In Sept 2015, Chenyu returned to LA from Shenzhen and lived in different Airbnbs for 365 days, during which she knocked open 99 doors and shared a slice of life with pilots, filmmakers and artists.
Chenyu “travelled” within the city of Los Angeles, explored 20 neighborhoods and experienced the full spectrum of humanity from empathy, conflict, help from strangers, and culture differences. This journey made her belong to LA, a mega-city that she used to feel distant to.
Her live blog and lifestyle has become a media phenomenon in China, and inspired hundreds of Chinese travelers to use Airbnb.
After moving to SF, Chenyu’s urban nomad life has been more challenging. To make it affordable, Chenyu started pet-sitting and paint dogs for hosts to exchange for stays.
Discussion topics:
– urban nomad: Why, what, how, challenges, memorable stories
– Take aways for hosts & guests
– co-living & subscription service to productize urban nomad lifestyle
– culture differences as an Asian traveler, such as recycling / composting, continental breakfast does not include eggs, and “bed sheet” is not common in Asia, which can lead to better guest/host experiences
