Home Swapping Your Way Through the Caribbean with Mo Smith

Ever wondered what it's like to swap your home with someone in the Caribbean?, Let St. Vincent native and Habiqo founder Molissa "Mo" Smith take you by the hand and lead you into the world of home exchange.

In this episode, Mo tells us about her own life-changing moves—from the sunny Caribbean to the bustling UK and about the challenges and triumphs that come with such transitions.

Sit back as we discuss the ins and outs of the home-swapping experience through Mo's eyes. Habiqo Home Swap, her brainchild, is an emerging platform that's reshaping how we perceive travel and accommodation.

Whether you're a seasoned traveler or a curious newbie, this episode promises to broaden your horizons and might just inspire your next vacation.

Learn more about Habiqo by visiting the website and follow them on Instagram.

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 2:05

Well, hello, hello, my beautiful Caribbean-loving friend. Welcome to the Paradise Perspectives podcast. I am so happy you could make the time. Seriously, I am. Thank you so much for listening.

Speaker 1: 2:16

Today's episode promises to be another interesting one, and I'm talking to St Vincent native Melissa Smith, better known as Mo, and she has just launched her new travel company, and it's an interesting one. But before we start today's conversation, I want to ask you a major favor. All right, if you are following Paradise Perspectives on Apple podcast, do you mind terribly to leave a review? And, I don't know, maybe give it a star or five. I am so grateful to you for doing that. Thank you so much. It helps this podcast grow and, you know, reach more people who want to get all of that authentic recommendation, travel tales and tips from Caribbean locals. So don't be greedy. Share this podcast with other people that might be interested in this as well.

Speaker 1: 3:06

So have you ever watched the movie with that one with Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet? It's called the Holiday, I think. I think that's what it's called. They swap homes to avoid their failing love life, and it's one of my absolute favorite movies and I love the idea of one day being able to experience a home swap and, who knows, maybe find love Although yeah, no, I know I'm married Maybe not love, but adventure of some kind. Right, if you are like me and you wouldn't mind that either, to swap your home.

Speaker 1: 3:41

I have great news, because my guest today, melissa, has just started her own, her own home exchange. Oh my gosh, I'm stumbling over my words today because I'm so excited. So she has just started her own home exchange company called Habiko, and she is here to tell us all about how it works, what it entails and how you and I can join. So here's Melissa, better known as Mo. Take a listen, melissa. Thank you so much for making the time. I am so happy that you were able to get on the show today and share some of your knowledge with us about something that is quite interesting, this new thing that you've launched. So welcome to Paradise Perspectives.

Speaker 2: 4:27

Thank you. Thank you for having me.

Speaker 1: 4:30

And I love her British accent. I really do. It's like there's something about British accent that makes people, oh yeah, absolutely it. Just, it sounds so refined. I should say, oh my goodness, it sounds so refined. I should say, oh my goodness, no, but definitely so happy. But one thing that I love about you is that you were actually born in St Vincent de Negrani, deans, and then you moved to Barbados. So before I let you introduce yourself, I do want to talk on that a little bit, because I find it so interesting. As a transplant myself, I moved to Saint Martin at the age of I think I was already in my 20s by the time I made the decision to move. Not, I think I was in my 20s by the time I made the decision to move here. But what was that like? And I guess at 14 years of age, it wasn't your decision. No, that's right.

Speaker 2: 5:20

Barbados from St Vincent, yeah, yes, my mom was living in Barbados at the time and, um, at 14. It was a bit stressful on my grandmother, so my siblings and I moved, moved to Barbados when we were four well, I was 14 so and I live. I live there. Barbados is a wonderful place, huh? I lived there until I was uh, well, just quite recently, three years ago and we moved to the UK with my family wow.

Speaker 1: 5:49

Okay, so you've done two major changes in your life and now you're about to enter or you have started entering into the third one, which is this not a move, but a move of a of a different kind, which we're going to talk about in a second? I do want to know as a 14 year old you're in the prime of your teenage years what was that like going from st vincent to barbados? Was there any excitement, or was it more sadness, of leaving your grandmother and also your friends behind high school? All of that, what was that like?

Speaker 2: 6:26

it was, uh, it was definitely a big change because, um, you know, I was quite close to my grandparents and my grandfather passed away and so it was quite hard for me, as an older sibling, to be sort of moving. My, you know my whole life, everything that I knew in St Vincent, which is still home, st Vincent, always going to be home.

Speaker 1: 6:49

Absolutely.

Speaker 2: 6:50

So it was, it was quite. It was difficult because I was leaving my grandmother and, and you know, moving as a 14 year old, a teenager, that's you know you don't have that confidence. You know, moving as a 14 year old, a teenager, that's you know, you're starting you don't have that confidence, you know. So that was that was quite challenging, but I fitted in quite quickly. Um, as soon as I got to Barbados, we, you know, we went to school and, yeah, a lot of Caribbean.

