A GTI Home Exchange Member's generosity

GTI Home Exchange members, Rayne and Bob of Seattle, generously offer non-reciprocal hospitality when their planned exchange does not work out.

"We had an exchange planned, but because of the vagarys of e mail, it didn't work. We were very disappointed. Within a week we received a query from a family in England. We live north of Seattle. It was too late to buy affordable plane tickets to be able to do an exchange, but I thought what the heck, let's invite them to stay here for a few weeks. They could use our home as a base during the week when we are at work and on the weekends we could take them on our favorite hikes and to favorite fishing spots.

"I was at a point in my life when I really needed to have a new experience and I thought it would be interesting to invite a family from so far away, that we had never met and take the risk. It paid off wonderfully. Our familys were as compatible as if we had been life long friends. Meryl and Chris were relaxed, friendly and very interesting. Their 4 teens were active in a diverse range of things. We had nice interaction with each one of them. Danny, the youngest, might remember the funny american lady (me) who would punch him on the shoulder affectionately every now and then. Ruth and my kids played soccer and Adam and my 17 year old discussed regae music for hours.

"One of my favorite memories was canoeing with the Dad, Chris. The water of the lake was clear and the sunlight reflected thru the depths. Chris is a sound recorder and has worked from Barrow Sound, Alaska to the Antarctica. I asked him if by chance he had ever met Dervla Murphy, my favorite travel writer, and he had !

"Meryl and I did the household chores together and got on in quiet a sisterly way. She and I both have hectic lives. Chris is gone for long periods and so she is on her own with a full time job and 4 kids. To see her canoeing on the lake, by herself, in peace is something I remember often.

"So Kath, best wishes in your business, you can tell it brings a lot of people joy, in an affordable way !"

Rayne

"Dervla Murphy's latest travel book Through Siberia by Accident"