Bernadine Swale, 68, shares her real-life story of how pet sitting took her across the globe.
My husband came home from work one day and turned my world upside down.
“I want a divorce,” he said.
“That’s not funny,” I said.
The idea that my husband wanted to leave after 36 years of marriage was difficult to comprehend, but it was true.
It was 2011, and at 57 years old, I didn’t know how to function on my own.
We had three adult children, and I’d been excited about our future plans to retire soon and go travelling together.
Exploring the world had always been a passion of mine – I’d grown up in Botswana and lived in England as a child – but it’d been put on the back burner as I raised our family.
Now, I was single and had nothing to look forward to.
I’m going to have to find another partner to go travelling with, I thought.
After a couple of years, I started dating a new man.
Deep down, I knew he wasn’t right for me so I ended it after four years.
In 2015, my sister, Cathy, who lived in Vienna, Austria, told me about a job she’d taken on recently as a pet sitter for a family while they were away on holiday.
“Maybe you could try something like that?” she suggested.
Here I’m hanging out with Al the cat in Naples, Florida.
I’d always loved animals so this seemed like a great excuse to start exploring new places.
After doing some research online, I signed up for a website where people from all around the world posted ads looking for pet sitters to stay at their homes for free.
When I realised the spousal maintenance payments I was receiving from my ex-husband after our divorce were similar to the pension I’d receive if I retired, I decided to quit my job as a pharmacist and, as a trial, see how I’d go if I rented out my home and start pet sitting and travelling.
Living in a stranger’s place was out of my comfort zone, so I started with a local sit just an hour from my home.
I sat in my car for 20 minutes working up the courage to ring the doorbell.
What if there’s an axe murderer in there? I worried.
Luckily, the owners were lovely and I enjoyed looking after their dog and cat.
After doing a few more local pet sits, I felt confident enough to start travelling abroad.
An opportunity to look after a German shorthaired pointer in Athens, Greece, was too good to pass up so I invited Cathy to join me there to keep me company.
The owners also had a second home on a small Greek island called Poros.
“You’re welcome to stay there, too,” they told us.
Cathy and I had an amazing time in Poros, taking their dog, Petra, for walks alongside the beautiful blue waters and wandering into town every day.
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Rufus the Schnauzer in Napier, New Zealand.
Soon after, I spotted a five-week pet sitting job to look after four dogs and three cats in Botswana.
The owners were looking for a couple to take care of all their animals, so I called Cathy and asked her if she’d like to revisit the country we grew up in.
“Why are you wasting time calling me?” she asked excitedly. “Apply for it!”
Once again, we had an incredible time there, revisiting the places we hadn’t seen since we were kids, including the waterhole we used to swim in.
After the owners returned, we extended our stay in Botswana for a week to go on a safari.
There, we met a group of three women, who we chatted with into the early hours of the morning.
Lying in bed that night, I felt whole.
Why did I think I needed a man? I realised. I can get all the emotional support I need from women.
After a year of pet sitting, I decided to go all in.
I sold my house, bought a modern townhouse, which I rented out on Airbnb, and kept pet sitting as much as I wanted.
This allowed me to travel to so many fascinating places around the world, from the bright lights of Tokyo city to the stunning beaches of Catalina Island in California.
In Napier, NZ, I fell in love with a feisty little schnauzer named Rufus, who followed me everywhere.
“Where are we going today, Rufus?” I’d ask as he dashed straight to the car.
Petra the pup in Poros, Greece.
He was overweight when I first met him, but after two months of us walking everywhere together, going to the beach and exploring Napier’s wineries, he looked five years younger – and fitter!
“Rufus, I hardly recognise you!” his owner exclaimed when she got home.
While pet sitting in a small village in England, I met an elderly cat named Ginger.
Next morning, I called out to him, but he was lying very still in his bed.
Oh no, is he dead? I panicked.
As I touched his body, Ginger’s head shot up, which frightened me half to death.
Fortunately, he hadn’t died, his owners had just forgotten to tell me that he was deaf!
With Charlie in Sanibel Island, Florida.
After seven years of pet sitting, I’m still absolutely loving my nomadic life. I’ve had so many incredible adventures and made lots of great friends with people all over the world.
Last year, I spent just 23 nights in my own bed and I have no plans to slow down any time soon.
I think it’s important for women to step out of our comfort zones, especially as we get older.
You don’t have to travel, but if you push yourself to try something new just a little bit each time, you’ll be amazed how much your world will open up.
