HOME EXCHANGING

Do you have to be nuts to leave the keys to your home in the hands of strangers? Our answer is "NO, it's great!"  We exchanged our Colorado ski condo, which has since been sold, so we no longer are active home exchangers. Exchanging a second home makes the timing of such ventures MUCH easier. (plus there are some, but NOT MANY, people craving a visit to rural northwest Kansas!)  In the 80s and 90s we had wonderful 1-4 week stays in Seville, Spain   Bournemouth, England   Nairobi, Kenya   Canberra, Australia   Orlando FL   Marblehead MA  Oshkosh WI   Ironwood MI and others.  It's so nice to stay in a home with character, design ideas and unique amenities. An added bonus is belonging to a neighborhood for a while.  You'll be invited to events, clued in on shopping and sights, etc. We'll always remember Bbq pig by the pool on Christmas Day in Australia, having a religious float maneuver into our front door to negotiate its way into the narrow streets of Seville, and other experiences you'd never have at a hotel.

As you can imagine, planning such exchanges is an undertaking. Resources are available, but figure on writing lots of correspondence, and being flexible, to achieve a match with another family. The club we used, which printed a large shorthand catalog, is no longer in business. But Vacation Homes Unlimited is one online resource. Good luck with home exchanging -- give it a try!