Thank you Airbnb

[Ben551]

Greetings ~

For those that noticed my brief disappearance, cheers very much 😄

My wife and I took a well deserved break down in Wanaka for a week. It was awesome. Kayaking 12 kilometres on a glass lake. Hiking, boating, shooting... the place is some kind of centre of “all outdoors things that are fun”. We relaxed, drank amazing local wine, visited vineyards... hell, we didn’t want to leave.

Walking by the lake in the evening and seeing the stars was also a high point for me. Where I grew up in the UK there was no such thing as going outside and seeing the entire Milky Way with your naked eye. I don’t just mean stars, I mean all those cloudy purple bits that look like art. I’ve never seen those with my own eyes before, only in pictures online... stunning.

So why am I thanking Airbnb? Well... a couple of reasons.

I suffer from a bit of anxiety and... the move to NZ hasn’t been easy in that regard. Hosting on Airbnb has given me confidence I didn’t have before, to venture out and do stuff, speak to people, and learn about parts of NZ (and even my own city) that I haven’t before.

Secondly, I wouldn’t have been able to afford to visit such an expensive part of the world before. A recent book I read described Wanaka as the place where aging millionaires live, waiting for the impending apocalypse and living under the mountains. I have to say... they’re on to something. The place feels like where you’d want to be if it all came to an end hahaha. For the simple reason that, the views are well worth being the last thing you see before it all gets flushed.

Thanks Airbnb, for making a positive difference in my life. 

~ Ben

[Corliss2]

Ben,

Welcome back! We (meaning me) missed your insightful posts and comments. 

Glad to hear that you and your wife had a lovely vacay!

-Cheers!

[Ann72]

@Ben551 @Corliss2 could have kept the "we" - I missed you, too!  Seriously glad you had an amazing vacation.  Keep going and growing.

[Rosemarie9]

Absolutely stunning photos Ben. Makes me want to sell up and make that move to New Zealand sooner! I know exactly what it feels like living with anxiety and moving across the world. I feel that my hosting has taken me out of myself, and I have been busier than I could have imagined. Thanks for posting the pics and glad you had a break in such a beautiful place.

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Ben551 

I was wondering why you were so quiet..... no posts from you for days~~

Your trip sounds and LOOKS amazing. So glad to hear you and your wife had a great time 🙂 

I'm currently on a trip-of-sorts, work related "workshop" for team building 🙂 which is code for just hanging out with co-workers away from the office. 

I am missing Henry a bit..... he would have loved the beautiful ocean views and the fresh seafood. 

[Lizzie]

This looks fun @Jessica-and-Henry0. Beautiful view and that seagul is captured very well. Where is this? 

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Lizzie 

We went to an island called So-mae-mul-do(소매물도) which is a 2hr boat ride off the coast of a city called Tong-young(통영).

Not many foreigners in this area of the country but popular among Koreans for the scenic views, fishing and seafood 🙂 

[Ben551]

Those pictures are just stunning @Jessica-and-Henry0 - I love it.  What a place.  Cooking shellfish on a grill, balanced on some old bricks. Those are the moments...

[Lizzie]

I agree with @Ben551, this looks like a fantastic place @Jessica-and-Henry0 . I am a big seafood fan and I just love being by the water. It's nice that it is a local hotspot and is a bit of a secret (although it may now be visited by quite a few of us here in the CC!). 🙂

I hope you had a fab time. 

[Emilia42]

That place looks beautiful, @Ben551. I'm glad you got to enjoy it 🙂

[Kath9]

@Ben551, yes, I missed you! Because whenever I start my day reading one of your posts  (which is often), they always bring a smile to my face - and this one is no exception. What gorgeous photos! More and more, I just wanna move to NZ (not least because, like the rest of the world, I love Jacinda).

Thanks for reminding us about the positives that Airbnb brings - it most definitely enriches my life, the people I meet, the stories we exchange, the things we learn about each other, the different points of view, the cultural exchange. I had a couple of sisters from Burma last night - Burma! They insisted that I taste all their various little condiments they'd brought with them (and they were delicious). Beats watching the Bachelor... 🙂

Anyway, welcome back Ben and thanks for sharing your holiday pics with us 🙂

[Jody79]

Welcome back @Ben551 ! This newbie also missed you! In the short time I’ve been pursuing this community I’ve learned so much from you. Happy you and your wife enjoyed a beautiful relaxing time away. 🙂

[Jennifer1421]

Fantastic that you and Angel were able to get away, @Ben551 ! Absolutely gorgeous photos - making me think about planning for a NZ trip...

As always, you're on point with your gentle reminder about the positives of being a host with Airbnb. It's easy to get caught up in a negative loop whilst trying to keep up with an ever-evolving platform like this. Thanks for the reminder to "count the blessings".

[Stephanie]

Wonderful to read @Ben551 , and congratualtions on making Super Host!

[Ben551]

Haha @Stephanie  you noticed that before I did! 🙂