Earlier this month we did a home exchange in Florida. We started the trip at a rental condo in Miami, then moved up the coast to the swap house. More than any of my 35 previous home exchanges, this trade shook up my vacation swap expectations and led to some serious introspection. I share some of my conclusions with you now.
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Staying in someone else's house can bring into stark perspective the things you like -- and dislike -- about your own home. That was definitely true in this case.
DRIVING MYSELF CRAZY
The exchange house was located on a narrow island set in the Indian River. Getting there required a 90-minute drive from the closest major airport. Once in the home the closest supermarket or restaurant was a 20- to 30-minute drive.
Driving distances like this are par for the course in North America. With a lot of land, most development here is not dense. Outside of large cities, homes are separated from shopping areas by big roads -- and long distances -- designed for cars.
Having to spend 40 minutes in a car to go to the gym underscored one thing I love about living in Manhattan -- I can get places on foot, bike or public transit.
Lesson: when doing a home exchange in the USA or Canada, pick a swap in an urban area or be prepared to do a lot of driving.
RELAX OR SIGHTSEE?
Driving around the Florida exchange area would have been OK if there had been something interesting to see. Unlike Miami, however, the area where the swap home was located was, well, pretty boring. That left two options: enjoy the natural surroundings or just relax.
Lesson: investigate activities in the home exchange destination before committing.
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
As a bicyclist I expected pleasant riding in Florida's temperate weather. I was disappointed. There was only one road on the island. It was straight, flat and had to ocean view. Not great biking terrain.
Lesson: check with a local outfitter for your sport to determine if the destination is a good one for that sort of recreation.
RELAXATION
It is hard to get a sense of a home's surroundings without being there. One has to rely on the exchange partner's assertions. This swap house was billed as remote, and it was certainly far from most services. However, the narrowness of the island on which it was located meant it was built on a thin strip of land. The river shore was just a few feet from the house and a public access pier allowed boaters and fishers to do their thing right in front of the house's windows. We felt very exposed. The other side of the house was similarly right near the busy main road. In this case, "remote" did not mean "private".
Lesson: we just had to adjust our expectations.
There were other issues with this swap that we will certainly learn from. I'll share them with you another time so you can profit from our experience.
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