Blog Post Categories
Twenty Years Housesitting & Camino Tips
For twenty years housesitting, Tiera St Claire has called the world home — one housesit at a time. Starting out as a housesitter and pet carer, she’s mastered the art of budget travel through caring for homes and animals across the globe via the Housesit Match platform. But it wasn’t until she walked Spain’s legendary Camino de Santiago that she truly understood the deeper lesson her lifestyle had been teaching her all along: the power of trusting the journey, even when you don’t know where it leads.
Phot Credit – Tiera St Claire
Twenty Years Housesitting: Lessons in Trust from the Camino 🏠 🥾
20 years of being a housesitter and pet sitter without a home of my own has taught me a great deal about life, trust, and myself.
The Freedom and Uncertainty of the Housesitting Lifestyle ✨
The solo housesitter’s life can be one of uncertainty—where do I go next? What do I do if nothing comes through for me? But this lifestyle of affordable travel through twenty years housesitting has also taught me to trust in the journey itself.
Being part of the Housesit Match community gives me a degree of security, knowing I can trust the sits offered on the platform. It’s this combination of budget-friendly accommodation through pet sitting assignments and the freedom to explore that has allowed me to live a life of adventure for two decades. That is what has helped me continue for twenty years housesitting around the world.
Walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain has given me real-life experiences of trusting life to provide—lessons that mirror the journey of twenty years housesitting perfectly. Here are a couple of stories that illustrate how surrendering to uncertainty can lead to unexpected gifts.
2015: San Sebastian – When Plans Change 🧭
Here I am in San Sebastian, waiting, drinking a coffee with no idea where I will go next or what I will do from here. I’ve hurt my hip and am no longer able to walk the Camino, which is what I thought I would be doing right now.
Photo credit – Tiera St Claire
I go within to look at my inner landscape—a technique I learned from Robert A. Johnson in his book Inner Work. It’s a method of connecting with the deeper aspects of what’s going on.
The Princess’s Journey ✨
I see a Princess opening the door to her chamber. She’s wearing travelling clothes: shoes, a cloak and tunic, and carrying a staff. Very pilgrim-like.
She’s somewhat furtive—not really hiding, but hesitant to leave even whilst feeling compelled to go. She finally steps outside, looks back at the safety and comfort inside, and gently closes the door.
There’s a look of wistfulness and soft determination on her face. She moves silently through the castle yard—again, not hiding, merely not wanting to disturb the status quo.
She goes to the stable and finds her donkey, who greets her with a soft nuzzle of her hand. Placing a small bundle of food upon the donkey’s back along with a blanket and some special trinkets meaningful to her, she looks again at the castle and allows the love she feels for all its inhabitants to course through her heart.
Thinking of her father, a few silent tears fall down her cheeks. She places her hand upon the ramparts in blessing, in farewell, and leads the donkey outside the castle walls.
Sunrise and a new day
It’s early morning. The sun is just beginning to rise, the birds are stirring, the sky is clear, there’s a little moisture in the air. Her hand caresses the ribbon in her hair as she walks, moving it through her fingers. It’s the only adornment she has of the life of privilege she’s leaving behind.
Soon she reaches the town square and blends in with the everyday life and tumult of the village, allowing herself to be moved along through the crowd until she reaches the outskirts and the dirt track they will follow.
She walks through the cool forest as the sun reaches its zenith and then begins its downward arc, only stopping to eat and let the donkey graze as twilight begins to fall. A great oak offers shelter and protection as she lays down, wrapped in her cloak, to sleep.
And that is the first day.
Next day…
On the second, she encounters a man with a broken leg hobbling toward the village. Feeling compelled to respond, she places her hands upon the leg and it mends. Walking slowly away, breathing the air of freedom and uncertainty, her journey continues.
She offers her healing gift when she sees the need and the energy moves through her.
Upon reaching the sea, she waits until she and her donkey are offered passage.
In the land of the Bretons, a new healing gift comes upon her and she begins to sing the Song of Creation. Those who hear her song are uplifted even amidst their lives of struggle and toil, heartache and pain.
Photo credit – Tiera St Claire
In the south, among the vineyards and beneath the towering mountains, she finds a cave. She’s able to store enough food to last through the winter. The donkey’s coat grows thick as it forages for roots and winter berries.
She’s visited in her cave by dreams and visions, spirits of mountain and forest, and by ancestors who teach her the ways of alchemy. Without realizing the passing of time, she lives in the cave for many years. She’s taken, in trance, to learn from the great masters of healing and wisdom, and the Lady imbues her with the Light of All Knowing.
Emerging from the cave
Finally emerging from the cave, her golden hair is streaked with silver, her face unlined, the light of wisdom and compassion glows in her eyes. There’s a purity and sweetness in her countenance.
She’s visible to some and passes unnoticed by others.
