Good day!
Some information about me: I moved to Vancouver Island September 2021 and I'm living ing in Oak Bay (Victoria) Previously I was in Penticton BC, for ten years and prior to that, I lived in California and Arizona for 19 years. I have dual Canada/ USA citizenship and with retirement I hoped to spend much of the winter in warmer places. Like many, I stayed closer to home for a couple of years but I'm happy to be off exploring again.
In 2018 and 2019 I spent the winter travelling in the southern USA with a few months in Key West Florida and a house sit in San Diego( a lovely home and great dog- Stella). I also did a sit in North Vancouver Canada in the early spring of a lovely home, making meals for a foreign student and taking care of Oliver, a very independant cat.
In the fall of 2019 I did a cat and home sit near Bellingham Washington then traveled in Southeast Asia for four and a half months- Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Bali Indonesia and Singapore. (till March 2020)
Prior to 2019 I went through a phase of staying put in Canada and had not been traveling very much. Though previously, I have done sits in many places such as: Sedona, AZ, San Antonio, Texas, Monterey, Ca., North Sanich, BC, Canada, Squamish, BC Canada and an extended sit (over a year) in Tucson AZ. Over the years I have cared for dogs, cats a rabbit and birds. I love to garden and have had the pleasure of tending to some lovely gardens as well.
Background Info: The last 28 years of my working life, I was self employed as a professional massage therapist and some time as an instructor of massage.
I have also done a bit of work creating videos, managing social media and helping people market their businesses online. I like creative projects so haven't yet decided if I'm permanently retired.
Some other details: I was born in Toronto, Canada and spent many years there working in social services. Though I still have family there in Toronto, I prefer a smaller community and I adore BC with mountains the ocean and wide open wild nature.
I love to garden and this summer I have a small veggie patch to call my own. I enjoy photography. I have lots of friends in Penticton and I'm just starting to make some Victoria friends. I'm quite social though I also appreciate quiet. I like to read, meditate, hike/ walk- travel and explore new places.
I have taken great care of my own homes both as an owner and renter, including doing basic maintenance and repairs. I've lived a number of times in other peoples homes, caring for their pets and property and I and understand the importance of doing this with attentive care. I am reliable, considerate and trustworthy. You can be assured of great care for your pets and your home.
Though I have had dear pets of my own (dogs, cats, birds and fish) I have chosen not to have any pets right now as I'm wanting to travel more in this early phase of retirement.
If we live some distance away from each other, I can video interview with you on Zoom, , messenger, What'sApp or Facetime (free online internet video)
Because I'm a videographer, I have video taped many of my house sit and character references, forteen videos in total. I am happy to send links of these to potential homes I apply to sit. There is only provision for one video on the Housecarers site but I have many more.
Please feel free to contact me to discuss your needs and plans. I look forward to chatting. Thanks for your consideration, Rita