Sonia Marsh's Blog, page 10

Tips To Make Your Blog More Popular

It seems that everyone (over 35) has a blog these days, so how can you make yours stand out from all the others.

Well apart from doing something super gutsy like posting nude photos, (I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist,) being controversial or airing your dirty laundry, another way is to write as if you’re having a conversation with a friend.

Tip # 7:

“Keep your writing voice simple, cheery and a reflection of the way you speak.” –Little Tips to Boost Your Blog’s Popularity.  

So this morning I decided to experiment. I drove to my favorite park, pulled out my cell phone and recorded a pretend conversation with my fake friend. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a one-sided conversation.

Just a little background. I’m a divorced woman who refuses to dwell on the past, and is in the midst of planning her next gutsy adventure. My new goal is to encourage both men and women to take action and make the second part of their life, even more exciting than the first.

Here’s my pretend conversation with my fake friend Samantha

“This is the first time in my life I can do what the hell I please. I feel free. 

Now I can go to the pool at seven, then to Barnes & Noble, and buy a latte and read books until they close.

I don’t have to worry about being home at five to cook dinner for (John)-fake husband, and what’s really weird is that I no longer feel lonely.

The crazy part is I have no idea where I shall be living this time next year, or what I shall be doing. My life is in limbo.

“So what do you think you’ll do if the Peace Corps turns you down?” my fake friend asks.

I really don’t know. I did take a look at the TEFL/TESOL brochure last night and was kind of amazed by how many opportunities there are all over the world to teach English as a second language. It made me start thinking about just picking a country and moving there. I would get paid to teach, and if I like it, I could pick another country after that. 

Some countries pay your airfare and accommodation. I think Hong Kong, is one of them. I would love to live in several countries and teach English; it would be such an adventure to live for 6 months to a year in each country. The strange thing is many people who have done this seem to get addicted to it. They say it’s a life changing experience just like the Peace Corps.”

What do you think? Does it sound conversational? Have you tried writing conversational posts? 

There are several other tips which I found helpful on Career Girl’s Post called: “Little Tips to Boost Your Blog’s Popularity.”

I think we can all find something worth improving in order to stand out and, hopefully, become more popular bloggers.

I know that finding your #1 Target audience, is critical, and for me, this is shifting as I reinvent myself. I’m gradually moving away from the overly competitive field of authors/coaches/book promoters to my brand: Gutsy Living®.

So #1 Target audience means:

You need to know who reads your blog and why. Knowing this will help you direct your content better, so give a little bit of thought to it. Who do you want to read this blog and what kind of content will they come back for? –“Little Tips to Boost Your Blog’s Popularity.”

Here is the list of topics covered in Beth’s blog.

#1 Target audience

#2 Be objective

#3 Create 

#4 About page

#5 Social Media

#6 Freebies

#7 Writing

#8 Be human

Which topic do you feel you need to work on to make your blog more popular?

Are You Happy? Here’s what Happy Sounds Like

Children from the Abu Shouk camp for internally displaced perform traditional dances at the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, El Fasher, Sudan. UN Photo/Albert Gonzalez Farran

 

Here’s what Happy Sounds Like.

http://www.happysoundslike.com/en/ind...

I’d like to share:

The Ten Keys to Happier Living based on a review of the latest research from psychology and related fields. Everyone’s path to happiness is different, but the evidence suggests these Ten Keys consistently tend to have a positive impact on people’s happiness and well-being.

The following 5 daily activities are based on the Five Ways to Wellbeing developed by nef as part of the Foresight Project.

Do things for others “When I help someone, I get so much out of it myself.”
Connect with people “We are lucky to be able to connect with people from every part of our planet. I met Mandy Rowe online.”
Take care of your body “Working out at my local gym, and swimming has kept me sane, after long hours at my desk. What about you?”
Notice the world around “Do you pay attention to what is around you or are you glued to your i-phone?”
Keep learning new things “I’m always trying to learn new things. Lately I’ve been watching YouTube videos on how to use TRX equipment so I can vary my exercise routine and take this equipment with me anywhere in the world.

The second five keys come from inside us and depend on our attitude to life.

Have goals to look forward to My goals to look forward to are taking the TESOL certificate in London this April-May. Also hoping to serve in Africa this  for the Peace Corps.
Find ways to bounce back I’m finding many ways to bounce back after my divorce, staying busy, exercising, coaching authors and working on my projects.
Take a positive approach I listen to Louise Hay, CDs while I’m driving as she has such a positive outlook on life.
Be comfortable with who you are We don’t need to compare ourselves to others. I wrote an article for indie-authors about the truth that many authors are scared to admit. Many of you thanked me for being honest.
Be part of something bigger I think we all want to find meaning and purpose to our lives. Doing good to others makes us happy.

I’ve summarized the 10 keys and hope you click on the ones that interest you.

