Entering our Home Away from Home

Opening the door of a new exchange home is always exciting, especially when the key works.

It is surprisingly hard to open some swap homes' front doors. Some keys need wiggling, or there could be a button that gets pushed before the lock opens.

In Europe, a key often need to be turned three or more times before the deadbolt clears the lock.

Then there is the excitement of the burgeler alarm, whose turn-off code you may or may not remember.

Sending entry instructions and/or passes before hand is important to get your swap guests off to the right start.

The Cape Cod house opened easily. We walked in to find a bright, clean home. The deck off the living room looked inviting with its leafy canopy and view of the lake.

Where would we sleep? We investigated further.

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