A woman who quit her job in HR to look after other people's pets is now travelling the globe and living it up in luxury homes - for free. Kristina Corniel says she feels more alive than ever after ditching her office job which saw her working 80-100 hours a week.
After a solo trip to Thailand, the travel content creator started thinking about what she wanted from life.
"I thought about what I wanted more of. I wanted more sunlight, more exercise, more time with family, more nature, more learning, more excitement, more growth, more fulfilment, more freedom,” she said.
Then, four years ago, Kristina discovered the perfect hack for making her dreams come true. She came across house sitting and soon realised she could stay in beautiful homes for free while travelling – and the only catch is to look after the owners pets.
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“I get to stay in beautiful places and save. It’s a huge hack for me," said the 34-year-old from New York.
"Not only do you get to stay in quality homes but you can have more time to explore. Sometimes I let the house sit site dictate where I’m going next."
So far, Kristina has stayed in ten homes for free in places such as California, Texas, Switzerland and London. She also saved £6,000 on a month long trip to Montreux in Switzerland, where she also had access to the owner's car.
"Being able to live like a local in Switzerland, one of the most expensive countries in the world for free, was definitely a highlight.
“It can be tiring living out of a suitcase. Coming to a home you can hang up your clothes. Get that comfort. In Switzerland it was kind of the best of both worlds with that experience because it was so comfortable.
“I took long candlelit bubble baths. I made cheese fondue. I would take walks to the lakefront and enjoy the crisp mountain air. At the same time, I was able to explore and take trips to towns I've always wanted to visit because the owner let me use the car.," she said.
On her other house sits she visited vineyards in California, and relaxed in a penthouse in New York City. Kristina has also visited the mountains of Grindelwald, saw bears in Bern and strolled along vineyards in Lavaux.
She now travels with her husband, Martin Svec, 34, a videographer, and the pair have also visited most of Europe such as Italy, France, Spain, Croatia and Germany – as well as the majority of US states.
As she has continued her digital nomad lifestyle Kristina has found herself warming to “affordable luxury” – one of the reasons she loves the benefit of house sitting.
“I’m creating an amazing, beautiful network throughout the world," she says.
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