I Lived In Airbnbs for 365 Days. Here’s What I Learned.

This is a story about an immigrant's belonging to Los Angeles.

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In October 2015, I returned from Shenzhen to Los Angeles for work. As a New York transplant, I had lived in LA before, but struggled with the urban sprawl, endless time in a car and Hollywood seemed as distant as before. Los Angeles would never be a place to call home.

But it all changed after a lifestyle experiment: giving up a lease and living in different Airbnbs for 365 days. (Instagram: @365dOnAirbnb , website here and 4 min documentary embedded in the bottom.)

I arrived in Los Angeles with two suitcases and all other belongings were in storage. This removed the biggest hurdle to start an urban nomad life.

Affordability is another critical factor. As a blogger in China, I had written a guide “How to Use Airbnb” with practical tips about how to pick neighborhoods and increase acceptance rate as a foreign guest. I threw in my referral code. When summer travel kicked in, the guide went viral and my Airbnb account accumulated a few thousand dollars.

With only 2 suitcases and the referral credit, I remembered all the stylish houses in Venice Beach. What if I can live inside and meet the artisans who built the house?

A 5 min quick search on Airbnb turned into a 5 hour research — I compiled a long Wishlist: a photographer’s house in the Venice Canals, a pilot’s vegetarian home in Santa Monica, a vintage camper off Abbot Kinney to name a few.

The Los Angeles I fancied on Airbnb was a total upgrade. It reminded me that “We are only limited by our own imagination.”

From Venice Beach, I ventured out to live in 15 neighborhoods. From Monday to Thursday, I would stay in Airbnbs within 15 minutes’ commute to my office (via bikes or Uber Pool). On weekends, I’d live as far as Pasadena, Downtown LA, and Lincoln Heights.

indoor treehouse near Downtown LA

Who are my hosts?

The demographic of Los Angeles is as diverse as the city itself: filmmaker, architect, photographer, meditation master, vintage store owner and pilot.

“Superhost” (those experienced hosts with 5 star ratings) was my No. 1 criteria to search for hosts. I crafted an inquiry template and messaged hosts on my Wishlist. I included my story, the mission of this project, and asked if I could share the home when they were in town.

Airbnb turned out to be more than just a place to stay, but a gateway into the host's life. As I knocked on different doors, I entered 100+ ways to live a life and unimagined experiences, including a ticket to Burning Man and a spontaneous road trip to Arizona.

“Home”, Burning Man 2016

Some of the best hosts are at the age of my parents - who possess twice as much life wisdom as I do. Quickly, I entered a field “school” to study life hacks and hospitality, from using a squeegee to prevent water stain to brewing bulletproof coffee, from emotional management to home decoration.

Upon arrival of a beautiful Airbnb, I observe every detail of the interior: fridge magnets, family portraits, and bookshelves. These details show me the personality of the host: what they read, where they've traveled and whether they organize home in OCD style.

I reversed the guest book concept and kept a host book with hand-written notes. Every page has a story.

The collective wisdom and the zest for life from my hosts touched my soul and made me a better person.

The Challenges

Every coin has two sides. My lifestyle came with uncertainties, constant packing and unpacking, and reduced social time with old friends. Challenges include a “permanent” mailing address and a place to do laundry. Consequently, I grew into a desert plant resilient to stressors in life. When the blizzard in New York City resulted in a flight cancellation, I searched for last minute accommodation in LA with calm.

Yet, some experiences were emotionally charged. The 4 year old daughter of a recently divorced family, which I was not aware of before arrival, said:

"Leave. You are not welcomed here."

I moved out of the house and searched for a new listing in a coffee shop. During those conflict moments, I wrote down my feelings in WeChat Moment (similar to Facebook timeline) . Below is a screenshot of my digital journal:

Looking back, that is the beauty of life : ups and downs, empathy and conflict.

I also became a minimalist, out of necessity, not to be cool. To travel light, one suitcase per week was part of my discipline. That means 3 pairs of clothes: non-wrinkle, quick dry; 3 pairs of pants: versatile for both yoga and fashion, and 2 pairs of shoes: a Nike, a TOMS or a Stan Smith. To allocate brain space for check-in logistics and a full time job, I reduced the colors of clothes to only navy blue, black and white.

I learned that “everything will be ok”: to attend a wedding with no proper closet, I shipped a dress directly from Rent the Runway to the next Airbnb while checking out from the current one.

