Day 16: Good morning San Francisco!

[Soraya19]

8:30 am 

A little warm sunshine smiles through the silky drapes of the large French windows. A soothing wet tongue licks my foot that is peeping out from under the soft white duvet. What a feeling! 

I yawn and stretch, rubbing my eyes that are heavy from a deep sleep. I whisper to Fabby, “What’s going on?”

 Lying next to me, my daughter replies candidly while surfing her phone, “Mum, it’s Sophie. Isn’t she adorable?” 

“Sophie? Which Sophie? Who Sophie? What Sophie?” I ask. 

She responds, “Are you kidding me, Mum? Remember, we are in San Francisco… we flew in late yesterday evening from Mumbai. This is for real.” 

I am Soraya. Three weeks to the day on a lazy Sunday, lounging on my sofa sat sipping a hot cup of tea, in our own ‘Home away from home’ listing on Airbnb, I awoke to an exciting surprise. Surprises have not been uncommon in my life. Good surprises. Skipping through my Facebook page, I came across an invitation. ‘Want to stay with Brian’? Beyond the Airbed – Houses for Rent in San Francisco, California, United States. An invitation to book the private room in the home hosted by Brian; the place offering a city skyline view, a garden view, with more than 37 amenities and all of this was offered at no cost, and exceptionally with the company of Sophie, Brian’s golden retriever! 

I was elated. I couldn’t wait to wake up Fabby and share my wish to spend a weekend in this exquisitely designed space. I eagerly read the post again and again. Am I imagining this? Finally, I said to myself, “This isn’t fake, and I’m going to make this happen.” 

Impatient and overexcited, I shook my daughter from her late Sunday morning in bed and rattled away what I had just discovered, already imagining us in the Castro neighborhood. We would be walking past the plentiful boutiques, restaurants, and coffee shops, and we would stop at the Dolores Park after enjoying a Bi-rite ice cream – things I had read about and seen on screen.

Now, some of you reading this post might ask – Who is Brian? 

Brian is the co-founder of Airbnb, a gentleman originally from New York. I had wanted him to be a guest at my home in the ‘city of dreams, but strangely the city that never sleeps’, Mumbai… someday, sometime, I don’t know when. A huge dream with a hopeful heart that I wished would come true one day. 

A super-host on this platform, since 2011 – I had the chance to meet and greet people from all over the world. Had some wonderful experiences and made unforgettable memories and here I am, at the end of 2022, still opening my doors with an eagerness to make another stranger, another friend! 

Going you back to the beginning of this short story, where I found myself in the comfy queen bed, I lay speechless watching Fabby expressing her fondness for pets by lovingly playing with Sophie. My thoughts were again drifting to another surprise that had brought me to my present moment of elation. Another invitation, another announcement – Air India, our official airline, had started its direct flights from Mumbai to San Francisco! Here was my fortunate chance to fly and fulfill a dream, to personally invite Brian to Bombay to be my guest someday, sometime, anytime… I will be hopefully having the honor to share and hear stories about “the joys of our journeys on Airbnb.” Anyone can belong anywhere! 

Soon it will be time to say goodbye to the year 2022. Here’s wishing everyone the very best for 2023 – the goodness of life, and the fulfilling of all our far-fetched dreams, that perhaps are not so far after all…

[Quincy]

Thank you so much for sharing this @Soraya19! Wishing you and your family happy holidays! 🙏