Returning to her place of birth in a dream, she places her hands upon her father’s brow as he lies dying. He takes one last breath and passes with a smile of peace upon his face.
She becomes known as The Lady of Clear Light—Clara de la Luz—and is often seen at the bedside of women giving birth and soldiers dying in the fields of battle.
The donkey remains with her, though some swear they see her with a unicorn for the glow that shines forth from its head as it lights her way through the darkest of nights.
Writing this, I feel an opening in my heart.
Photo courtesy of Tiera St Claire
Life Provides 🏠 ✨
As it turned out, I took a train along the Camino del Norte for a couple of days until I made it to Santander. In Santander, I received a phone call from a woman I’d walked with on the Camino before hurting my hip—she needed a pet sitter and invited me to come stay at her place in Madrid. And so began my twenty years housesitting.
I love Madrid.
This is the beauty of the housesitting lifestyle—doors open when you least expect them. Life is good.
Ready to embrace the freedom of the housesitter’s lifestyle? Inspired by Tiera’s twenty years housesitting and Camino walks? Create your profile on Housesit Match today and discover where trust and adventure can take you. Your next journey is waiting.
August 2021: Surrendering to the Journey🥾
Morning comes on the Camino often in the dark, with the sound of plastic bags rustling, whispered snippets of conversations, and a full, demanding bladder. Along with this, a feeling of curiosity: What will the day bring? Who will I meet? How far will I walk? Will joy prevail or a sense of melancholy? What will I see to entice my senses? What will I hear and taste along the way?
Some days I begin with a clear plan; others, I’m happy to move as the Camino wills. And some days, such as today, I have thoughts about the day’s walk…
The Internal Dialogue
“I don’t like the part through the bosque, from Villafranca Montes de Oca to San Juan de Ortega. I want to take a bus through that part, but I don’t know if the bus will let me off anywhere before Burgos… And I like the walk from San Juan de Ortega through Ages and Atapuerca… And if I get too soon to Montes de Oca, I won’t want to wait for the bus to come and will probably keep walking and not enjoy it at all. And then I’ll end up in San Juan de Ortega, and now they charge 15 euros at the albergue for what used to be donativo. That seems weird and wrong. It used to be so welcoming with the giving of the garlic soup and the donation-based warmth. I really liked that Albergue Via Minera in Cardeñuela, but if I go that far I’ll have walked 36 km and my body will hurt. I could take a bus from Belorado to Montes de Oca, but I mostly like this part of the walk, so that seems silly… I guess I’ll just begin walking and see what happens.”
Photo credit – Tiera St Claire
When You Let Go of Control✨
The next day: When the Camino offers so much more than I could have imagined, and I’m so glad I’ve learned to surrender.
Here I sit, having a morning coffee in San Juan de Ortega, having indeed walked the very boring 12 km through the bosque and stayed the night here.
How did this come about?
Walking out of Belorado, I saw a sign for a little detour to see a monastery and pilgrim statue, so I went to see it. As I was walking beneath the bridge I needed to cross to be on the Camino, I looked up and saw Ce, a woman I’d met in Santo Domingo a couple of days previous. I called up to say hello, and she waited whilst I found the way up to the Camino.
We walked all day together, our rhythms matching easily. We met a woman who is 75, blind, and walking the Camino after having had a heart attack six months ago. Valiant pilgrim.
After walking about 12 km, we arrived in Villafranca Montes de Oca and stopped for a coffee. She invited me to share the hotel room she’d booked in San Juan de Ortega. So I surrendered to walking through the forest.
We started out meeting some Spanish people from Burgos who were walking this stretch because they think it’s so nice. Go figure. It was still just as tedious to me, though considerably easier with Ce to talk with along the way. She was born in China and spent the last 20 years in Germany.
Photo courtesy of Tiera St Claire
The Gift of the Stubborn Donkeys
Once in San Juan de Ortega, I showered and then went for a walk in the very small town (population: 25).
I was walking down a dirt road when I saw a man trying to get two young donkeys to move from the pen on one side of the road to the other.
The donkeys wouldn’t cross the road.
He tried enticing them with loaves of bread, with another donkey to lead the way… nothing was working.
Another man got in the pen and tried to corral them, then a woman, and then I got in and we all tried to get the donkeys to cross the road—to no avail.
Finally, one of the men put a rope around one of the donkeys’ necks and I helped pull the donkey across to the other pen. The next donkey was even more stubborn, and we had to push her rump across the road to get her there!
This whole process took more than an hour, and afterward I walked a bit with the townspeople, who had gradually all come out to watch. I was now bonded with everyone!
Such a great experience—I bonded with the people and the donkeys and would never have known this joy had I not surrendered to what the day would bring on the Camino.
Now I can add caring for stubborn donkeys to my pet sitting resume! Definitely a highlight of my twenty years housesitting.
