The Man of the House

This week, I’m taking a break from the usual sensory advice and sharing something a bit more personal. Instead of writing about outdoor activities or park strategies, I want to talk about what it means to live independently—especially when you're the one hosting guests in your own home. Consider this a change of pace… and maybe a preview of what life might look like someday at Osprey Village.

House Sitting Like a Pro

For the past 10 days, I’ve been house-sitting while my parents celebrated their 30th anniversary in Barcelona, Spain. (Yes, the Barcelona—I don’t know of any other Barcelonas, but if there are, I wasn’t in them.) To help out while they were away, a friend of my sister and her mother came to stay with me, so I wasn’t totally on my own.

While they were gone, I kept up my regular routine—writing articles (including last week’s camping piece!), handling my mail runs, and monitoring our backyard pool to make sure it didn’t turn into a green, frog-filled swamp. Luckily, my parents walked me through the steps beforehand, so I was well-prepared. The most dramatic thing that happened? Fishing a frog out of the deep end. Not bad for my first solo gig.

Hosting 101: Plan, Flex, Repeat

With guests in the house, I took it upon myself to make plans to keep everyone comfortable and entertained. Sometimes those plans went smoothly, and sometimes I had to switch it up depending on their mood or energy level.

Originally, I wanted to show off some of my favorite restaurants on the island. But if someone wasn’t feeling up for dining out, we pivoted—ordering takeout or cooking something together at home. One night, I whipped up tortellini with mushroom stuffing and marinara sauce. Not to brag, but… it was a hit.

Mini Golf & Other Wins

One of the highlights of the week was our mini golf outing. I had floated a few activity ideas earlier on, but we finally locked in a date and made a day of it—grabbing lunch beforehand at the Hilton Head Diner. During the game, all three of us scored a hole-in-one (I even got two back-to-back!), and we managed to find the perfect birthday gift for my sister along the way. (If you're reading this, Emily—you’ll just have to wait.)

Lessons Learned

Here’s what I took away from the experience:When you’re living on your own—or even just taking care of a place for a while—you have to plan ahead, make thoughtful decisions, and learn to adjust when things don’t go perfectly. Being “the man of the house” means being ready, being flexible, and doing what needs to be done.

I’ll be back next week with more advice, more stories, and maybe a little bit of both.

—John