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Writer's pictureKatrina Julia

Our Adventures in Our Airbnb Adventure in Mexico

Are you dreaming of creating a life and business you love? Do you imagine expression, time, location, community and ultimately financial freedom? Yet, you have no idea where to start?

Would you love to transform and travel with the community you love around the world? There is nothing like unexpected surprises that blow your mind that you never see coming.


You love to create content and share what you love with others. Perhaps, you are a multi-passionate entrepreneur, creator, blogger, and traveler already? Maybe you dream of traveling, or you have traveled and dream of global adventures?


You've traveled solo or participated in press trips as an influencer. You feel the desire for creating a life and business you love with time and location freedom. You yearn for a community that gets you and your desires to transform and inspire others.


Everything from online and live experiences and adventures is possible for you to create. Whether you want to create online, teach people how to create a life and business they love, or do it all; it is possible.


You love to transform and teach. Yet, you don't know where to even begin to host your own experiences or retreats. You want to share incredible experiences with others online and live.


I get it. The journey of wellness, lifestyle, and entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart. It involves figuring out your passions, purpose, people, and profits. One of the most challenging aspects is researching platforms to connect with people that are interested in your experiences.


You may know that Airbnb lists homes on their platform, but #didyouknow that they offer opportunities to create and list experiences and adventures too?


I've listed wellness, lifestyle and media experiences on Airbnb, and helped others do the same. My adventure with Airbnb doesn't stop there. I've stayed at Airbnb's globally, hosted our retreats via Airbnb, became a volunteer Community Manager, and got hosted for an Airbnb Adventure in Mexico in 2019.


There are many ways for you to experience adventures in life.

Imagine yourself in our adventures in our Airbnb Adventure in Mexico.




Insights into Creating Communities


As a multi-passionate creator, educator and traveler, I am constantly creating, researching and testing platforms from an influencer, entrepreneur and brand side. That's why when Airbnb launched their experiences in Atlanta, I jumped at the opportunity to list wellness, media and lifestyle workshops.


I've gotten to host people via Airbnb at experiences, events and retreats I never would have met without the platform since 2016. I've hosted people with MindBody, marketing agencies and college students.


So, when I received an email from their community and content team for Airbnb experience hosts to be considered for Community Managers, I said yes again. I sent in videos expressing my passion and purpose, as well as why I would make a great volunteer Community Manager for Atlanta Experience Hosts.


I am grateful I am selected for this role in Atlanta. Imagine my surprise and gratitude when I (with other community managers globally) get asked to complete a survey about available dates for travel earlier this year for an unknown opportunity.


Now, close your eyes and imagine getting an email a few weeks later being selected to be hosted with an Airbnb Adventure in Mexico: Holbox Island, Pink Lakes and Valldolid! Huge thanks to Ashley, Katherine and the Community and Content Team for gifting me one of my bucket list places!


You may be curious about what our adventures in our Airbnb Adventure looked like!

Don't let me leave you hanging too long!


Above shot at Holbox Island on Day 2 of our Airbnb Adventure.



Content Creation Strategies When You Travel


I am so grateful Airbnb chose me and global Community managers to host for adventures globally. I considered coming to Mexico for the Airbnb Adventure in Mexico without extended travel. However, I quickly realized extending my travel before and after included numerous benefits including content creation with blogging, videography, and our mastermind. I wanted to explore Chiibal Hostal as well for a potential wellness and lifestyle entrepreneur retreat 2020-2022 as well.


I am huge on making the most of every opportunity in life

I love Mexico and felt the pull to go back for years. This is my first trip back for 20+ years. There are other places I have visited in the last 20+ years and simply hadn't gone back to Mexico. Previously, I've visited Cozumel and Cancun. The country, culture, and experiences offer something for everyone. Mexico is bucket list worthy in every way.


I knew traveling to Mexico would give me countless ways to create content for our blog, podcast and mastermind. Within the first week of finding out about the trip, I outlined a content creation list to start for our lifestyle entrepreneur platform with blogs, podcasts and videos including features with Airbnb, as well as articles to reach out to tourism bureaus and magazines with.


