✈︎ Our Airbnb Blunder 😭

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Good morning ☀️ from Booked It On Points: A curated collection of travel tips and personal stories by me, Allie→ because you’re meant to experience meaningful travel no matter life’s constraints 👊🏽

Let’s dive in.

✈︎Travel Story

When Your “Perfect” Airbnb Isn’t So Perfect

Hello, friends, it’s a little story time to catch you up on our new life upon arriving in paradise- aka Greek island living 🙌 

Re-wind to when we secured our 3 month airbnb many months ago, at a price that was well within our budget and while a bit sparse, we figured we’d be just fine. Sure it was small, but also clean, and seemingly in the heart of everything.

Upon arrival, right off of the ferry, our host was warm and very welcoming. We were optimistic to say the least- and when we walked in, it felt better than I’d imagined and that was a win considering we’d just traveled across the world with our kids to live in an unseen apartment for the foreseeable future.

But within about 24 hours, reality set in.

Turns out, “front and center” to the ferry port is exactly that: front and center. Every single arrival and departure, day and night, meant honking horns, rolling luggage, and a constant buzz of activity right outside our door.

Cool in theory, not so cool when your living room is involved. Fortunately, our bedrooms are in the back, so sleep isn’t disturbed, but it’s a party in the front day and night.

We quickly discovered a few other challenges.

• There was no filtered water option in the apartment, which meant buying plastic bottles daily. As a family trying to live sustainably (and travel long-term), this felt like a soul-crusher. The lack of reliable drinking water alone made it clear: this isn’t a great long-term spot.

• Then: no internet for the first week. For Geo and I working remotely, often during evenings when the kids are heading to bed, one of us is apartment-bound so this was a major problem.

• Add in a morning when we awoke to no power (surprise!), and let’s just say, the “dreamy Greek island life” was not quite what Instagram promises. I do want to be clear, our host has always been in touch, helping with every hiccup along the way.

So what do I do best? Pivot. It’s a life skill I’ve perfected, almost too quickly 😉 

I immediately went into problem-solving mode. I wrote no fewer than a dozen Airbnb hosts in the area, asking about long-term discounts, availability, and setting up in-person viewings.

If you’ve ever tried to book more than a couple months at a time, you know how tricky it can be, hosts often rely on that steady monthly income, so breaking a lease early is no small ask and it didn’t feel good to us regardless of what we were dealing with.

The good news: persistence pays off. We were lucky enough to secure a truly beautiful place for the next chapter of our stay and we’re so grateful! Unfortunately, it’s not available until next month. So in the meantime, we’re rolling with the punches and making the best of it, knowing we have somewhere to look forward to in just a couple of weeks.

Moral of the story: travel isn’t always glamorous, and sometimes it’s downright inconvenient. Our kids have to deal with these problems just like us and while challenging in the moment, I do think is really good for them to ensure.

So, do you think we made it out on our year adventure with carry-on only?!

Let’s just say it’s a good thing we did, because this is about all we have for storage 🙂 

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✈︎ Travel Links

• See how our family packed for a YEAR of travel: Carry On Only according to Geo!

• This is the luggage we’re using and loving!

• Do you actually want to ‘live like a local’ when you travel? Probably not.

• Have you heard? A visa needed to enter to enter the US.

• How far will you push yourself on a trip?

• October is right around the corner, and here are some of the best destinations to consider this fall. Spoiler: we are living in one!

✈︎ Poll

Overall, we are tremendously grateful and happy right where we are and feeling grateful. The kids are thriving and so are we!

Thanks for being here and have a great Tuesday!

Allie