Barbara Kolber attended a festival in Cartagena Columbia two years ago and heard author Monica Ali speak about her immigration experience. Ali’s book, Brick Lane, was made into a movie in her Bangladeshi community in London. Kolber found her to be a modest and eloquent speaker who she did not soon forget.

To Kolber’s delight and surprise, Ali responded to her SabbaticalHomes.com listing for her New York home. “Such a serendipitous coincidence,” said Kolber. “I am looking forward to her novel coming out in June calledUntold Story. It is a story about what might have happened had Princess Diana lived. To me, she is a bit of a celebrity.”

Kolber has had other tenants such as an Irish poet, a sociologist from Amsterdam, another from Australia, and couples from Prague and Germany.

You just never know what can happen from a SabbaticalHomes.com connection. “This is such an inspired and valuable service,” summed up Kolber.

Sara Priztkat frequently corresponds with SabbaticalHomes.com members via our communications team. We love hearing from our members and writing about their extraordinary adventures. ‘Small World Connections’ is a place for us to share these amazing experiences. Do you have a Sabbatical Homes story you’d like to share? We want to hear from you! Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, or Google +.