Some may not like the intense hustle, but to me, this adventure has been the best entrepreneurship bootcamp.

It taught me the importance of curiosity, authenticity and courage. It made me more resourceful, respectful and flexible.

A Transformed Self

In April 2016, when it was time to move to Silicon Valley for a dream job. My heart ached because I fell in love with Los Angeles. The kindness and inclusion I experienced made me belong and proudly call home. I can name that secret staircase in Echo Park, recount the gentrification of Rose Avenue, explain the obscure snacks in Erewhon market, and show you the flourishing art scene in Chinatown.

"Home is anywhere you belong."

My understanding of “home” has deepened:

Home is not only our most intimate space, it is also an extension of our soul and manifests who we are. Regardless of our race, language, or culture background, people who are curious and open minded, who share similar heart will connect. Yet, the Internet makes it so much faster. In Buddhism, it says that 佛法及心法 (similar hearts attract) .

In a world that is increasingly separated by social media and misunderstanding, Airbnb hosts collectively showed me human kindness. They picked me up when I was stranded in an airport, opened the door to me when another booking fell through, and even lent me shoes for an interview when mine got dirty from a hike.

Big Bod Bets:

During the year, I developed a few ideas about a future shaped by Airbnb.

• A Subscription Service to productize this lifestyle experiment, removes the friction that comes with constant moving, makes it financially viable for both guests and hosts. This product offering will make Airbnb a lifestyle option beyond travel, which is lower frequency. Moreover, it can accompany digital nomads and those who are moving to a new city (college graduates or job changes).
• The future of Hospitality School is not Cornell Hotel School, but at Airbnb Superhost's homes.
• Airbnb Review is a more authentic indicator than Linkedin Recommendation. The former had the good and the bad, while the latter is a highlight reel.

What’s next?

During the year, I wrote a Thank-You note to each host, often with a sketch of their pets. The joy and love on their faces reminded me of my unique contribution to this world.

My lifestyle did not afford me a pet, but simultaneously I had 100 pets, a beagle in Mar Vista, a British shorthair in Tokyo, and a mini pinscher in Las Vegas. I reconnected with my passion and recently left the “dream job” in Silicon Valley to paint pet portraits full time. Occasionally, I exchange pet portraits for Airbnb stays in the spirit of the ancient barter system.

606 days later, I still don’t have a permanent mailing address, but I have become wiser and tougher in life, and experienced a full spectrum of humanity from empathy, conflict to cultural differences.

Yet, this project is beyond myself. When I complete an unthinkable idea, it empowers others. The most rewarding part is the weekly notes and photos I receive from female Chinese travelers about how they gained courage and strength to live in strangers' home. Currently, I am writing a book to pass on the values I learned from each host with the growing Chinese middle class and millennials.

More Information:

• You can read my blog and unique stays here. Instagram @365dOnAirbnb Twitter: @chenyuz
• Stay tuned for more useful articles, feel free to follow my Linkedin account:

1. for Hosts: how to prepare for guests from China
2. for Guests: how to find a desirable Airbnb
3. Going to China soon? Check out my hand-picked Airbnbs here

• 微信公众号： 苹果姐姐 (AppleSister_ ) WeChat ID: apple_chenyuz (please include an intro)
• a 4 min documentary filmed in Beijing with English subtitles:

Chenyu's 24 Hour Food Guide of Santa Monica and Venice Beach:

If you have read this far, I will include a little bonus section about "Why" :

A few weeks ago, I ran into Airbnb's CEO Brian Chesky and he asked me:

Why are you so obsessed with Airbnb?

It dates back to August 2006 when I flew from China to the U.S. for high school. I too arrived at rural Connecticut with 2 suitcases, in the middle of the Berkshire mountains. I thought I was different from everyone at Hotchkiss at every level: public school all my life, 3rd tier city in China, limited English and on a scholarship. Naturally, I did not belong there. I was a misfit.

Luckily, I had a host family for Thanksgiving and holidays. Jean and Bill, a retired couple who were doctors in the U.S. Army. Hosting is part of their life: for over 30 years, they welcomed backpackers and international students. I was invited into their life: making bread and granola from scratch, decorating home with items they collected from worldwide travel, and watching birds and bears in the forest.

They taught me what it means to welcome strangers home with a warm heart and showed me daily ritual for appreciation of life.

Jean and Bill are my first BNB hosts and my "American Grandparents".