Speaker 2: 7:16

I went to a school where there were a lot of Caribbean nationals, so a lot of Cayetans, funny enough, not a lot of Barbadians. So I was really lucky in that sense. Where I wasn't, I was able to sort of relate, because I think when it comes to places like St Lucia, st Vincent, ant, antigo, there's a quite of a a connection, but a closer because, I don't know, somehow I feel like we all can relate to each other a little bit better maybe. So that was really good that I was able to go into a school where there were, you know, quite a lot of caribbean residents. Um, and I fitted in quite well and, yeah, it was, it was, it was good.

Speaker 1: 8:03

I love that because you kind of like also get to know an adherence to Martin as well. It's such a, it's such a mixture of so many different, um, caribbean cultures but also international cultures that come together and then so you know different generations. Then, of course, start growing up on this island. So when you go to school here, um, I guess it's kind of like the same thing. I never went to school here, but I have a, my husband did. My husband was always talking about, you know, growing up with somebody from as far away as, uh, you know arab countries to somebody from china that is first generation, st martin are here and somebody from guyana and, uh, you know all around the Caribbean as well. So I think that kind of like shapes us when we're growing up, and especially at that age. Was that? Do you think it had something to do with why you went into the tourism sector?

Speaker 2: 8:54

Well, on that front, I sort of just fell into that because I met my husband, who was in the tourism sector, and so I sort of fell into it in that front because, you know, that was what he was doing and so he sort of pulled me along in it. And it's quite interesting to meet a lot of people from everywhere all over the world when you're in the tourism sector, and I mean people from everywhere all over the world, when you're in the tourism sector, and I mean barbados is so vibrant when it comes to tourism, you know. So, yeah, that's how I sort of accidentally ended up there, but I loved every minute of it oh, beautiful, beautiful, okay.

Speaker 1: 9:35

So, mo, if you don't mind, just kind of like, give us a little bit of a background info. So we're now. We know that you moved at a very early age from st vincent to barbados, that you have made your life there, but now you have traveled and you moved with your family to uh, the uk, and now you're about to make this another big move of a different kind. So can do you mind just telling us a little bit about yourself and what we can expect today and in this episode of Paradise Perspectives? Ah, right.

Speaker 2: 10:10

So a few, quite a few years ago, several years ago, I really really wanted to travel and I kept saying there must be some way that, you know, I can go overseas without having to pay this hefty, uh, hotel accommodation cost because, as you know, coming from the Caribbean, um, the flights can be quite pricey, especially when you have, um, a family um.

Speaker 2: 10:37

So I I kept searching and thinking there must be some sort of a way that I can travel without having to pay for accommodation, and so I did some research. I was speaking to some friends and I came across this idea home exchange and I sort of started looking into it very, very slowly, um, but I was also working at a hotel at that at that point, um, so I didn't really do much with um with it at that point, and then lockdown happened. So there was the perfect opportunity to sort of get into it more, to understand what home exchange was all about, and I started a friend of mine who was actually father Phyllis, as you know, but father Phyllis, yeah, he was doing web development at that point. So I sort of called him and I said look, you know, can you do this, a simple website for me?

Speaker 1: 11:46

and he said, yeah, oh wait, before you continue, can he just explain to the listener who father phyllis is? Uh go ahead no I just want you to explain yes, I think you're in a better place to explain that than I am, you know the thing is, when we moved to the UK, my children were telling me about this.

Speaker 2: 12:10

Father Phyllis, have you heard this song? Father Phyllis? I'm like who's father Phyllis? I have no idea.

Speaker 1: 12:14

Um, and then leave it up to your kids to actually know all about this, of course, right teenagers.

Speaker 2: 12:22

And then I thought that you know they were going on about it for a while and I looked at this, this video, and I'm like that's Philip. So Father Phyllis is the young lad that I knew when he was maybe nine or ten, and all of a sudden he's become this international quite well-known soaker artist and he's got this very popular self and he's he's become and I think they said he, he got TikTok famous. I don't know you.

Speaker 2: 12:56

You knew him as a kid yeah, and his family, yeah, wow, you know barbecues on Sundays. I've actually recently just found a photo of um my daughter and my son, you know, sitting on Phillips on this, on this catchment that we were on um. And so, yeah, that's Father Phyllis, an international, you know, he's an international super artist.

Speaker 1: 13:24

Wow, amazing.

Speaker 2: 13:27

Yeah. But yeah, please continue on your story.

Speaker 1: 13:30

Yeah, he is so wait. So he helped you with your website, yeah.

Speaker 2: 13:35

So he started off. I don't know if he still does that, he's probably too busy touring now and traveling. So, yeah, he was, he had this um, he was doing web development, and so I I knew that. So I reached out to him and said you know, would you be able to just do me a website, just very simple? And he said, yeah, you can do that. So that was just before lockdown. As I said, it was like a slow sort of process. And then lockdown happened.

