My Week of Traveling During Lockdown [With Airbnb Online Experiences]

In the span of the last seven days, I meditated with a Buddhist monk in Japan, learned Irish step dancing in Galway, learned the art of salsa making in Mexico City, discussed apartheid in Cape Town, and watched a drag show in Lisbon.

I’m sure you think I’m pulling your leg. Because this was all done during a lockdown, no less.

But it’s the truth.

I did all these things thru the beauty of technology and virtual tours.

With everyone stuck inside under lockdown, I think it’s more important than ever to find ways to connect and take part in shared experiences. That’s why I wrote my first article on Virtual Experiences (READ IT HERE: 15 Virtual Experiences To Do From Home).

At the time of writing that post, Airbnb had not yet launched it’s new Online Experience offerings. But as soon as the official email went out last weekend, I immediately booked 8 tours (this is so typical me…unable to make a decision so I just choose all).

If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ve probably heard me talk about my love for Airbnb Experiences (or maybe saw my virtual travel story highlights in real time!) The funny thing is, I don’t really use Airbnb for accommodations that frequently, so this love affair is mainly with their tours. But I find it such a wonderful way to find cool, unique experiences when I travel.

But what is an Airbnb Online Experience?

Airbnb’s Online Experiences are cultural experiences done thru Zoom. They take the form of classes, tours, and activities and are geared towards immersing you in a a unique experience. The first batch have mainly been adapted from in-person experiences that were popular on the platform (which makes sense). And definitely shows in the quality of the experiences.

So if you need a distraction from the state of the world, a fun activity to do with coworkers, or just a cure for your wanderlust, I highly recommend you give Airbnb Online Experiences a try (links to the one’s I did are below for you as well!). Without further ado, here’s my week of travel around the world during covid19….

Wine Lesson in Portugal

For my first Airbnb Online Experience, I selected Wine Tasting with Cool Wine Expert. Getting to learn about wine “from the comfort of your own home” sounded like the perfect way to kickoff my week of virtual tours around the world. Plus I think I liked that this host wasn’t like those regular wine experts, he’s a coolwine expert.

Ahead of time, Rafa, our host had let us know which wines to pick up for the wine class. He recommended a Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay & a Pinot Noir or Cabernet – as well as some cheese to see how it changes the flavor of the wines. He also made a note that he can you could make sure of any wine you have in the house too.

Before the Zoom, I set out the wines we had and a bit of Cheddar Gruyere I had lying around. At 7pm we clicked on the Zoom link that had been sent out and met Rafa.

Rafa lives in Portugal on a winery near Porto. He works all day long running the winery, as well as hosting in person (and now online) tours.

After getting to know each other a bit, it became clear that the other guests had gotten the time zone messed up (tip #1 for virtual tours, triple check the time zone!!!) So Colin (my boyfriend) and I got a private wine lesson. Which worked just perfectly for us!

I’ve done in-person wine tours in South Africa, Portugal and a few other places and I’ve always had fun, but never learned very much. I would promptly forget everything shortly after the tour ended (whether it’s from inebriation or what, who knows). Rafa’s online experience, however, was different. I feel like I walked away with so much useful information about how wines differ, how to pair wines with food, and how to shop for wine in the future.

Rafa was super passionate and friendly and I feel like we made a new friend over the course of 90 minutes too.

Airbnb Experience Meditating with Buddhist Monk

Meditation in Japan

For my next Airbnb Experience, I wanted to try something totally different. So I signed up for a Meditation with a Japanese Buddhist Monk. I’ve tried meditation before, with varying degrees of success. But it’s always something I’ve meant to make more of a habit.

In contrast to our wine class, this Zoom experience had 8 or so other participants…from various cities around the US, as well as the UK. Our guide Kuniatsu had been a Buddhist monk for nearly 20 years and was experienced in zen meditation.

Kuniatsu described the basics of meditation – like the importance of breathing and chanting – in an animated and comedic fashion. He had a big personality – could sustain across millions of miles and a computer screen. He explained how so much of your day revolves around worrying about the future or regretting the past—and your daily meditation is a time to let that all go and just stay present, here and now.

We then began a 20 minute chant – Om Balada Handoh May Un – I’m still unclear what we were saying….but Kuniatsu explained that you can really chant anything. It’s less about the specific words and more about the repetition, rhythm and going deep into your practice.

