Collection Member Story Q&A: Emily

In the HomeExchange Collection community, every story is unique. In this new series, we’ll be sharing Q&A style responses from HomeExchange Collection members, offering you a closer look at their experiences, tips, and insights. If you're considering joining HomeExchange or HomeExchange Collection, these stories might just inspire you to take the plunge and start your own exchange journey!

Emily has been a member since 2019 and has completed exchanges (and counting!)

Tell us a bit about yourself and where you live.

We are a family of four: two adults and two teens who in San Diego. San Diego has the best climate in the world, lovely beaches, restaurants, and theme parks.

What was the best part of staying in someone else's home compared to traditional accommodations?

Being able to spread out and have our own space, being able to cook some meals at home, getting to know local families.

Share a memorable story from your exchanges. What made it special?

We have our traditions... The girls always walk around the house, exclaiming, "Mom! You got us a house that's too small... again!" Of course, the more spacious it is, the more "complaints"...
Last June we completed a guest point exchange in Japan. We found that home exchange is not very common in Japan, however, we found a French expat family with a mountain home and decided to take a chance at visiting an off the beaten path location. It more than paid off! The home had a view of a waterfall from the living room window, a rock climbing wall, and a hidden room. My kids were in heaven! We enjoyed biking and hiking in the cooler weather while we were there. It was a much-needed break between visiting Tokyo and Kyoto.