Speaker 2: 14:03

So there was, everyone had time right in their hands and the website came out. I didn't have an audience, I didn't have anything. It was just this idea, because I thought, well, if this idea of home exchanges stay, how come we don't do it in the caribbean? You know it, why? Why don't we have that inter regional um thing where we can all just exchange our houses? It makes perfect sense, right? So that was the idea. So I, at that point I called it caribbean home swap because, you know, I just want, really wanted, to introduce other caribbean residents because a few years ago I had never heard about Home Exchange. So I you know, father Phyllis did this website for me and during the lockdown I launched it. I had no audience, no one, no Facebook group, nothing. And you know, I just sort of put it there and see who would be interested, this sort of thing.

Speaker 2: 15:03

And someone reached out for me from the Netherlands and said, oh, I've always wanted to come to the Caribbean, would you like me to come on your website? So I'm like, sure, of course, welcome. So that was my very, very first member. It wasn't a Caribbean resident, it was someone from the Netherlands, and so that's how it really started. And I suppose once that first person, who was an international traveler member, was there, then it gave people the idea. So slowly, you know, people started joining the website. It gave people the idea. So slowly, I, you know people started joining the website and I thought, gosh, I didn't really I hadn't really sort of planned for for this. So, you know, after a couple of years it was just there like so just very, very slowly gaining momentum, and still very, very few people from the Caribbean.

Speaker 2: 16:02

Because it's something that you have to really take the time to, you know, capture it yeah of course, educate, educate um people, and it's not something I mean I hadn't heard it, heard of it until, you know, just a few years before that. So the website was growing, but it was growing with people, with members and travelers from Australia, new Zealand, lots outside of the.

Speaker 2: 16:27

Caribbean, yeah, outside of the Caribbean. So I just thought, well, maybe I need to look, really have a rethink and a re-look at this, and so last year I did a rebrand and so we now call Habit the Home Swap, and home exchange is a simple process of allowing someone else to come into your home for holiday purposes. So if you want, for example, if you want to go to you're in St Martin and you want to go to Barbican, or if you want to go to Jamaica, or wherever you want to travel to, yeah, you, you go. It's always better to, of course, go through um, a reputable platform, of course yes absolutely, because I mean it just mitigates the security risks.

Speaker 2: 17:23

And so we sort of did this rebrand and the website, as I said, is now called Habical Home Swap, which is beautifully, beautifully designed, and you don't really get to see that process until you actually sign up to the website, when you add in your listing and creating your own profile section, and and yeah, here we are now.

Speaker 1: 17:52

All right. So my next question, I guess because, let's be honest, the only introduction really to HomeSwap that I had was, of course, course, that Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet movie. So you know, I've always and then of course, I kind of like dove into it and kind of like found out more about it and and realized that it's actually a thing. It's not something that Hollywood came up with, um, and then people were actually swapping their homes. But as a Caribbean person, it is very, very foreign to me. So how are you doing right now to get Caribbean people actually interested in putting up their homes?

Speaker 1: 18:34

As I know a lot of people are very. You know, inviting strangers into your home when you're there is what we do. We've always been. You know Caribbean people are very hosp. You know inviting strangers into your home when you're there is what we do. We've always been. You know, Caribbean people are very hospitable when it comes to that, but we're always also very particular about our things. So it's a very intimate relationship. You know, when you invite somebody into your home and somebody actually lives there, you know, sleeps on your bed and sits in your couch and watches your TV and moves around with your things around in the house. That then becomes kind of like, you know, especially for Caribbean people. So how do you, how are you thinking of getting more Caribbean people interested in it?

Speaker 2: 19:24

Well, since the relaunch of the website, um, of course, you know you have the internet, so people, a lot of people, are taking time to educate themselves. That's number one. So what I'm finding, what I'm seeing, is people, actually caribbean people, actually coming finding us home exchange. If not necessarily through habico, they're there, there, they're looking, they're searching. So that's one thing I think you know. Because of the internet, people are becoming more aware of it. Our website has a fabulous help centre and that help centre has tons of information about everything you need to know on how home exchange works, how our website works. So, you know, if it's something we are also doing Google ads and Facebook ads and we're trying to reach more people, not necessarily, at this point, just Caribbean people. We're just putting ourselves out there giving information and once they know about having a home swap, then they will be able to go onto our website, go into our help center, our FAQ, and it's all there. If it's not there, I think we we are quite visible on on the web. Uh, we have facebook pages. We've even just signed up for tick tock. Wow, yeah, we've. So we, we're, we're out there.

