How We're Planning Our Next Travel Year Almost Entirely Through HomeExchange
One of the biggest changes HomeExchange has made in our lives is how we plan our travels.
Instead of choosing destinations first and then searching for accommodations, we now look at the year as a whole and build our travel plans around HomeExchange opportunities.
It has completely changed the way we think about where—and when—we travel.
Looking at the year as a whole
Every destination has its season.
Palm Springs is especially popular during the cooler months, when visitors come to enjoy the sunshine, hiking, golf, and events like Modernism Week.
Those busy seasons are often a great opportunity for us to welcome guests and earn GuestPoints for future trips.
At other times of the year, we’re usually looking forward to being somewhere else.
Summer is a wonderful time to return to the Twin Cities.
Spring often inspires us to explore California’s wine country.
And every year, we find ourselves dreaming about new international destinations.
Thinking about the entire calendar helps us make better decisions instead of planning one trip at a time.
Building the calendar first
Rather than filling our calendar with reservations immediately, we begin with a rough outline.
We ask ourselves where we’d love to be during each season.
Maybe it’s Paris or Sitges in the fall.
Perhaps Canada’s west coast during the summer.
Or a relaxing getaway through California wine country in the spring.
Once those ideas are in place, we start looking for HomeExchange opportunities that fit naturally within those windows.
The flexibility of GuestPoints often makes those plans possible.
Inspiration from our Favorites list
One feature we continue to enjoy is seeing where the members who favorite our Palm Springs home are located.
Many of those homes happen to fit perfectly with the kinds of trips we’d already been considering.
Sometimes all it takes is noticing that someone in a destination we’ve been dreaming about has already saved our listing.
That simple connection often becomes the starting point for our next conversation—and sometimes our next exchange.
Balancing different types of exchanges
Not every trip looks the same.
Sometimes we arrange simultaneous exchanges where both families travel at the same time.
Other times, GuestPoints or non-simultaneous exchanges make much more sense.
The flexibility allows us to welcome guests to Palm Springs while planning our own adventures without needing our calendars to match perfectly.
That balance has made HomeExchange surprisingly easy to fit into our lifestyle.
Your home can become a travel engine
One of the biggest lessons we’ve learned is that your home doesn’t have to sit empty while you’re away.
It can become the starting point for future adventures.
Whether you live in a city apartment, a suburban neighborhood, or a vacation destination like Palm Springs, your home has the potential to open doors to places you may never have considered visiting.
For us, that’s one of the most rewarding parts of HomeExchange.
Looking ahead
We’re already looking forward to seeing where our next exchanges take us.
Some destinations are still on our wish list.
Others may come as complete surprises.
Either way, we’ll continue sharing our experiences here on R & J as new exchanges become confirmed and new adventures begin.
If you’ve been thinking about trying HomeExchange, we’d love to have you join the community. Use our referral code roderick-15918 when you sign up.