Kirsten made me feel immediately welcome in her home. I enjoyed my time there so much that I extended my stay there. Kirsten is a great host, she knows the area well and was able to offer lots of helpful advice on exploring the local area and further afield. I really felt at home there and my only regret was that I was unable to watch the football with her and her friends due to a scheduling conflict.

The queen of the house is Maggie - one of the best natured dogs I've met. For the most part she's either out of sight upstairs or minding her own business. She won't bother you if you're not interested but is more than happy to play if you want to.

The pictures of the house are pretty accurate, it does have a lovely back garden and a good sized bbq which I don't think the pictures show. The location was perfect for me. It's a 10-12 minute bike ride to the university, the 'niceride' bike rental service (I think this is called citi-ride in other places in the US. If you're from London think Boris-Bike) is very cheap and there are two stations within a few blocks of the house.

All in all a great experience and a lovely host.