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Behomm offers a unique opportunity to work remotely from abroad and gift yourself and
your family an enriching exchange experience. Whether it’s for one month, three months,
six months, or even a sabbatical, these experiences leave lasting memories.

Meet this Behomm family: Kate Stokes, a furniture designer, and Haslett Grounds, an architect, along with their two daughters, aged 8 and 10 who recently enjoyed a three-month exchange
in Mexico.

Together, Kate and Haslett (home ID 12263) run Coco Flip, their furniture and lighting design company based in Melbourne, Australia. They are passionate about simple, thoughtful design that connects emotionally, values craftsmanship, and emphasizes sustainability. Their mid-century family home, nestled among the trees in the leafy suburb of Eltham, just 20 km northeast of Melbourne’s city center, is a true reflection of their design philosophy. The family loves to explore new places and have adventures together.

During their exchange in Mexico City, their Behomm partner, Ximena (home ID 171),
an installation artist, stayed at their home in Melbourne, creating a rewarding cultural and professional exchange.

Kate and Haslett, since when did you dream for a 3-month exchange?
Is this the first you’ve done?

Travel has always been a big part of our lives and it’s something we imagined we’d continue doing with our children, but the reality was that most of our adventures were close to home and at a slow pace through those early years. Once they reached school age the prospect of more ambitious travel overseas started to excite us again, and we wanted to take them on an adventure before they become teenagers.

Why Mexico?

We chose Mexico for a number of reasons, firstly because none of us had been and we thought it would be fun to discover somewhere completely new together. On top of that, my brother Chris, who has been based in NYC for 15 years, was going to be there, so it was an amazing opportunity for us to spend time with him.

Haslett and I both work in design and we were really curious about the design, art and architecture scenes in Mexico. We wanted to learn about some of the local artisans and traditional crafts and to meet Mexican designers. We also wanted our kids to experience
a new culture and language, and we all tried to learn a little Spanish before going.

Was it a simultaneous exchange and they were at yours while you were
at theirs?

Yes, we were very fortunate to arrange a simultaneous exchange. Ximena stayed at our home in Melbourne while we were at her apartment in Mexico City which happened to be only 6 blocks or so from my brother’s apartment.

How did the agreement go? Was it easy? A long process? Anything that you find worth mentioning?

We didn’t have any issues with the exchange agreement and the template made this process quick and easy. There was a natural respect and trust between us, and it was a pleasure to share our home with Ximena.

How did you work it out with your kids’ school? How old are they?

Our daughters are 8 and 10 and they were in grades 2 and 4 when we went to Mexico.
We were away for all of term 4, the final quarter of our school year in Australia. Their primary school, the teachers, and the principal were really supportive of the trip and saw the benefits
of travel for the girl’s education and growth, so they had no issues at all. We maintained regular reading and writing with them and tried to be consistent with their journal writing. They also spent time with their uncle learning about Aztec history, Mexican arts and culture, learning Spanish, and just generally soaking up so much knowledge. We visited temples and ruins, museums and galleries so there was no shortage of learning!

And, how did they feel about the exchange? Did they adapt quickly, did they miss their home and stuff?

I think one of the best parts of this experience was seeing their understanding of the world expand and their confidence grow. They were such amazing travel buddies, and they really surprised and impressed us with how they handled everything. It just felt like a big adventure for them, and three months away didn’t feel like long enough to really miss home too much.

What about your exchange partner? Tell us a bit about them.

Ximena was such a wonderful exchange partner—we’re so grateful for her trust, generosity
and hospitality. She is an artist and is very interested in indigenous songlines, so that was part of her reason for travelling to Australia. We were fortunate enough to meet Ximena at the start
of ourtrip and she was incredibly warm and welcoming. She’s a very intelligent, creative, and special woman.

How was it in Ximena’s home? Did you instantly connect, was it a new feeling of a home?

Staying in Ximena’s home was a very special experience. Her apartment is in a fabulous area of Mexico City, and it was wonderful to be surrounded by amazing cafes, restaurants, galleries, shops, and parks. Her home is filled with books, art, and plants and it was a wonderful haven to return to after exploring the big city.

