Swapping homes is a delicate and somewhat difficult process, not for the faint of heart or sloppy of habit. We each spent a lot of time clearing away a lot of our own personal stuff to make room for the guests. This itself took the better part of two days for me.

In addition, we were using each other’s car, and since my inspection sticker was going to expire Nov. 30, part of my prep included getting a new sticker. But big surprise, the car got a big “R” (for “rejected”) instead of a new sticker, because my old license plate was apparently no longer sufficiently visible. Who knew? But this required another half day – a half day I hadn’t planned on –  of going to the Registry to order new plates, and returning to the inspection station to re-inspect and get a new sticker.

In real estate, clients’ needs and strict deadlines can’t be rescheduled because the agent is unavailable, so organizing to take care of clients and their transactions in absentia was another time-consuming and sometimes murky task. Fortunately, both Sissy and I were able to continue to work remotely, although three mornings my phone rang way too early with calls from people who had no idea I was away or that HI is five hours behind Cape Cod.

The key to a successful house swap really depends on both parties being flexible, generous, and hospitable, which luckily, we were. We each derived as much pleasure from the others enjoying our home and town as we did from the time we were spending in a new home and town. It’s remarkable to me that two strangers, along with their families, could so easily and happily share  each others’ lives in this most essential way. But we did, and all of us are thankful for the random set of circumstances that brought us together.

We’re already planning the next swap!