Bushwick yoga instructor fulfills her dream with Airbnb

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Ever thought about renting out your home on Airbnb? With hosts in more than 34,000 cities and 190 countries, Airbnb allows travelers to forgo impersonal hotel rooms in favor of private homes.

The popular home sharing website has a lot more to offer hosts than extra income (although that doesn’t hurt). By listing with Airbnb, Brooklyn residents can create lasting friendships with people from all over the world. Airbnb hosts can serve as hyperlocal ambassadors, introducing people to their neighborhoods and encouraging visitors to spend money in their community.

An added benefit? Your earnings just might help you pursue your dream job.

Bushwick denizen Laura has experienced first-hand the goodwill of strangers in a foreign country. She previously worked as an international travel teacher, “often relying on the generosity of others to host me in their homes while I was stationed at a school.”

For the past three years, she has been the one opening up her doors to out-of-towners. In addition to reciprocating the hospitality that she once benefited from, listing with Airbnb allows Laura to pursue her “dream job with a social enterprise.”

A program director at Fly Yoga Arts — a yoga startup that brings “integrative movement education” into schools — the money she makes from Airbnb helps her manage New York’s high rents.

“I didn’t have to take an office job that I felt disconnected to in order to get health insurance and afford my rent,” she says. “I think the world needs more people who are alive in their work.”

Laura relishes introducing travelers to her neighborhood. One of Laura’s new favorite spots is Las Lunitas, which serves up Latin fare and is within easy walking distance of her apartment. She also likes to direct folks to longstanding enterprises, “to support the businesses that have been around long before we were.”. Case in point: Circo’s, an Italian bakery that dates back to the 1940s.

Prior to welcoming Airbnb guests into her home, Laura gets in touch with them and reads through their reviews. Doing so allows her to better prepare for her visitors’ arrival, and gives her and her roommates a sense of security.

Along with a list of recommendations, she provides advice on getting around (a topic that frequently comes up). But Laura’s hospitality doesn’t end there. Some of her guests may even get a special souvenir from their stay.

“I have made some pretty hilarious hand-drawn maps of the neighborhood,” she says.

Learn more about listing with Airbnb—and start enjoying the perks of hosting!