Experiencing More While Traveling Less
This post was created in partnership with Airbnb.
As we near the one year marker of staying safer-at-home, I’m increasingly appreciative of creative connectivity, and our ability to experience more digitally while (reluctantly) traveling less physically.
One of our go-to outlets for safely learning and adventuring (as individuals, a couple, or a family) while sheltering in place has been Airbnb’s Online Experiences. Towards the start of the pandemic, I actually taught a handful of small space living classes via live video from the Cottage for Experiences. (It’s something I would’ve happily continued to do if West attended school and if parts of our property weren’t shared with neighboring homes, but our situation made it a bit too tricky for me to sustain.)
Above: Leading an Airbnb Online Experience from the Cottage (2020)
I learned just how much effort, energy and expertise goes into these online classes, and how magically they can connect people from around the globe as we keep our communities safer by staying home whenever possible.
The first digital Experience I attended myself was all about propagating plants. It’s a skill that came in handy throughout the summer— and even as recently as last week, when I clipped a part of my favorite plant from the Cottage in preparation for our cross-country move.
Above: Attending Hilton Carter’s Airbnb Online Experience (Summer 2020)
Below is a roundup of some of our favorites, as well as a few classes we plan to virtually attend in the near future.
Propagating Plants with Hilton Carter
Personal note: I attended this online experience offered by author, filmmaker, designer and plant expert Hilton Carter last summer, and it was brilliant.
From the listing: “The thing that got me excited about bringing plants into my home when I first started was propagation. Being able to take a cutting from one plant, place it in water, watch as the root system develops and then pot it in soil to make a new plant is the best way to start your journey in greenery. Propagation teaches you so much about care, bonding, and patience when it comes to your plants. This experience will start with me talking about my background and my personal journey and passion for greenery. I will then lead the class through the proper steps for propagating indoor houseplants. This won't include outdoor gardening or edible plants. Through show and tell, I will introduce you to various types of plants--from fiddle leaf figs to monsteras, succulents and cacti--and the best ways to cut them. We will then discuss what vessels work best to place them in, the water needed and how often to refresh or replace that water. Then we’ll talk about how to transition the cutting from water to soil once the roots have developed.”
How to Paint with Red Wine
From the listing: “This activity is very special, it is not only about the art, but as well about enjoying the time in a good company. We will learn to paint with RED WINE only. At the moment very few people worldwide use this technique, and I would be very happy to use it with you and help you paint with something that everyone has in their home.During the class I will explain the difference between wine technique and watercolors. I will help you understand more about supplies as paintbrushes and paper. Why we use some and not use other supplies. I will explain as well the basics of drawing lines, and how those help us on expressing ourselves.”
Animal Sanctuary Virtual Experience
From the listing: “You may not be able to visit us in person but you can still meet our amazing residents here! 100% of your tour fees goes directly to the animals. At The Riley Farm Rescue, we are able to bring the tour to you, virtually! These tours are interactive, engaging, and informative. They are great for groups and a fun team activity! We will take you around the farm to learn some fun facts about the animals and enjoy a virtual visit. You can hear their rescue stories and learn about their individual personalities. We can't wait to show you around!”
Chocolate Origins & Creation with a Maker
From the listing: “On this experience you’ll learn the true story of how chocolate becomes the world’s favourite sweet, a bitter sweet tale of hard work, artisanship and how business can be a force for good. We start with our special welcome to Jamaica. We’re located on the edge of the Blue Mountains overlooking Kingston. We’ll look down across the city towards the harbour as I give a brief history of the island and the historical use of cacao. We then get to know each other before we make our inclusion bars. I’ll tell you about how I went from a BBC Correspondent to a chocolate maker before I explain how we go from the raw ingredients to the finished yummy product. I’ll show you how to hand temper chocolate, from our original development kitchen using a bowl, a table and a spatula. Before I walk you through creating your own custom made inclusion chocolate bars.We then go right into the farm, driving over a river bed, to have a closer look at the cacao estate. We’ll introduce you to the pods up close, we’ll look inside the fruit and I’ll explain how the beans are fermented on the farm and how the nibs are processed before we unveil your bespoke bars.”
Discover the Night Sky from a Big City
Personal note: Once, as we were driving through Los Angeles, my then-3 year old looked at a long line of street lamps and remarked, “Look! Stars!” I knew at that moment that I needed to learn more about observing the night sky from the city as a family.
From the listing: “Always been curious about how to observe the night sky from a big city and how telescopes works? If yes, then this experience is for you! The experience is done online, by remotely using a telescope that is setup in my backyard, in Los Angeles. The experience will start by an intro on constellations and what is visible during the evening of the tour. Guests will learn the basics of how to read a star map. Then, guests will learn about the telescope that we will use, how it works and what can be observe with it (planets, galaxies, nebula, etc...). For at least 30 minutes, the guests will remotely use the telescope to observe the objects they selected from the star map presented during the intro. The view seen through the telescope will be broadcasted on a shared screen in Zoom, that each participants can seen what the telescope is seeing. Once the telescope is pointed to a night sky object, participant will be able to take a picture of it. The guests will leave the experience with the pictures of galaxies, nebulae and stars that they took during the experience. They will also leave with a better understanding of how telescopes work and how simple it can be to observe the night sky, even from big cities!”