Creating content like a boss included day by day recap videos, features on traveling healthy, and the Airbnb adventure to name a few of the blogging, podcasting and video features. Our content creation strategy included filming daily videos for our Creation Club online mastermind resulting in over 180 days of content for the online course.

I'll share more on the content created in How to Create Content Like a Boss: Mexico Edition after this post and podcast, as well as 7 Ways to Create Content When You Travel: Mexico Edition.


I love to give you insight into my mindset, how opportunities come about, and the behind the scenes as well. Speaking of which, let's talk about our adventures in our Airbnb Adventure.



Three Days of Adventure in our Airbnb Adventure in Mexico


I loved having Wednesday to Saturday in Mexico before our Airbnb Adventure started. Years ago, I used to travel last minute and/or cram travel to have an experience. I love now to have more than enough time and space in every way. I made sure I set that intention and created the space for my Mexico Trip. I'll share more on my upcoming post a week in Mexico.


Our Airbnb Adventure in Mexico started on a Saturday: Day 1 of our Adventure. Prior to our trip, Gustavo and Cedric our hosts did a great job communicating in the Airbnb chat on logistics, diet and transportation.


Some of the Airbnb community manager's selected for this Airbnb Adventure came early like I did. Others came in the day of the adventure. Our Airbnb Adventure in Mexico included Community Managers from all around the globe. I love creating community so meeting so many incredible people is such an awesome experience for me.


Community Managers

Alan from Canada

Jan from Canada

Christy from Tennessee

Sherie from Canada

Dominique from California

Pandora from Louisiana



Day 1

After four days of exploring Mexico and Cancun on my own and creating content, our Airbnb Adventure started,


Our host, Gustavo picked us up from central locations. Fortunately, Pandora (an experience host from New Orleans and I stayed at Chiibal Hostal, which was really close to one of the original spots so Gustavo and Cedric picked us up from there.


The adventure started with our group traveling to Chiquilá to catch the ferry to Holbox Island. The group in our minbus bonded in amazing ways from the start with lots of laugher. We stopped for food, bathroom and of course Coconuts! We had many awesome "coconutty" moments!



Coconut Hut on the Way from Cancun to Chiquila
Coconut Hut on the Way from Cancun to Chiquila





I'm Coconuts Over You Shot on my Canon EOS M100
I'm Coconuts Over You



We arrived in Hoblox Island just as the sun was setting, and captured some beautiful moments by the Holbox Island sign. I literally felt like we were in a feature of the National Geographic or episode of the Travel Channel with this car-less island of less than 20,000 people.



Holbox Island
Holbox Island



We arrived to check-in to our adorable Airbnb villa with the Ohana (family in Hawaii) sign on the outside. After unpacking, we headed to town to explore a bit while we waited for the rest of our group to arrive from Cancun.



Our Airbnb In Holbox Island
Our Airbnb In Holbox Island


We got to visit a healthy fresh fruit juice bar in town ( I tried Guanabana for the first time). The owner, Deni is super sweet!





We experienced another great #instagrammable moment with another Holbox Island sign.





Once the rest of the group arrived, we headed to a local spot for some yummy ceviche (my fave) and more! Afterwards, we experienced Bioluminescence in Holbox Island. According to an article by Off the Tourist Treadmill, Bioluminescence is light produced by an animal.  It is a chemical reaction between Luciferin and Oxygen.


It's incredible seeing the impact when you create movements in the water. Its magical. I loved swimming in the water and seeing the glitter like phenomenon all around me. The wonder of the night is amplified with the clear night sky and the constellations you see as well. Apparently, its something you may experience in select locations around the globe.


Afterwards, some of us headed back to the villa to change and to grab some street food in Holbox Island. I ate incredible grilled chicken with Chimichurri sauce! Highly recommend!



Day 2

I woke up early (second earliest riser that day) and started the day with my morning routine. Afterwards, I walked around by the ferry to film some content for Youtube, IGTV, and for our Creation Club mastermind before we started our group activities.





After I got back, our retreat had breakfast and a brainstorming meeting with Airbnb on Airbnb experiences, I love seeing a community create, transform and inspire!


Once we wrapped that up, we headed over to Holbox Island beach and the hammocks!

