Hello!
My name is Amanda and I'm a full-time artist from the creative city of St. Petersburg, Florida. I've done a lot of logo work for many businesses in St. Pete, as well as murals, and have also done a few in Costa Rica and Guatemala. I am a contracted artist for many major retailers, such as Bed, Bath & Beyond, HomeGoods, Saks Fifth Ave. and more. You can view my art at super grateful to be among the many wandering nomads of the world. I've dreamt of long term travel for many years and am very excited about learning new cultures, taking in new sights and meeting new people.
July 4th, 2017 I decided to sell everything I own and start trekking through Central America. I started in Costa Rica months) and ended in Guatemala months), from there I went back home for a month to throw some paint on walls to make some extra cash to go somewhere different.
My goals for travel in Central America were to learn the language, learn how to salsa dance and to soak in as much culture as possible, while living in the comfort of an actual home (with pets preferably :) ! ). I picked up on the language pretty quickly, and can understand most of what is being said, and now I'm working on the speaking part of it. As of yesterday, I signed up for salsa classes that start manana!! I'm really excited! And as far as culture goes, I am thrilled everyday to be a part of it as much as possible.
A brief bio:
I grew up with Marine Corps parents, so travel has been something I've done my entire life. I was born in Missouri and moved to California shorty after. When I turned 6, we moved to Japan where we lived for about 6 years. After Japan, we moved here to Florida where most of my family lives now.
House-sitting experience:
I have quite of bit of house-sitting experience. At home, I held the keys to 3 of my neighbors houses should they go out of town or can't make it home for lunch to let their pups out. I often stay in their homes while they're away on vacation to care for their pets and gardens/yards. Feel free to ask me for reference letters!
I am currently in Ajijic, Mexico (as of Nov 7th, 2017) house sitting for a lovely woman in the village. From there I have a week off and will be house sitting for a nice couple until December 18th, 2017, also in Ajijic.
For 6 years I was the on-site manager for the St. Petersburg Woman's Club; a beautiful, historic, 100 year old building in Snell Isle in St. Petersburg. I lived on the premises in the old apartment upstairs that I helped renovate when I moved in, and oversaw day to day activities and maintenance. The building was used for various events, most of them weddings. My responsibility during the weddings was to oversee the property along with other various duties. I was also responsible for set up and break down of tables and chairs for the events, as well as making sure the building was cleaned up and ready for the next customers. Reference Available.
Pet experience:
Growing up, my family has always had pets. Mostly dogs and cats. To this day, we are all huge animal lovers, every single one of us. My most favorite to this day was my very own Maximillion Ulysses, he was a black cat. I picked him up from the SPCA (was actually in search of a puppy) in He had a good 11 years with me until I had to let him go in October 2015 from liver failure. It was one of the saddest moments of my life.
Since then, I've built a business of boarding one to three dogs in my home at a time through a local back home in St. Pete. I've had many repeat guests and a lot of great reviews. When I wasn't watching dogs from the site, I would foster pets from the local shelter if they would get too full. This was a great experience because it gives me the joy of having pets around without the commitment of a full-time pet, making it easier for me to travel.
Travel experience:
Aside from my past family military travel, I've taken vacations to Ireland (LOOOOVED!), Puerto Rico, Mexico, California and various other small trips in the U.S. There's something about seeing new places that I just can't get enough of. I'm a huge proponent for change, so when I get to surround myself in new experiences with new people and culture, it feeds my soul!
My travel plans:
I'm looking for a short term or long term house sit starting somewhere near December 27th, 2017, and I'll go from there! I'm very flexible in my dates and times for travel after December 27th, through April 10th, 2018. The only thing that is a must for me is wifi.
A little bit about my personality:
I'm 31 years old and I'm a non-smoker, non-drinker and non-drug user. I "try" (key word) to be vegetarian for many reasons, and I exercise daily and pay close attention to my health.
I'm a perfectionist and a neat freak! My house is always spotless and everything has its place. I'm crazy organized, in fact I LOVE to organize messes. Weirdly, I actually enjoy cleaning too. All of that may sound too good to be tr