Notable Members: The Abrahams  By

Notable Members: The Abrahams

Life’s Great Travel Adventures with Gordon and Althea Abraham

Scholars seeing the world.

Dr. & Mrs. Gordon and Althea Abraham are seasoned SabbaticalHomes.com members and world travelers. In 2010, they decided to volunteer at St John’s University of Tanzania in Dodoma. Teaching students in this developing country is among their favorite travel experiences and has brought them back numerous times. While there, Althea manages English language testing and assists in language improvement courses. Gordon teaches coursework involving virology, immunology and vaccine technology to Pharmacy students. Because their volunteer work takes them so far from their home in Australia, they’ve found it helpful to rent their home with confidence on SabbaticalHomes.com.

Althea, a former teacher, and Gordon, a retired microbiologist, describe overseas work and travel to be one of life’s great adventures. In addition to renting their home on SabbaticalHomes.com, they’ve also traveled the globe and stayed in homes of fellow members. While sharing an apartment in Paris, the Abrahams enjoyed the company of a local university’s senior historian and her husband. In Athens, they rented an apartment owned by an academic currently living in Boston. Her parents, however, still lived in Athens and were happy to invite the Abrahams to their home in the glorious city. The Abrahams described this as a highlight of their trip.

The Abrahams have successfully rented out their own home to fellow SabbaticalHomes.com members to coincide with their volunteer work and travel. When asked about the challenges of renting out their home the Abrahams share, “risk is always involved when renting to strangers but we operate on a trust basis and we have not been let down by anyone who has come to us through Sabbatical Homes.” The Abrahams feel it’s important to gain an accurate impression of a tenant’s values and attitudes through the types of questions the would-be tenant asks. Their tenants have been wonderful people who are very respectful of their property.

Occasionally, the opportunity arises to meet their tenants. When the Abrahams are still in town they offer to meet arriving tenants at Melbourne Airport after the long flight. “It is a wonderful way to meet each other and to set the scene for a trusting and friendly relationship to develop,” says Althea. Several families have rented their home over the past four years and a family from Boston is coming this fall. The Abrahams have been happy to assist with the large transition these families are making, ranging from school suggestions to solving other incidental issues that require local knowledge. In all cases, the relationships have been harmonious, friendly and enjoyable. “We enjoy meeting the families who have generally been people with similar values and their aspirations have reminded us of ours earlier in our lives and careers,” explains Althea.

We enjoy catching up with our notable members and writing about their multifaceted adventures and accomplishments. Do you have a Sabbatical Homes story you’d like to share? We want to hear from you! Connect with us on FacebookTwitter, or Google +.