We are in the final few days before leaving on our trip so it is full time house preparation this week-end. This is our third house exchange, and just the second where we are exchanging our home for a home in Alsace. Our first exchange was exchanging the cottage for a small studio in Antibes; the cottage is already a rental property so it was no work at all.

Last year we exchanged with a family from Woking just South of London. It was really a wonderful experience but having people come into your home while you are away makes you take a very critical look at things that you have been putting up with for a long time. The end result in home improvements was great as we finally got air conditioning, it was just the catalyst we needed. We figured that a family from England would be too hot in the Ottawa summers and I had been wanting it installed for years. Now I don’t know how we managed for so long without it.

Next thing in the house is getting the personal stuff away and making the house ready for a family with children… so I had better stop writing and get off my butt and go do some work.