Speaker 2: 20:58

We have a group, a really fantastic group, that's growing really well, um, and in in our group, you know, members are able to ask questions, um, even share their home, home, exchange links, um. So, you know, it's, I think, just because and I think lockdown had a lot to do with with the way people are seeing the world now, because people had so much time, they had internet and they had time. So people I would, I think people were just searching and now, as I said, you know, just a couple of days ago, I mean I've got now Jamaicans, I've got quite a few Barbadian homes on our platform. So, whereas when we started out with Caribbean homes and had no Caribbean members, we now have members from Antigua, we have members all throughout the caribbean, you know. So I think people are now finding, finding us really, um, because they're interested that's fantastic, I am, you know.

Speaker 1: 23:41

I'm curious. What is one of these most frequently asked questions that you get? It's like the top question that everybody wants to know. Um, when it comes to home swapping and and they're new at it, is it?

Speaker 2: 23:55

safe? Yeah, that is the one of the the most questions we get all the time um is home exchange safe? Yes, um home exchange, I guess it's uh, safety.

Speaker 1: 24:12

I guess it's safety with your home, but also when you go to somebody somewhere foreign and whoever you're exchanging with that, you're not getting there and it's a and it's uh, it's a con I I guess I have to say that is my number one as well. You know the safety issues Absolutely. I don't want to get there in Australia, for example, and the house is definitely not what was advertised. So what are some of the ways that you can actually set somebody's mind at peace and saying, okay, no, it's definitely not something that's going to happen, or how, how do you go about that?

Speaker 2: 24:54

So on our platform, we have several ways. The number one thing is what I would say there's tons of Facebook groups that anyone has set up, you know, so you go into these groups and there are tons of people searching for a home in australia. What I would say is to go through a reputable platform, because on these reputable platforms there are safety procedures in place. So on our platform, we've we verify the profile of the members. So every member, before they can complete an, uh, complete an exchange in our platform, they must verify their profile. That means that they have to send us some form of government ID whether it's a passport, whether it's a driver's license, whatever some form of government id to verify that. We verify that melissa is who she says she is.

Speaker 2: 25:52

There's that yeah then we verify the property. To verify the property, the member will then send us a recent we say no, no longer than six months um, some, some form of bill, so your light bill, your water bill, with your name and address that you have listed on our platform, so the address. It all has to sort of tie in um and we have that. That is available. We also have um just for peace of mind. We've partnered with Superhog, which is a platform that sort of very they provide insurance, sort of protection, damage protection for for their members. So there is that. So we have procedures in place to just I mean, there's absolutely no sort of guarantees in life, someone there's a chance where someone could slip through. But we do have procedures in place to sort of mitigate any sort of danger, any safety concerns.

Speaker 1: 27:07

Yeah, right, um, okay. So now, of course, my next question is what if I have a tiny one-bedroom apartment and I want to go um to well, I keep losing using australia, because that's one of the references that you, that that's what you said. You mentioned australia. Now it's in my head. Um, but if I want to, if I want to travel to Australia, and I love to travel by myself, so for me it's quite easy. You know, put up my apartment up and then I'm now a member.

Speaker 1: 27:38

I find somebody in Australia. How do you make sure that the level of comfort is the same? Because of course, you know I'm leaving my home and going to a stranger's home. How do I know the level of comfort or luxury or whatever is the same as what I put in? Um, is that? I guess my question really is is there a way that you're gonna only suggest certain homes to me because of the level that I level of house that I put into? What if somebody put in a mansion or like a three-bedroom villa with an ocean view and then they find themselves in a crappy neighborhood of Sydney? How does that? You know what I mean. How do you know you make sure that?

Speaker 2: 28:21

yeah, so, um, on that front, that is totally up to you as a member to decide what property you're going to go to. So, when you list your home on our platform, you have your profile section, and we always encourage our members to describe their home as honestly as possible. You know, again, we have tons of information in our faq on how you can create your listing, um, and so you know all of your photographs of your surroundings, inside of your property, interior, exterior. So when it comes to that, it's up to you to decide. Okay, well, for example, I live in, uh, tarpoli, in a small village, so the properties might be a little bit smaller and you want to go to, oh sorry, a bit larger and you want to go to New York.

Speaker 2: 29:21

Typically, a property in New York is not going to be as, unless you find somebody that's, you know, in Manhattan, that's a bit of course. So the property. So it's up to the members to decide. That member and I think most members just really want somewhere that is clean, um, and that will fit their family. So you know, right on, when you create your listing, you can say what beds, how many beds, um, if you have double single, so that member will then read through your profile and say, okay, this, this. So it's totally it. It's up to you as a member to sit to choose and and decide. Well, this property I would like to go to.

Speaker 1: 30:08

Oh, fantastic. So it's pretty much like an Airbnb situation, but instead of being the host, you're actually swapping homes with that person. Is that a way of describing it? I guess Okay. And you're going to have some kind of reviewing of it too. You're going to have a review system where people can leave reviews for the homes as well yeah, so each member can um.

Speaker 2: 30:31

Once you've completed your your exchange, you can leave a review on that person's um listing um, oh fantastic.

