ExchangeHomesBlog.com

Since the tragic oil spill in the the Gulf of Mexico, we’ve received a few inquiries from concerned families who have home exchanges set up with people in the coastal areas of Louisiana, Texas and Alabama, anxious to find out how this enormous ecological disaster is likely to effect their home exchange plans.

Usually I’m able to respond to questions with knowledgeable answers, honed from 25+ years in the home exchange business, but not so this time. Initially the powers that be assured everyone that in all likelihood the oil would remain at sea and never reach land, but this is clearly not the case. This morning the news broke that huge tar balls are washing ashore on the beaches of Grand Isle, Louisiana and heavy crude oil was being seen in nearby Elmer’s Island.

Tar balls were also reported in Port Fourchon today, exactly one month after the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that has sent thousands of barrels of oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico each day. In fact various coastal areas of Louisiana have seen tar balls wash ashore daily for the past week.

BP, which was leasing the rig when it exploded, is mobilizing equipment and conducting tests today commencing new effort to choke off the oil’s flow. Crews hoped that by Sunday they can start a procedure known as a “top kill,” which involves pumping heavy mud into the crippled equipment on top of the well, then permanently sealing it with cement.

So clearly, if you have a home exchange arranged with a family in these regions, you very probably will be impacted in so far as beach activities may be concerned. But that’s all.

Please don’t make any last minute cancellations and let down your home exchange partner family. It’s not their fault.

If both parties have already made a commitment and made firm travel plans that most probably include purchasing airline tickets, it would be grossly unfair to cancel and leave your partner family in the lurch.

Most home exchangers are very adaptable folk, so mark it down as one of life’s experiences and make lemonade with the lemons you’ve been dealt. Hundreds of concerned folk are heading to the effected beaches to lend a hand with the wildlife rescue. Join them. Your participation could provide you, and more especially your children with an unforgettable lesson in life.