Carolin Pilligrath is 28 years old and has been travelling full time since 2014. From Germany, and currently on the Gold Coast, Carolin is a modern day digital nomad.
Travelling full time is not the cheapest (or even at times safest) option for a female solo traveller. So how does she do it? If you’ve ever dreamed about embracing the nomadic lifestyle, read on…
You’re a full time traveller. Tell us about your lifestyle, and how you came to ‘live the dream’.
My name is Carolin and I’m originally from Germany, but currently live on the Gold Coast. Four years ago, I decided to sell all my belongings and car and bought a one-way-ticket to Thailand with the intention to travel the world full-time as a digital nomad.
Since then, I’ve been building my travel blog Breathing Travel and working as a freelancer on a variety of digital marketing projects which help fund my travels. I discovered house sitting with TrustedHousesitters.com early in my travels, the world’s largest house and pet sitting platform. I can’t think of a better option for accommodation than to take care of adorable pets in beautiful homes and have found it to be one of the best ways to live like a local and travel long-term.
I always knew I wasn’t made for an ordinary life of just working to pay the bills. I love giving travel advice and telling people about my stories and adventures and I hope to inspire others to choose to live a life they love.
Do you have a favourite place you’ve travelled to so far? Why?
I love Australia – it’s my favourite country in the whole world and I’ve even made it my home base between my travels. The weather is incredible, the people friendly and I live right by the beach which is something I’ve always dreamt of. I also like visiting Bali and spending time in Canggu, one of my favourite spots. Another place that really fascinates me is Portugal which I’m dying to go back to!
Explain how TrustedHousesitters works.
Simply put, TrustedHousesitters is a world-wide community of travellers who love animals and of compassionate pet owners who are willing to open up their home and offer their hospitality in return for having someone taking care of their pet.
The service is spread across more than 130 countries and for a small annual fee you can house sit in all these amazing homes; from castles in France to mansions in the US or even safari lodges in Africa, simply by taking care of someone’s fur baby.
All you need to do is create a profile with a description about yourself, your housesitting experience and upload some images. Once your profile is verified, you can start looking for house sits. I like to subscribe to the daily newsletter, so I’m notified of any new house sits around the world. If I like the look of a home and the dates fit in well to my travel plans, I send a message to the owners and introduce myself. As you start getting sits and your references grow, your chances to score a house sit increases.
Have you had any interesting experiences with pets?
Sometimes there are different requirements and it depends on the house sit and pets you are minding. I once had two cats who needed medicine fed through a syringe, which was a new but fun experience as I love to take care of animals, especially when travelling alone – it feels good taking care of someone other than yourself and I’d rather me care for a sick animal than have it sent to a kennel. Travelling solo can sometimes be lonely and there are situations where you feel unsafe so to have the company of a pet makes the experience so much better.
What do you love about house sitting? And what would you say to someone who is keen to try it but hesitant to take the leap?
I love the connections you make with both animals and humans. Not only have I looked after the sweetest and funniest pets that have become my furry friends, but I love it so much also because of the owners. So far, all the house owners I’ve come across have been amazing, all in different ways.
Many times, when I travelled from overseas or interstate they would pick me up from the airport, host me for an extra night here and there and bring me to their neighbours for dinner and BBQs. I think TrustedHousesitters attracts genuine, trusting and beautiful people.
Throughout my travels I have been lucky enough to spend times with locals, many of who I’m still close friends with. I do it for the connections I make and the beautiful locations and homes you get to visit which you never would get the chance to explore if staying in a hostel or hotel. I believe anyone can become a house sitter as it’s all based on trust and if you’re honest and open there is no reason why you couldn’t do it too!
I recently travelled solo and it was one of the best experiences of my life…what do you enjoy about solo travel and would you encourage other women to give it a go?
Travelling solo has been life changing for me in so many ways. I love the freedom of it, making no plans and just going with the wind. Plus, when travelling solo, you are usually much more open to meeting new people, chatting to locals and throwing set plans overboard, which is a fun adventure. It’s rewarding in so many ways and I would encourage anyone to do it at least once in their life as you truly get to know yourself.
Where can we keep up to date with your travel adventures?
You can read more about my travel adventures on my website www.breathingtravel.com. I am also very active on Facebook, if you want to send me a message, feel free to say hi over there. For daily wanderlust inspiration follow me on Instagram and don’t forget to watch my stories and highlights!