Speaker 1: 30:40

Yeah, oh, that's great. It sounds so, so, so appealing. I might just do that. But, what is it costing now? What would it cost me to become a member of Habigo?

Speaker 2: 30:52

Well, since we've done our rebrand, we have actually left our website open. So because really what we're trying to do is to get as many homes as possible to exchange with, so our website at the moment is absolutely free. You can come on to the website, property, and it's just, and it's not something that is unusual. Most of the home exchange platforms pretty much started in this way. So it's just to get as many homes as possible and and then we will, in time, add back our subscription. But at the moment, if you come onto the website and list your home, it's absolutely free and at no point in the future we will cap it at some point, you know. And but those members that have listed during this um promotion will receive free lifetime membership.

Speaker 1: 31:54

They never have to worry about paying uh for home exchange on our platform wow, not even if in the future, when you start really implementing a price for subscription, the members that sign up now will still have a lifetime commitment for free. Yeah.

Speaker 2: 32:10

Yeah, they will still have that lifetime membership there's. There's absolutely because, at the end of the day, we, we all sort of need each other, so we need the members to be able to help us grow, and so that is our offer, offer to, to, to that member to just join us.

Speaker 1: 32:29

Um good, so there's no. So there's no membership fee and there's no swap fee either. Like there's not, you're not paying anything once the swap happens no, you're not paying anything on our website.

Speaker 2: 32:45

Absolutely there's no cost.

Speaker 1: 32:47

Oh yes, You're making this sound like super, super, duper attractive right now it is.

Speaker 2: 32:54

And we have on each member's profile something that would be able to say okay, well, this is one of our family members, so we have put a badge on that member. Yeah, so that member will have a badge. So we know, oh, this is a special sort of member. They they help were the ones that grew the website right.

Speaker 1: 33:18

Oh, that's fantastic. I love it. I love it. So is there anything else that you can tell us about habico? How do we find you? How do we go about setting it up? I mean, tell us about Habico, how do we find you, how do we go about setting it up, tell us all the good things, how do we become a member of Habico?

Speaker 2: 33:39

Our website is there wwwhabicophomeswapcom. Wwwhabicophomeswapcom. And we have, as I mentioned earlier, our Facebook group is really really taking off and going quite well. So again, everything across the web, habiko HomeSwap, and you can join us in the Facebook group. First of all, see, check us out, see what we're all about, and then go on to the website and add your listing. The listing process takes about 20, 20, 25 minutes and you don't have to verify straightaway, but to complete your, your exchange, you have to, so you have to send in your verification okay, so let's go over some of the.

Speaker 1: 34:27

Since this is a caribbean uh travel podcast, I do want to go a little bit more into you know, of course, the homes that you do have right now in the caribbean. So which caribbean islands are featured right now on Habico?

Speaker 2: 34:41

Right. So we have got Barbados. Of course, we have Jamaica beautiful properties in Jamaica. We have St Lucia, antigua and Barbuda something I think that's it, I think that's it, I think that's it, I think yeah, but that's.

Speaker 1: 35:04

But you've got, you're covering some of the main islands in there in the Caribbean, which in my opinion, all islands are main, but yeah, it's like one of the more popular destinations in the Caribbean what St Vincent's the Caribbean what the Finseys aren't on there yet the Finseys are not there, I need to get some homes up there yes, I agree and out, of course, outside of the Caribbean region.

Speaker 1: 35:34

You said you have somebody from Australia, you have from the Netherlands, you have from the UK. I imaginelands you have from the uk. I I imagine as well, um are you on it?

Speaker 2: 35:44

yes, it's your home on it yes, your home is on it and have you already done a swap I have um. We have done a swap. We went to berlin um, but I don't have the time as much to travel.

Speaker 1: 36:00

Right, because you're keeping well, you need to build the business first. Yes, I can imagine.

Speaker 2: 36:05

That's the thing. Yes, so my property in Barbados is on the website.

Speaker 1: 36:11

Oh, that's fantastic. Oh, I'm definitely going to check that out. Now my next question is, of course, course, you know the property has to be yours in order to be able to sign it up. Right, you can't sign up with a property that's, and then, all of a sudden, my landlord will be like who's this person?

Speaker 2: 36:30

um, we do have some renters. Um, we, we say that you have to, of course, clear your landlord just to say it's as if you have a friend coming to stay. Um, so, we do. So, we do have some renters, uh, but you have to, of course, clear that with your landlord and just say, oh, it's just a friend of mine coming to stay. While in the way, okay.

Speaker 1: 36:53

Okay now, um, my next question. So, again, I am completely new to this whole HomeSwap business, but I have had quite a lot of interest in it over the years, since I've discovered what it is. So, of course, like I said, my first reference to it was the holiday movie, how they were able to exchange emails and they were able to discuss between them before they actually, you know, started living in each other's homes. So is that something that works with abaco as well? Will you get um? Will you be able to correspond with the person of the home that you're interested in swapping with?