Inspired by Tiera’s twenty-year journey? Housesitting through Housesit Match isn’t just about free accommodation—it’s about meaningful experiences, cultural immersion, and the joy of caring for animals while homeowners travel with peace of mind. Whether you’re a retiree seeking extended travel, a digital nomad looking for comfortable workspaces, or simply someone who loves animals and adventure, housesitting offers a fulfilling way to see the world on a budget.
Join thousands of trusted housesitters in the Housesit Match network. Sign up as a housesitter today, create your profile, and start applying for sits in destinations around the world. Your adventure begins with a single step—just like the Camino.
Final Thoughts on the Lessons From Twenty Years Housesitting and the Camino 🥾
Both housesitting as a lifestyle and walking the Camino teach the same essential lesson: trust in the journey. When you embrace uncertainty and remain open to what life offers, unexpected doors open.
For twenty years, affordable travel through housesitting has given me the freedom to explore the world, care for beloved pets, and meet extraordinary people. The Housesit Match platform has been my anchor in this nomadic life, connecting me with trusted opportunities around the globe.
Whether you’re traveling on a budget, seeking adventure, or simply looking for a way to explore the world while making a meaningful contribution by caring for pets and homes, the housesitting lifestyle offers something truly special: the freedom to trust, to surrender, and to discover what life has in store.
Ready to begin your own housesitting journey? Join the Housesit Match community and discover where trust can take you.
By Tiera St Claire
Tiera is a housesitter and petsitter with some twenty years housesitting experience. She now also writes and vlogs about her travels and housesitting.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) ✅
1. What is housesitting and how does it work for long-term travel?
Housesitting means looking after someone’s home (and often pets) while they are away, in exchange for accommodation. It’s a practical way to travel long-term, reduce accommodation costs, and live like a local. Most sits involve basic home care, gardening, or pet care.
2. How can housesitting help when walking the Camino?
Housesitting can give you a comfortable base before or after walking the Camino. Experienced walkers often use housesits in Spain, France, or Portugal to rest, prepare equipment, or recover after the route. It’s a low-cost way to extend travel before or after the pilgrimage.
3. What are the main benefits of housesitting while travelling?
The main benefits include:
Free or low-cost accommodation
Staying in real homes rather than hotels
Opportunities to live like a local
Meaningful experiences with pets or hosts
Slower, more sustainable travel
Ability to travel for months or years on a budget
4. How do I find reliable housesitting opportunities abroad?
Choose reputable housesitting platforms with verified listings and reviews. Build a strong profile, gather references, and apply early for popular sits. Clear communication with homeowners helps secure the best opportunities.
5. What should I include in a good housesitting profile?
Highlight your experience with pets, home care, gardening, and your ability to handle responsibilities independently. Include friendly photos, references, and a short bio explaining why you enjoy housesitting and slow travel.
6. Is housesitting safe for solo travellers?
Yes, with the right precautions. Always review homeowner profiles, read reviews carefully, have video calls before confirming, and trust your instincts. Many solo travellers housesit safely around the world.
7. What fitness level do you need to walk the Camino?
Anyone with moderate fitness can walk the Camino, but training helps. Start with shorter walks and build up to longer distances. Good footwear, pacing yourself, and listening to your body are essential.
8. What are the most important tips for walking the Camino?
Experienced walkers recommend:
* Pack light
* Wear well-broken-in boots
* Carry minimal valuables
* Start early to avoid heat
* Stay flexible with your daily distance
* Keep a positive mindset
These small habits help prevent injury and fatigue.
9. Do I need to book the Camino in advance?
It depends on the season. In peak months (May–September), booking accommodation early is wise. Off-season, you can usually walk spontaneously.
10. What should I pack for the Camino?
Key essentials include: a lightweight backpack, quick-dry clothing, broken-in walking shoes, a reusable water bottle, blister care supplies, and a pilgrim passport (credential). Many walkers recommend keeping your pack under 10% of your body weight.
11. Can I combine housesitting with long-distance walking holidays?
Yes — many travellers use housesitting as a way to slow travel between walks or extend a hiking trip. It provides rest time, kitchen access, and a chance to live comfortably between physically demanding routes.
12. How has travel changed over twenty years of housesitting?
Housesitting has become more structured and popular. Platforms now offer verification, reviews, and better communication tools. Remote work also makes it easier for travellers to combine work, housesitting, and extended adventures like the Camino.
FURTHER READING
At HouseSit Match we like to share useful blogs and practical advice such as this one about a housesitters twenty years housesitting, to help keen travellers. We also have information to help you on housesitters, home and pet care, and pet sitting. We hope you find this small selection of our blogs on house sitters and house sitting in London useful.
Budget travel guide Budapest – Housesitting
London calling – London house sitting
Cat sitting tourist sees London for free
