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#TravelGoals: How I Rediscovered London With My Family & Airbnb

#TravelGoals: How I Rediscovered London With My Family & Airbnb

London is where I grew up. I moved there when I was 20 and lived there for 16 years. My kids were born there. I made many friends, had a thriving social life. London was home. Then POPxo happened – I moved to Delhi. For the first year after my move, I kept thinking I would be back in London soon, then it became two years and now it has been three. After all this time, I finally say I live in Delhi 🙂 As a result, going back to London is always bittersweet. It houses so many memories for me and the sheer thought of going back just as a visitor is hard.

So, I decided to not be a tourist and chose something that would make me feel at home: Airbnb! I chose an apartment in the vicinity of Marylebone – the area where I lived for so many years and it felt amazing. I could walk to my old haunts, order my favourite munchies from Deliveroo, it felt like I was once again living in the city, instead of simply visiting it. My kids loved it as well and it became the perfect oasis to decompress.

Life is super hectic. As the Founder and CEO of POPxo, I am never completely switched off. Even when I’m off the grid for a few hours (say, taking off and landing), I’m constantly connected. In fact, my colleagues tell me that I’m more available when I’m travelling.

A break from this fast-paced routine made my week in London seem even more heavenly. We walked everywhere – ate our way through the many places we loved, window-shopped and celebrated my daughter’s eighth birthday. After a long, fun day, back at the Airbnb, sitting on the couch with a cup of coffee, I took a moment and felt utterly blessed – for my wonderful family, for a thriving business and a fruitful life. I was close to the people I love the most.

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I am an Airbnb convert now. The two-bedroom apartment was exactly as advertised on the website – super high-tech, spick and span, and massive in terms of space. It was even air-conditioned – given the heatwave that London is currently experiencing – such a blessing!

Located off Oxford Street, I was minutes from all the places that I love – from Selfridges, my favourite restaurants like Roka and NAC, the delightful Marylebone High Street to my favourite hairdresser.

On this trip, I realised a major difference between a hotel and an Airbnb – the latter is more personal and warmer. It’s more than a place to stay; you really live there. You share the space with your loved ones and bond with them in little ways that make a difference; you cook meals or order in and you go about the daily routines and rhythms without any intrusion. My beautiful Airbnb apartment was home for me in every sense of the word. Check-in and check-out were seamless, and help was a quick message away.

TravelGoals How I Rediscovered London With My Family   Airbnb

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I really enjoyed my first Airbnb experience and can totally see it becoming an alternate way to travel. It gave me a chance to reconnect with my past – the city that I had left behind but never forgotten and the people who still celebrate my wins, even if it’s on calls and Instagram messages. London will always be my home in many ways, and now, thanks to Airbnb, I feel I have a place to go back to.

TravelGoals- How I Rediscovered London With My Family   Airbnb

You can book this beautiful home in London here.

AWESOME NEWS! POPxo SHOP is now Open! Get 25% off on all the super fun mugs, phone covers, cushions, laptop sleeves, and more! Use coupon code POPXOFIRST. Online shopping for women never looked better!

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11 Sep 2018

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