Speaker 2: 37:38

yes, so, uh. So once you list your home on the website, you search and you find a property that you're interested in swapping with, you will. Then we have a private messaging service on the website. So you will then contact the member, introduce yourself. There is a box at the side of your, on your, in your messaging service that you would say, okay, I'm interested in, for example, our sand dollar, or you're interested in a direct, um, what do you call it? A direct swap? And you, all of that information will be sent to the member. They will be able to see and if, if they're interested, they can click no and there is an automated message will go to them.

Speaker 2: 38:27

But we tend to say to the members take a little bit of time, if you can, to just send a personalized no, my property is not available at this time.

Speaker 2: 38:40

Um, but yeah, so, so, but if they are interested, then they press accept and then they start the dialogue of you know, chatting they. It's up to the members how they want to communicate outside of the platform. If they want to do a zoom call like this uh, get, get a feel of each other, see the home, meet the family, so they will have those discussions and I suppose, once the members feel comfortable with each other, then they say, okay, we want to take this further. We're going to, I'm going to come to you on the 24th of march for four days and you're going to come to me at the same time and, and you know they confirm back onto the website and you know every there's a form that they fill in at the end, um, filling in all of their information, and that they sent that to us and we keep that on our record and yeah, they go off on their holidays.

Speaker 1: 39:36

Really, really good. I I kind kind of love how that sounds and I would definitely be. I guess if I sign up now would I be one of the founding members.

Speaker 2: 39:46

I just want that back on the right. Yes, you will be definitely Awesome.

Speaker 1: 39:52

Okay, so Mo tell me this how is it you know you have now been living in the UK for how long it's been?

Speaker 2: 40:01

three years, it three. Uh, yeah, three and a half years now.

Speaker 1: 40:03

Yeah three and a half years. Okay, so how, how was? How is it? Are you? Are you? Are you finally like, yeah, how's that? I mean it's a big change. I mean, you know, from vincent to barbados is one thing, but then Barbados to the UK, this is a complete different. It's not even apples and pears anymore. This is completely different, so how? Has your family been able to adjust to to the UK and living there?

Speaker 2: 40:33

We've adjusted well. Funny enough, my British husband hasn't. He hasn't. He hasn't the cold, he is not enjoying this cold. But the children adjusted well, um, I think. Well, my daughter is now. She completed two years in high school and she's now in college, and my son is still in high school. But yeah, we've adjusted. It's a major change, I think mainly because of the weather. Right right, it's a culture change as well, but it's been good. I love the wines, quite reasonable, so that's good.

Speaker 1: 41:18

You know, it's something that I think a lot of people forget about, especially people who are not from the Caribbean. It's not only the shock of being all of a sudden in a colder climate, but it's a big thing for us, I mean, it's big for anybody, even when it's somebody from the uk traveling to barbados, let's say, and making their home there.

Speaker 1: 41:42

there's always going to be a culture shock, but I guess that a lot of people tend to think and I've had some people ask me this question before is I've lived in the netherlands for a few years and because I went from a dutch caribbean island to the netherlands, a lot of people tend to think that then it's not that big of an adjustment. But oh my gosh, it totally is. There is that's, it's something about being, you know, with anywhere really being, and and you'll be going from Barbados, it's a, it's a British island, or used to be, and now to you know the.

Speaker 1: 42:18

UK. It's not exactly a you know, just a quick little adjust, adjustment period.

Speaker 2: 42:26

This is, it's still quite a culture shock for you it is, yeah, um, in in several ways which we won't get into, but, on, on, I'm enjoying it. Uh, I think what's really good is that we're here so quite close to europe, so we can just snip here and nip there. But you know, as I said, we've not well, we've not been able to because, you know, I've just been so focused on on getting the website up and running. But, yeah, you know, you have that available to you just to travel. It's so much easier. Um, it's not coming what nine hours on on a flight to, to, even to go anywhere, really, um, but it's, it's interesting. England, um, to suddenly, um, the politics, uh, but no, delete the politics, but no, I'm quite enjoying it. To be honest, it's temporary. We will go back to Barbados eventually. It was, it's just to get our children off to college.

Speaker 2: 43:30

Our son is a budding footballer and, oh well, he's happy there yeah, he's at the moment signed with a club, so that's, that's good, and my daughter is starting uni in september.

Speaker 1: 43:43

Well, september in london, so you know oh my goodness we will definitely be headed, heading back home oh, the sacrifices we do for our kids yeah, and I'm saying our kids. I just have pets, but yes, I do still sacrifice for them. So, yeah, I think I know a little bit about that sacrificing part, um, but uh, has it, has this move? Has it helped you, since you you do have a background in hospitality and tourism? Has it helped you, uh, understand the Britishish visitors better, the british visitors to barbados?