Let me tell you—chanting for 20 minutes is hard. I never realized how short of breath I am. And I’m so bad at sitting still. I walk like 20K steps a day and am pretty fidgety.

The next piece was a bit easier – breathing. He told us to breath out, imagine we are pushing away all the negative thoughts and energy. For 10 minutes we pushed all the bad out of our mouths (and life).

I was a little worried I wouldn’t be able to settle (like the previous exercise) but I actually became very relaxed and calm during this exercise. I let go of the million things I had been doing earlier….all the work emails and to-dos lists and just focused on being in the moment.

I left the Zoom feeling very centered and ready to face the world.

Apartheid Lesson in South Africa

Continuing in my trip around the world…my next stop took me to Cape Town, South Africa to meet Ricky Marais – a black man (although technically mixed race) born and raised in District 6.

His Lessons in Apartheidexperience was structured a little bit like a history class – with a personal twist. After quick introductions, he shared his screen and a PowerPoint he had put together. Taking us thru a brief history of apartheid, he gave us a glimpse into life in Cape Town during this time thru digital photographs and stories, and explained how the apartheid system marginalized, discriminated, and left it’s mark on the most vulnerable people in the city.

The climax of his story was the District 6 removals – when sixty thousand black residents were forced from their homes, as the whites in power attempted to gentrify the center of Cape Town.

Ricky spent the latter half of the lesson sharing his own personal story – he came from nothing, had little education in his early years, but he ended up teaching himself….and dedicated his life to activism and community development.

He shared some interesting thoughts – one of the most notable that “we aren’t responsible for the first education we receive—be it good or bad, it’s a matter of what we were born into. But we are responsible for what comes after and how we shape our own fate.” His message was one of hope and just how resilient the human spirit can be.

WWII Storytelling & Remembrance Discussion in Germany

This next one, I really wasn’t too sure what I was getting into. But being a WWII history buff, the title intrigued me – Back in Time with My WWII Penpal. It’s good right?!

When I logged into Zoom…right off the bat I could tell I made a good choice. Maria, the host living in Berlin, was warm, bubbly and passionate and the guests were women, of all ages & circumstances, from around the world – from Dubai, to Colombia, to Amish country in the US.

Maria started off by having everyone share a little bit about themselves – and instead of the usual “I’m xx, I’m from xx”…next person….the other women took things a bit deeper. They opened up about how the lockdown was going…some were living alone and it was tough, others were being super productive taking classes, some were parents challenged by having to homeschool their kids, others were students navigating their classes moving online. It was a mix of reactions to what was going on in the world, from all different perspectives.

After our round of getting to know one another, Maria began her presentation. I’m not going to get into the details of her story (because you should absolutely SIGN UP for the experience and hear it yourself!). But the theme at the crux of the session was remembrance and the importance of storytelling.

After hearing the riveting true story of Maria’s penpal, the Zoom transformed into a group discussion on remembrance – why it’s important and some of the specific sites, museums, and relics around the world that have had an impact on us. It felt like such an important message – especially now – when we are finally in a position to take a step back, be present and listen more.

One woman expressed a positive element to the lockdown was that for the first time ever, she was getting to know her neighbors. Instead of going straight from home to work, they were stopping to share how their day was and parts of themselves. And as a direct result, she was now noticing and appreciating the small acts of kindness they would bestow on each other as well.

There are stories all around us, waiting to be discovered. If only we take the time to look around, ask and listen. The simple act of curiosity can spark invaluable experiences and relationships.

Dance Workout in Ireland

Here’s the thing about me – I love dance, but I’m terrible at it. I spend my evenings and weekends doing things like Zumba and Kardio Krunk (a sort of follow dance with a lot of hip hop music) but my ability to master choreography is about a negative 2.

So I knew going into the Irish Dance Masterclassthat it could be a total flop and embarrassment or really fun. Depending on how I approached it.

So this class had a bit of a different demo than the previous classes I’ve taken. The other 2 Zoom living rooms were both moms with two young daughters (they were between the ages of like 5-10). Right off the bat, that got me excited because kids have the power to make everything a bit more fun and special.

Aneta, our host, started off by giving us a bit of background on herself and Irish dance. We were going to learn 2 different dance – Irish step dancing and a older form. Irish dance actually took me back to the one time I took tap dancing classes. And it wasn’t too hard. I felt like I caught on after not too embarrassing of a time frame. The old style was a little tougher for me personally because I kept losing my balance in my socks!

