snow·bird noun \-ˌbərd\
: someone who spends the winter months in a warm place ........
Simple really and of course you already knew that but perhaps you didn't know just how many retirees migrate south to enjoy warmer climes, get immersed in a foreign culture, are captivated by the thought of the unfamiliar and enjoy a sense of adventure, oh and of course driven by the need to stay warm, sometimes very warm! Best estimate is over 9 million with 78 million Baby Boomers adding to the Snowbird population each year. Used to be a typical Snowbird was a retired empty Nester, over the age of 50 who wanted to escape the cold and snow, not anymore with major strides in technology there's a growing number of younger Snowbirds who with good internet connection, can work remotely. No more freezing cold office commutes for these savvy travelers.
When do these Snowbirds migrate and where do they go? October sees the start of the flight south with many staying until March, depending of course on Visa and travel regulations. Canadians, and Americans living in the North, head to the US Southern States while others winter further afield with a wide range of countries and cultures to choose from Australia, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Caribbean, Philippines, Belize and some South Pacific Islands, excellent choices for those wishing to spend their winters not having to get to grips with a foreign language. The more adventurous may want to learn to speak another language and head for Mexico, Spain, Italy and France. That's a lot of human movement with many home owners asking who'll take care of our home while we're gone?
Resident House Sitters are the answer with many excellent sitters who would love the opportunity to experience winter life in the Northern hemisphere with all it's beauty and diversity. I know I'm a home owner who has many registered sitters applying to sit my lovely home every winter. Driving from Calgary AB Canada to Edmonton you can often get the best view of the Northern lights. In Vancouver, depending on the weather, it's possible to ski, sail and play a round of golf on Christmas Day (or any other day) Canada and N America has some of the best and least expensive skiing in the world, driving the Ice Fields Parkway can be hairy but “Awesome” Lake Louise is breathtaking under a full moon and new blanket of snow ..... we view places differently as a visitor, my house sitters apply to return year on year and when it's time for the Snowbirds to migrate North again there's house sitters ready to provide security and peace of mind looking after homes in the South, at no cost to the home owning Snowbird, a win win to everyone, year round.
John and I? We're off to Spain for 6+ months then into Italy, France and the UK. Our house sitters are settled in and hopefully getting over their jet lag, with a 14 hour difference between BC and Malaysia it will take a while but they're in a lovely spot to re-programme their body clocks.
Winter migration need never be the same again, for the homeowner with or without pets, peace of mind and worry free travel, not to mention happy Insurance Companies. For the house sitter freedom of travel lifestyle choice ...... simply another win win.
: someone who spends the winter months in a warm place ........
Simple really and of course you already knew that but perhaps you didn't know just how many retirees migrate south to enjoy warmer climes, get immersed in a foreign culture, are captivated by the thought of the unfamiliar and enjoy a sense of adventure, oh and of course driven by the need to stay warm, sometimes very warm! Best estimate is over 9 million with 78 million Baby Boomers adding to the Snowbird population each year. Used to be a typical Snowbird was a retired empty Nester, over the age of 50 who wanted to escape the cold and snow, not anymore with major strides in technology there's a growing number of younger Snowbirds who with good internet connection, can work remotely. No more freezing cold office commutes for these savvy travelers.
When do these Snowbirds migrate and where do they go? October sees the start of the flight south with many staying until March, depending of course on Visa and travel regulations. Canadians, and Americans living in the North, head to the US Southern States while others winter further afield with a wide range of countries and cultures to choose from Australia, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Caribbean, Philippines, Belize and some South Pacific Islands, excellent choices for those wishing to spend their winters not having to get to grips with a foreign language. The more adventurous may want to learn to speak another language and head for Mexico, Spain, Italy and France. That's a lot of human movement with many home owners asking who'll take care of our home while we're gone?
Resident House Sitters are the answer with many excellent sitters who would love the opportunity to experience winter life in the Northern hemisphere with all it's beauty and diversity. I know I'm a home owner who has many registered sitters applying to sit my lovely home every winter. Driving from Calgary AB Canada to Edmonton you can often get the best view of the Northern lights. In Vancouver, depending on the weather, it's possible to ski, sail and play a round of golf on Christmas Day (or any other day) Canada and N America has some of the best and least expensive skiing in the world, driving the Ice Fields Parkway can be hairy but “Awesome” Lake Louise is breathtaking under a full moon and new blanket of snow ..... we view places differently as a visitor, my house sitters apply to return year on year and when it's time for the Snowbirds to migrate North again there's house sitters ready to provide security and peace of mind looking after homes in the South, at no cost to the home owning Snowbird, a win win to everyone, year round.
John and I? We're off to Spain for 6+ months then into Italy, France and the UK. Our house sitters are settled in and hopefully getting over their jet lag, with a 14 hour difference between BC and Malaysia it will take a while but they're in a lovely spot to re-programme their body clocks.
Winter migration need never be the same again, for the homeowner with or without pets, peace of mind and worry free travel, not to mention happy Insurance Companies. For the house sitter freedom of travel lifestyle choice ...... simply another win win.