Speaker 2: 44:25

it has. Actually it has in a way where I'm seeing it from sort of this, this side. I mean I've not been involved in any sort of tourism over here, but just just in talking to people and just understanding really what they want when they go, when they go on holiday, really right, which is which is actually also a good asset.

Speaker 1: 44:46

I think you know, when you do move back to Barbados, it's um, it's a knowledge that can come in handy yeah, yeah, that's, that's right.

Speaker 2: 44:56

Um, and what I have found living in england, it's the ease of doing business. Really, it's yeah, the ease. Everything is, everything is just as long as you tick the box, it works, the system works and that's all you need to do is take the bosses. Um, yeah, and it's. Yeah, it's quite, quite straightforward to to get business and get things done. That's that's, I think, one of the major things I have been enjoying, really right, oh, that's.

Speaker 1: 45:32

That's really good to hear. Um, so, as a parting thing, what I want, a parting question before we end this interview and this lovely talk I do want to know what would be one of your main advice somebody who is traveling to Barbados let's do Barbados and St Vincent's and St Vincent's used to also be your home Do you have any particular, you know, advice for anybody who's traveling to the Caribbean for the first time?

Speaker 2: 46:08

Do not underestimate the sun. It's quite hot, but no, I mean, when we went back to Barbados last July and I had forgotten the sun and I see, honestly, I had totally forgotten how warm it could be, because I'm already acclimatized, but yeah, just the sunscreen. And it was really actually interesting going back to Barbados because again coming home, I found it. Everything seemed I don't know, maybe it's our new prime minister but everything seemed to work as well. Every it was quite straightforward to um to get anything done. I was able to sign up because unfortunately I had to give up my driver's license for Barbados so that I can have England.

Speaker 2: 47:01

I'm so able to drive there, yeah yeah, so I was able to go online and and do everything, um prior to to my arrival in Barbados. So it's, I saw quite a lot of changes in a really positive way.

Speaker 2: 47:16

Um, and yeah, it's, uh, and Barbados has a lot more to offer than just the sun and the beach, so yeah yeah, not, yeah, just go out and and there's lots, I'm sure, wherever it is you're staying as a, as a tourist, you will be able to have all sorts of information and and go out and see the island. You know there's so much to do um, go to a rum shop, go to I mean, there's so many beautiful um botanical gardens, and there's just so much to do the the monkey rum distillery tour.

Speaker 1: 47:53

There's just so much oh, it's my favorite rum.

Speaker 2: 47:57

I love myself some Mange, oh yeah, but yeah, there's, there's more to Barbados than sun, and just you know, yeah, there's a lot to do.

Speaker 1: 48:10

And then speaking of the sun, I think a lot of people also, especially the ones that are fairer skinned, that have this feeling that just because we got more melanin and we're darker skinned, that we do not get tanned, or that the sun is not harmful to us, and so I want to set that actually straight right now. Yes, we black people tend to.

Speaker 2: 48:37

Yeah, I have from. I did a crop over last last august. Yes, and oh my goodness there is a huge separation from my bikini. Yeah, yeah, we burn as well.

Speaker 1: 48:48

That's why I said it was the same thing as when you, when you move to a colder climate, you do, your color does change a little. It's like it gets a little lighter as well when you're not getting that sun all the time. It's like I'm looking back, actually, to pictures from before I even moved. Now I'm I'm staying indoors a lot just because I work from home. So a lot of the work that I do is at home. But I know that when I go into the sun and I spend a day on the beach tomorrow, I am gonna have tan lines. It's not that because I'm black, I don't tan. So I think that's one of those things like even you know, do not underestimate the sun. Even if you are darker skinned, you will get sunburned. So it's not something that's just not gonna happen to you.

Speaker 2: 49:32

So ladder up people, ladder up, yeah lots of sun cream and I mean it sounds sort of cliche to even say to speak about, yeah, but the sun it you will burn if you don't protect yourself.

Speaker 2: 49:45

And you know, oh, absolutely familiar with having run a 57 room guest house in Barbados. I, you know you, the guests will arrive and they go straight. They've, you know, put a little bit of sun cream on, uh, not realizing that you need to reapply that every and if you have fair skin, maybe more often and more often than usually, absolutely it ruins the holiday because they're walking around with huge sunburns um and, as you say, we um. If we darker skinned people, we do get sunburned. I have a huge line, so don't underestimate the sun.

Speaker 1: 50:20

And it's painful to us as well. When you get a sunburn that's really heavy, you know it's painful, it really itches. It's a painful thing when your skin, oh, it itches and it hurts when you sleep. And it's just oh, it's just not great. So, yes, ladder up, and please, please, please, please, cause I, you know, I have to say this in every single episode if I can make sure that your sunscreen is reef safe and that you're protecting the environment as well.

Speaker 2: 50:45

Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes.