Talk about Travel Channel moments!






Holbox Island Hammocks
Holbox Island Hammocks


Swinging Into Creating a Life and Business I Love Like
Swinging Into Creating a Life and Business I Love Like



Holbox island
Holbox island

After some beach time, we headed back to the villa to grab our luggage and golf carts to head back to the ferry. I will definitely be back to Holbox Island. I love the chill and relaxed vibe of the island.


We took the ferry back to Chiquila to drive to our next destination (and one of my bucket list items - Las Coloradas - Pink Lakes, Mexico. I am beyond grateful and blown away!


Our tour guide took this awesome panoramic shot of each of us.



A few things to know about visiting Pink Lakes, Mexico:


1) Allow for extra travel time and busy season if applies to the time of the year you go.

2) All visits are guided by a tour guide step by step.

3) You aren't allowed to take professional cameras anymore due to an incident they had.

. If you have one, it must be in a bag.

4) Only iPhones and camera phones are allowed for photography.

5) No swimming is allowed due to prior contamination to the water


(See my behind the scenes video below)


Las Coloradas: Pink Lakes, Mexico, Yucatan
Las Coloradas: Pink Lakes, Mexico, Yucatan

We each got a quick mini photoshoot at sunset.

Pink Lakes, Mexico
Pink Lakes, Mexico






Our Airbnb Adventure Hosts Gustavo, Cedric and I.



Our Guide Felix and I




While we were at Pink Lakes, we realized it was too late to head over to Rio Lagartos because of the timing, logistics, and sunset so we headed straight to Valladolid. Valladolid is a beautiful colonial town. It reminds me of Havana, Cuba.


We got there in time to explore the colonial town square a bit and grab some food. I loved our colonial two story Airbnb in Valladolid as well.









Day 3


Our last day of our Airbnb Adventure and time in Valladolid was super relaxing. I shared a room and we had a beautiful balcony outside where I got to have my morning routine and create content.


Some people left early so by the time I came downstairs some of the group was gone. We then headed over to a nearby square for some incredible expresso while we waited on others in the group to get ready.








Later, once the rest our group was ready we headed over to walk to the nearby Cenote Zaci, natural swimming holes formed by the collapse of porous limestone bedrock. As a result, subterranean world of groundwater pools are revealed. The Mayans revered cenotes because they were a source of water in dry times. The name cenotes literally means sacred well.


Before we got there, we stopped at a beautiful coffee shop we literally ran into on the way, Pitagoras Cafe del Profesor. Don't you love surprises like that?





Right in front of Cenote Zaci



Cenote Zaci


After several relaxing and incredible hours enjoying Cenote Zaci (including jumping from the highest points), we headed back to our villa to finish up our adventure. Jan, Pandora and I headed to Cancun with our driver and co-host Juan. Pandora and Jan were catching flights back to Cancun.


I headed back to Chiibal Hostal for more adventures in Mexico including Isla Mujeres and giving back, beaches in Cancun, and content creation.



Chiibal Hostal, Mexico
Chiibal Hostal, Mexico



Isla Mujeres
Isla Mujeres


Walking Tour in Isla Mujeres via Airbnb
Walking Tour in Isla Mujeres via Airbnb


Volunteering with media and a video with Little Yellow School House in Isla Mujeres.






Airbnb Adventures in Mexico

Our Airbnb Adventure in Holbox Island, Pink Lakes and Valladolid blew me away in every way. As you read over this or tuned in, I am sure your brain is blown too! So much happened in three days that it felt like a lifetime! From Travel Channel moments to crossing off Bucket List items, my heart is. full in every way!


What are some of your dream destinations for 2020 and beyond? How could you take steps now to create a life and business you love globally? Don't over think it or judge your dreams in any way. If I did, I wouldn't have experienced this adventure.


One of my favorite quotes is "its only crazy until it happens". Transformation Church recently reminded me of this with the Crazy Faith series! Write down three domestic and international adventures you would love to experience in 2020 to start!


How will you create next? You'll love these tips on how to transform your life like a boss.


If you post on social media, please tag us @katrinajuliafit @fitlifecreation, Traveling soon?



CREATE WITH OUR COMMUNITY




 



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