I should mention that I am very allergic to shellfish. Even thinking about eating clams or mussels makes me feel ill. But the home exchanger helped me understand something about where he lived by mentioning just one local item associated with his area. How can you do the same?
YOU ENJOY IT, SO WILL THEY
What local produce is your area famous for? There is usually a fun local festival connected with the harvest of various crops. That's a fascinating experience for city children -- or adults:
"We live in Gilroy, California, the Garlic Capitol of the World. Our annual Garlic Festival brings out the whole town. If you have never tried garlic ice cream, you'd be surprised at how delicious it is."
Your home may offer nothing more than relaxation and solitude -- just what the doctor ordered for harried urbanites:
"Our cabin is deep in the woods and bordered on two sides by protected national park land. Our nearest neighbors are a family of deer and the many species of birds that visit our feeders."
Perhaps you can con the home exchangers into working as farmhands:
"Our neighbor, Marcel Thibault, offered to let your children help him as he gathers the maple sap to boil into syrup. Kids love dripping the hot maple syrup on the snow to make instant candy."
Is the real attraction the house itself?
"Palazzo Scambio was originally a residence of the Medici family. It is set among 25 acres of classic gardens. The 17th Century chapel (now our home theater) includes a fresco by Michaelangelo's third cousin twice removed."
Maybe your location is perfect for accessing a bit of everything:
"Two blocks to the west of us is the 'Chelsea Art District' featuring hundreds of galleries with free admission. A kilometer south of our building you cross into quaint Greenwich Village. A 15 minute walk north brings you to the lights of Broadway/Times Square. Looking east you can see several famous buildings all within one kilometer (eight blocks): the Empire State Building; the Flatiron Building; the Met Life Tower; the largest department store in the world (Macy's) and the largest apartment building in the world (London Terrace with its fanciful gargoyle sculptures)."
Is your home exchange description evocative? If not, just use the employees you paid to produce enticing descriptions of your area: the tourism officials whole salaries come form your tax dollars. Find what they say about your town and include the good parts in your swap listing. Any home listing can be evocative. Yours should be too.
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