I wouldn’t replace my morning workout with novice Irish dancing, but I can see how you could work up a sweat the more advanced you got. All in all, I enjoyed the experience and felt an hour was the perfect amount of time.

Gin Cocktails & Mixology in England

Now this next one was really fun. It was a called GINspiration History & Cocktails at Home. The host, Samuel, was animated and energetic (even though it must have been quite late for him in the UK).

He shared a succinct history of gin in a very entertaining and fun fashion and we mixed 3 cocktails during the course of our session. Each one was quite tasty (2 of which I will definitely make in the future!!)

We made 3 cocktails – French 75, Secret Garden, and a Cosmo. Not being a huge fan of prosecco, the French 75 wasn’t my favorite. But I LOVED the Secret Garden – it was the perfect combination of cucumber and lemon – lightly sweet, crisp & refreshing – it’s definitely a drink I will make again. The Cosmo is a classic I used to drink all the time – and apparently I need to pick that habit up again!

The pace of the course was quite fast, and my tipsy brain had to get clarification every once in a while. But I’d so much rather have a fast-paced course than a slow one!

The Samuel and the rest of the group were cracking jokes throughout and it made for a very pleasant and fun way to spend a Friday afternoon. Don’t plan to do anything productive afterwards, since Samuel & the crew definitely encourage you to pour strong haha.

Salsa Making in Mexico City

What better way to spend a Saturday morning than to travel to Mexico City to Learn to Cook Salsas! Natalie was a fantastic host – super personable, funny and energetic. She started off the lesson by explaining that there were 3 ways to make salsa – raw (as in pico de gallo), roasted and fried.

Over the course of 90 minutes, we got to try out making one of each type of salsa. Starting with the roasted and fried salsas was a smart move, as the fragrant smell immediately transported my mind to Mexico. The first two, cooked concurrently, but the result was very different. The fried salsa was thick and creamy, while the roasted was a bit lighter and spicy.

Honestly I couldn’t believe they turned out as good as they did because I’m not much of a cook (lol).

The final salsa we made was raw – a pico de gallo – and even though I’m not a fan of tomatoes and usually skip pico, even I thought this was amazing. I used mango in mine so it was a little sweet, with just the perfect amount of lime and cilantro. Mine didn’t look that pretty because I’m a shitty chopper but it tasted awesome.

I would highly recommend this cooking class for novices and experienced cooks alike. All three recipes were simple and repeatable. Can’t wait to serve these at a party once we’re out of lockdown!

Sangria & Drag Show in Portugal

After a few hours break, I went right back into activities with Sangria & Secrets with Drag Queens. This was one of the first ones I booked and one that I was undoubtedly most excited for. I mean, with a title like that, who wouldn’t be?!

It was impossible not to smile from the moment we logged onto the Zoom. Pedro, our host, was so energetic, festive, & fun….he had us do a round of introductions – using it as an opportunity to flirt with everyone’s husbands (lol).

This was by far the biggest group I had on an Airbnb experience. There were 25 homes on the zoom – although many homes had more than one person on (I’m guessing the total number was closer to 50 guests). Surprisingly, everyone on the Zoom was from the US! I guess it was due to the time this session as held (it was past midnight in Europe).

After introductions, Pedro told us we all looked TERRIBLE and told us to take 60 seconds to go run and get something more fun on. I grabbed my signature glitter and a gold sparkly jacket, reminiscent of Madonna’s from Desperately Seeking Susan.

Pedro helped everyone adapt the sangria recipe based on the items they had in their house. And it turned out simply wonderful. My boyfriend has already had like 4 glasses tonight. It’s actually a bit dangerous that we’re in lockdown right now with no one to share this with!

Over the 90 minute experience there was singing, dancing, drinking, costumes….it was every bit as fun as the title may suggest. I would highly recommend checking out their online experience OR trying out the 6 hour version of their show when in Lisbon!

Well this wraps up my 7 days of Virtual Experiences around the world. While nothing is ever going to replace the feeling of actually traveling, being able to virtually “explore” the world – with unique experiences and people from all over - certainly helped satiate my burning wanderlust. And most importantly, it gave me something to look forward to each day, in this time of confusion, uncertainty and fear. These are difficult times, and taking an hour each day to connect, laugh, and reflect left me feeling a more centered and ready to face the world.

I hope you check out some virtual tours and when you do please share with me!! (Maybe I will sign up too!)

As always, if you enjoyed this article, I’d love for you to share! xo