Did you have to pay anything to Ximena for your stay?

No, we didn’t exchange any money. It was a direct simultaneous exchange, and we also swapped our cars.

Did you exchange Tips with Ximena? How did you communicate?
Very often?

Yes, we did share local tips and knowledge with each other, and as we share some similar interests this was really helpful! To begin with we corresponded through the Behomm website, then via email, and finally via WhatsApp during the exchange when either of us had questions or recommendations.

Tell us, what did you do during the 3 months? Were you working online? Travelling?

The three months went by surprisingly quickly. Haslett and I were working online throughout our time there, but in a different capacity to when we’re at home. We checked in with our team back home weekly, and they did an amazing job of managing the business in our absence. We spent the first three weeks in Mexico City just settling in, exploring, and practicing our Spanish. Mexico Design Week was on during that time, so we visited some exhibitions and saw some incredible architecture.

Then we took off with my brother on a month-long road-trip through Oaxaca state. We were in Oaxaca de Juarez for a couple of weeks during Día de Muertos which was definitely a highlight. From there we drove through the mountains to San Jose del Pacifico and then along the coast of Oaxaca before returning to CDMX.

Whilst in Mexico City we would spend some days working and some days out and about exploring. Having so much time meant we weren’t rushing around trying to fit everything in
and we could go at whatever pace we felt like each day.

We also flew to Merida and did some amazing day trips to the cenotes in Yucatán towards the end of our trip.

Was there a routine with weekdays and weekends or more a see what the day brings?

There was a loose routine as we’d usually spend at least a few hours working and schooling the girls during the week and took the weekends off. But we’d often see how we were all feeling and go with the flow which was a lovely way to live. It made me long for a bit more fluidity in
our everyday lives at home. I think we can get very caught up in routine, especially running
a business and having kids at school, so it was really nice to break with that expectation for
a while.

Did you get to meet neighbours or Ximena’s friends? Did you make new friends you think you’ll be in contact with?

We didn’t meet any of the neighbours formally, but it was nice to be part of the community
of people coming and going from the apartments. We did meet up with another Behommer, Rodrigo, and shared a glass of wine with him which was lovely. He was very generous with giving us some recommendations and had some wonderful insights into the design industry
in Mexico.

How was it when you returned home? All in order? Anything new?

Returning home was a wonderful feeling, although it felt very quiet in comparison to life in CDMX! The experience made us appreciate our home, our friends, and our outdoor space even more than before and I think it’s made us re-evaluate what is important to us. It feels like the kids matured a lot during our time away and have come back with a completely new perspective of the world.

Tips for future Behommers wanting to do a long exchange?

If you can make it work, don’t hesitate! A long exchange is such a rich experience and offers
so many wonderful opportunities to really immerse yourselves in another place.

Are you now thinking of new long exchanges?

We’d love to do it again someday. Travelling internationally from Australia as a family of four is an expensive undertaking, so a long exchange without the costs of accommodation is very appealing. That said, we also love our lives at home and the girls are very happy to be back at school with their friends. As small business owners we do need to be present in the business most of the time, so this was a very special experience to be away for so long. We’ll see, hopefully we can make it happy again someday—we’re always open to offers!

What would you like to tell members (with kids or without) that have never done a long exchange?

I think a lot of people struggle to get their heads around the idea, and perhaps it’s not for everyone. For us, it was so rewarding to have time the luxury of time to explore Mexico without rushing around and to get a sense of day-to-day living in CDMX. Some of the best parts were simple, regular, every-day things like jogging around the Hipodromo in the morning, playing down ball with the kids in Parque Mexico, and eating the chile relleno tacos from our local street seller. The long exchange gave us permission to slow down and really notice things that we wouldn’t have if we only had a week or two. We also loved spending that amount of time together and with our kids while they’re at this age. We’ll remember it forever.

Thank you for sharing your Behomm long exchange with us today.
How would you sum it up?

An incredible opportunity to learn about another country and its culture, enjoy Mexico’s vibrant design, art and architecture, and take a big adventure with our girls.