hopeful that a lifestyle as a freelance Nomad with a Notebook might just work….

Planning further travels

Plans are now afoot…

New destinations, other homes, other loving pets…

My sense of adventure is aroused.

Life is for excitement and to be lived!

For too long, for one reason or another, my world has been very narrow.

Now I realise that I don’t need to just glance out the window to the outside world.

I can open the door, walk through it and enter the world whenever and wherever I choose!

What are your deepest desires and life dreams?

Have you escaped the rat-race or stepped off the hamster wheel?

Please share your experiences or dreams with me here -I would love to hear them!

The house-sitting websites I use and can recommend are Trusted Housesitters and Kiwi Housesitters...