My guests bought me a birthday gift!

Inna22
Level 10
Chicago, IL

My guests bought me a birthday gift!

Since most of my posts criticize my guests, I just have to share this. On Friday I had a group checking in and we have gone back and forth about me meeting them in person. They were arriving on the late side and I told them that it was actually my birthday so I was hoping to be with my kids by that hour. After they check out, they left me a card and a bottle of wine. They have actually gone out, bought a card for me and each one of them signed it with a lovely message!! I almost cried. For them to take a pause in their vacation and to think of another human for no other reason but to be nice. That's a lesson to me to try to do the same more often. I will keep that card and look at it every time I have a bad guest to remind me why I should keep going.

25 Replies 25
Pat271
Level 10
Greenville, SC

I definitely *would* have cried!  How wonderful!  Thanks for posting this, @Inna22 .  It’s these kinds of experiences that keep us all going. 🙂

Susan151
Level 10
Somerville, MA

@Inna22  Happy Birthday! My birthday gift this year is a rare night without guests on my day. Gonna hang with the family and enjoy my off night.

Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

@Inna22  Happy Birthday! My new granddaughter was just born on your birthday, too. She doesn't have a name yet. Maybe I'll suggest Inna to my daughter. Would you mind?

There still are wonderful thoughtful people out there. How nice of them. One of my guests insisted on taking me out to dinner the first night and several guests have arrived with thoughtful little "hostess" gifts-candles, soaps, etc. I was also almost in tears when I first got one, it never occurred to me a guest would do that.

@Inna22 @Susan151  looks like we're all Libras, huh? Mine's the 11th.

@Sarah977 even more reason to like you 🙂

@Sarah977 and of course congratulations!!


@Sarah977 wrote:

 

@Inna22 @Susan151  looks like we're all Libras, huh? Mine's the 11th.


Yup. A total Libra. I am on the 13th.

Happy birthday @Inna22, hope you had a wonderful day! And congratulations @Sarah977 , on your new baby granddaughter! May she grow up to be as funny, smart and as spirited as her gorgeous granny 😉

 

Another Libra here, 28th Sept. My guests this year didn't buy me a birthday card, but they did take me out for dinner, drinks and dancing, which was fun. And they left me a lovely thank you card when they left, signed by all of them. 

 

Back in the very early Airbnb days, it was kind of a tradition for guests to bring a small gift for their host, usually something symbolic of their own countries. Sadly, that little tradition died off over time, but I'd say around 10 % still bring a little something. And probably about 40-50% still leave a sweet thank you card or handwritten note, which always makes my day, even after all these jaded years. 🙂

@Susan17  This is so crazy- seems like most of the female hosts I feel the most affinity with on this forum turn out to be Libras! You know what would be an interesting study? Whether hosts are spread out evenly across the Zodiac signs or if some Zodiac signs are more drawn to hosting than others? Not that I'm some astrology buff, but I do find that my life seems to be heavily peopled with certain signs much more than others. 

@Sarah977 that's a very interesting observation

Now that would be a fascinating study, @Sarah977

@Susan17 because I am off site, there is little interaction usually and unfortunately if there is one, most of the time it is about something breaking or otherwise negative. I get a thank you note once every few months on the back of my own welcome note but that's about it. That's why this felt like such a grand gesture. 

Ah whether onsite or offsite, when guests do something nice, it always feels like a grand gesture, @Inna22! Hope you enjoyed your bottle of wine! 😉

Suzanne302
Level 10
Wilmington, NC

@Inna22  I love this so much! We need more stories like this!! To me this is what Airbnb is about...It's about human connection no matter how big or small.

Emilia42
Level 10
Orono, ME

Happy Belated Birthday @Inna22 ! I'm glad that this guests did something special for you. It is well deserved! 

 

This last year I hosted a guest for her one-night birthday getaway on my birthday! So we had the same birthday. A crazy coincidence.