Speaker 1: 50:50

Okay, mo, thank you so much for making time again, from the bottom of my heart, it was so nice talking to you about Habiko and now, now I am definitely more interested because I had so many questions and I'm sure the listener has had questions as well, probably the same questions that I asked you today. But if anybody has some more questions, which I can imagine, how do they get in contact with you or how do they get in contact with the team at Habico? And, of course, I'm going to link all of that information in the show notes so you can go there and find out all of that info from Mo. But where can they find you?

Speaker 2: 51:27

As I mentioned earlier, you can find us on our website, wwwhabicohomeswapcom, and on there you will have our contact us page. If not, we are on facebook. Everything again habico home swap, um. We're on facebook, instagram, um, tiktok and yeah and x, which is now what. Twitter, which is now x yes yeah, we're all, of course, and it's just habico with a q-h-a-b-i-q-o. Um, yeah, so we're on every platform and we have our facebook group, which, if you're interested but you're still not a hundred percent sure you can come to the first.

Speaker 2: 52:12

Yeah, uh, come to the group I love that, yeah, meet the members, see what they're talking about, you know. View their listings from there and then take it to the website.

Speaker 1: 52:23

Beautiful. Thank you again, mo. So again, it is Habico H-A-B-I-Q-O. Yeah, mo. Thank you so much, melissa, for making the time and for telling us about your wonderful, wonderful new business, and I wish you so much luck with it, because I am sure this is going to be very successful.

Speaker 1: 52:46

I'm sure, and I'm hoping that more Caribbean people sign up as well so that we can have some more Caribbean homes to choose from, because I myself I love traveling within the Caribbean. So I'm definitely going to look up. If I myself I love traveling within the Caribbean, so I'm already I'm definitely going to look up to if I can sign up.

Speaker 1: 53:01

Ask my landlord for permission first, of course yes, and then sign up and then, so that I can yeah, so I can do a home shop with somebody, maybe from Jamaica, in the future. You know it's what it's? Uh, yeah, and Barbados, which is somewhere where I've always wanted to go, so yeah, thank you so much no girl, I was so close last year it was last year.

Speaker 1: 53:20

I was at two years ago now in may I had my ticket in hand, I had my airbnb booked and then I got so sick that I couldn't travel, so I lost the ticket as well. I wasn't able to get it back. So, yes, I haven't and it was all in the planning.

Speaker 1: 53:37

But, yeah, the universe stepped in and said no, you're not ready wasn't the right time wasn't the right time yes, no, it wasn't the right time, and, um, I'm gonna make it the right time now, so for sure, oh I'm gonna look into this thing yeah, I know that's what I'm thinking too. Thanks again for everything, melissa thank you so much.

Speaker 1: 53:56

Thanks for having me oh, I wouldn't mind swapping homes with someone in the US or in Europe right about now. So I'm off to check out the Habico website and see if I can list my home and you know who knows exchange with maybe you Wouldn't that be awesome? All right? So if you want to know more about Habico and how you can get in touch with Mo, I have left all of the details in the show notes. So head on there as soon as you're done listening to me going on and on about the Caribbean and about other stuff, so go on to the show notes. I have made links, or I have left links there for you. There for you. There's also a link to my email address, because I am dying to know from you if you would be able. If you are going to be using Habiko, which island are you looking forward to visit? I want to know. All right, so send me a quick little email to hello at thetravelingislandgirlcom.

Speaker 1: 54:54

On an entirely other topic, as you know about, now I am hosting my very first wellness and travel retreat right here in St Martin, from June 4th until the 9th of 2024. And I'm adding 2024 just in case you may have forgotten that we're already in 2024. My goodness, where has the time gone. I am so excited to welcome a small group of women and, who knows, maybe you're one of them to this retreat. My good friend and breath worker, jen Liss, will be coming down from Portland, and I am so freaking excited about that because not only is she super amazing and super fun and an amazing coach and breath worker, and she is also an amazing podcaster. She has her own show on Tethered with Jen, is also an amazing podcaster. She has her own show, untethered with Jen. You might want to check her out on whatever platform you're using to get your podcast fix, and she's going to be doing some breathwork sessions with us. And, as for me, I have put together an amazingly fun itinerary that will have you wanting to return to St Martin or to any of the future retreats that I host again and again.

Speaker 1: 56:01

Trust me, I know now you probably want to know how much, where, how and when, and for that, all you have to do is head on to the show notes. Darling, there is a link to the website where you will find all of the details. I am so excited to welcome you to St Martin. I mean, I really, really am. Who knows, maybe there is even a house that you can exchange with by then. Right, wouldn't that be awesome. Next week we'll be heading to Tobago, so make sure that you tune in, then Bring your sunglasses and pina colada. It's going to be another tropical episode for sure. I'm Rizal, better known as the Traveling Island Girl. Thank you for listening. Ciao for now.