To my surprise, airfare to French Polynesia, about halfway between California and Australia, was roughly the same price as it was to Hawaii or Mexico ($500 on French Bee). Better still, the time difference between the islands and our home was only a few hours. Immediately, I started sending requests for our preferred form of accommodation for my family of four: a house swap. The trip was so unplanned that I had almost no research to guide us on where to stay on Tahiti, the country’s main island, or which house to choose. This, I thought, is a ridiculous way to travel.