Sabbatical Homes

Blog | Stories & Spotlights

Discover the people and stories behind SabbaticalHomes.com. Explore member spotlights, founder updates, academic journeys, travel experiences, and community connections that bring our global network to life.

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  • Entman_Robert_sabbaticalhomes

    Faculty Q&A: GWU Professor Robert Entman

    GWU professor Robert Entman, an expert on media framing and public opinion, talks through his research and reflects on the year he spent writing from apartments in Madrid, Paris, and Berlin.

    • Stories & Spotlights
  • Professor PIzzicato celebrates April 1st

    Member Profile: Feline Studies Professor Pizzicato

    Specializing in feline studies, for the past 6 years Professor Pizzicato has been honing her cat skills. She has perfected the scratching post, crafted unique yoga asanas, and is credited with developing an updated feline nutritional routine. Searching for a home near a river stocked…

    • Stories & Spotlights
  • Dr. Jacquilyn Weeks MLA14

    SabbaticalHomes.com at #MLA14: Meet Dr. Jacquilyn Weeks

    At MLA ’14, we caught up with contest winner Dr. Jacquilyn Weeks, whose tagline “Writing Home” beautifully captured what it means to write, and write home, from a space that feels like your own.

    • Stories & Spotlights
  • Ira_Simmons

    Notable Member: Ira Simmons

    Retired from San Francisco’s Exploratorium Museum, Ira Simmons and his wife split time between California and Kentucky, renting out their home to visiting academics they’ve come to know and enjoy.

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  • Notable Members: The Abrahams

    Seasoned travelers Gordon and Althea Abraham split their time between volunteer teaching in Tanzania and renting their Australian home to fellow SabbaticalHomes members, building trusting friendships across the globe.

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  • House Rental Lewes England

    SabbaticalHomes.com Makes a Love Connection

    When Bonnie sublet her Cambridge apartment to a visiting scholar from England, she never expected to find a husband. Their SabbaticalHomes rental became the site’s first known engagement, with a wedding in Brighton to follow.

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  • House Rental Cape Cod

    From the Niger River to Cape Cod

    Author and longtime member Aylette Jenness discovers that her Cambridge tenant once lived in the same region of West Africa she did, sparking a chance reunion and a lasting friendship through SabbaticalHomes.com.

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  • Mom on Sabbatical

    The Chronicle of Higher Education: Mom on Sabbatical

    Seton Hill professor Lee Tobin McClain documented her sabbatical in a candid four-part series for The Chronicle of Higher Education, covering everything from early preparations to balancing writing with motherhood and the eventual return to teaching.

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  • Home Exchange with Kids

    Home Exchange with Infants and Toddlers

    Nicole Feist reflects on completing home exchanges with her infant son and baby daughter, offering practical advice on routines, familiar gear, and why swapping homes beats a hotel when traveling with little ones.

    • Stories & Spotlights
  • House Rental California

    Going Green—and It’s Not the Paint

    Architect and USC professor Jennifer Siegal shares the story behind her self-designed green home in Venice, CA, a sustainable rental featuring durable materials, energy-efficient fixtures, and an indoor/outdoor California feel.

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Member Spotlights

Brian Thompson

Notable Member: Earthen Vessels Founder Brian Thompson

Founded in 1980 by SabbaticalHomes member Brian Thompson and Marie-Claude Thompson, EVkids has grown into a thriving Boston nonprofit supporting young people through tutoring, mentoring, college guidance and summer camp.

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Morgan O’Hara in her New York City Studio.

Member Spotlight: Morgan O’Hara

We first profiled artist Morgan O’Hara in 2017, and she has kept expanding her work since. She catches us up on her activist and experiential art, including the ongoing Handwriting the Constitution project that continues to draw people in.

  • Stories & Spotlights
Alex Carballo-Dieguez at the Teatro Colón Opera House in Buenos Aires Argentina.

Member Spotlight: Alex Carballo-Diéguez

Alex Carballo-Diéguez, PhD, spent an active academic career at Columbia and used SabbaticalHomes to find apartments while traveling for conferences and lectures. Now retired, he reflects on his research, his travels, and the stays that supported them.

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Katherine K. Merseth headshot.

Member Spotlight: Harvard Educator Katherine Merseth

Harvard educator Katherine Merseth has been called an academic entrepreneur for the inventive research and teaching that shaped her 40-plus-year career. A longtime SabbaticalHomes member and Harvard Professor of the Year, she shares what has kept her work fresh.

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Fulbright Scholars: Interviews & Advice

Each year scholars travel to new universities as visiting researchers, and Fulbright awards remain among the most sought-after honors. Fulbright alumni share their experiences and advice, offering a window into the work and the journeys behind the fellowship.

  • Stories & Spotlights
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Founder on the Move: Helping Find Homes for Huntington Scholars

On a bright and beautiful spring day, I had the pleasure of meeting with one of our wonderful members, Toni Devreaux, at the Huntington Library, Art Collection, and Botanical Gardens in Pasadena, California. We were surrounded by lush plants and creatures that seamlessly existed among…

  • Stories & Spotlights