Top 10 Dos and Don’ts When Arriving at Your Home Exchange

Courtesy of Judith Coatsey, Writer of the Blogroll ThursdaysGirl

After way too much fun over Easter we packed up Ivan the van again and hit the road to Perth. The new Home Exchange is terrific; it’s a great location and is a lovely house. Arriving can throw up a few challenges, here are my suggestions to minimise the chaos and to maximise the fun time.

1. First night’s dinner. Do not plan a 3-course gourmet meal. You have no idea where anything is so anything more than a one-pan meal will be unbelievably frustrating. An even better plan is to pick up fish and chips.
2. Email your exchangers and let them know you have arrived safely and that all is domestic bliss.
3. When you move something make a note of it so you can put it all back when you leave. It is shocking how hard it is to remember what went where after a few weeks.
4. Grocery shopping. Don’t be too ambitious; plan on getting the basics you need for just a few days. The last thing you need after traveling is to spend hours in an unfamiliar supermarket where you can’t find anything and then to have to unpack it all back at home where you have no idea where anything goes. Especially when you are in a non-English speaking country where shopping takes on whole new dimensions.
5. Before you do go shopping have a quick look in the cupboards to check for the basics such as salt/pepper/olive oil/peanut butter/Marmite etc, etc
6. Do make a note of the fridge contents so that you can replace anything you use during your stay.
7. When you go to the supermarket and park in the very large parking area do take note of the make and colour of your new car. It is awkward finding your car if you don’t know what to look for. Add jet lag to the equation and you could be there for a long time.
8. Make a mental note of how clean the house is and how tidy the garden is so you know how to leave them at the end of your stay.
9. If there have been other exchangers in the house prior to your arrival and there is something wrong such as a big dent in the car contact the owners and let them know.
10. Have a nice cup of tea, relax and enjoy the moment.