“About the Ten Keys The Ten Keys to Happier Living framework was jointly developed by Vanessa King and the Action for Happiness team in 2010, based on an extensive review of the latest research evidence relating to psychological/mental wellbeing.”

Tweet #InternationalDayOfHappiness

Why Boomers Rock-They Will Revamp the Economy

 

If you were born between 1946-1964, you belong to the baby boomers that rock club:

“The wealthiest, most active, and most physically fit generation up to that time.” (Wikipedia.)

Unlike our parent’s generation, today’s baby boomers are looking forward to starting something meaningful to them, something they are passionate about, and reinventing themselves.

Sitting indoors and watching TV (which in my opinion is dumbing us down daily) or crocheting or playing golf, are not so much the aspirations of today’s baby boomers. No, we are searching for something meaningful, a second career, travel and adventure. (Well, there are some exceptions, but I’m talking about the boomers that rock.)

Belize, Ambergris Caye, near our house.

For generations, the dream retirement was one spent in warmer climates, on the beach relaxing. Things have changed, and according to Chris Farrell, author of Unretirement: How Baby Boomers Are Changing the Way We Think About Work, Community and the Good Life.

“As people are living longer and in better health, they’re working longer, too. And opportunities for the 55 and up group are going way beyond the stereotypical part-time gig at the local supermarket, he says.

Chris Farrell, says that what scares people most about getting older isn’t aging — it’s retirement. Why is that?

Many baby boomers haven’t saved enough money for retirement
Many private sector workers don’t have access to a retirement savings plan at work
It’s expensive to educate your kids

Today’s boomers are asking:

What does retirement mean? What does my last third of life mean?
People are essentially more open to the idea that working later in life doesn’t have to be a bad thing.

Farrell believes that we need a sabbatical to think about what to do next.

“People don’t want to walk away from their skills or knowledge. But they don’t necessarily want to work a 40 to 50 hour workweek either.” Washington Post.

So that explains why the Rotary Clubs and Peace Corps are experiencing a larger percentage of boomers showing interest than ever before. Rotary’s philosophy is to “find your passion” and, once a member has developed a project, Rotary provides volunteers and financial support.

In 2012, a new program was formed called Peace Corps Response; a program that may be more appealing to older adults because it requires a shorter time commitment, three months to a year instead of the traditional 27-month commitment. In 2014, more than a third of people who applied for Peace Corps Response positions were 50 and older.

The New York Times  has an article on, “Rotary and Peace Corps Find Relevance With Retirees.”

Kate Burrus with students she taught in St. Thomas Parish, Jamaica. She and her husband, John Granger, recently finished their second assignment with the Peace Corps. Credit John Granger

“Rotary was the original social network, way before Facebook,” said John Hewko, general secretary of Rotary International.

“We have Rotarians in their 70s and 80s traveling to Nigeria to work on polio and traveling to Bolivia to work on a water project,” Mr. Hewko said. “For our retiree members, it’s incredibly important to stay engaged with people, to be out and about, and to be giving back.”

Like Rotary, the Peace Corps is also working to enlist older American volunteers. The corps, established in 1961 by an executive order signed by President John F. Kennedy, is still predominantly a younger person’s game, but 7 percent of its volunteers are 50 or older.

“I would like to see that closer to 15 percent,” said Carrie Hessler-Radelet, the Peace Corps’ director. 

So the trend I see happening is that of connecting with other like-minded boomers, who want to do something creative, adventurous and meaningful.

Take for example, Margaret Manning, who together with her team is developing Boomerly.

“I have been building the Sixty and Me community, which now reaches over 100,000 baby boomers every month. During this time, my mission was to inspire our members to live better lives.” Margaret Manning with Boomerly.

Boomerly is a new way for baby boomers to meet like-minded people, build friendships and make meaningful connections. It’s not a social network or a dating site. It’s an easy-to-use messaging service that makes it easy to find and talk with people just like you.

By the way, writing a commercial book, and promoting it, is another trait of baby boomers that rock, and I know many in my circle of friends. You know who you are.

So do you consider yourself a boomer that rocks? If so why? Please leave your comment below.

Broads Abroad Travel Network – Why Women Connect

 

I believe Boomer women are looking for adventure.

As we know, women are great at connecting online, and in person. We only need to look at the vast number of online groups created by women, and how women’s brains are wired to realize that:

“Women are better at social thinking & interactions than men, while men are more abstract and task-orientated.  This is why women are normally better at communication while men more often prefer relying on themselves to get things done.”  (Link)

Boomer women are strong, have a blossoming sense of independence, and realize there’s a whole world out there waiting to be discovered.

Mandy Rowe, founded the Broads Abroad Travel Network, a free, female-only online hospitality exchange website.

A dynamic community of members from every corner of the globe
Meet and stay over with other female members
Safety and security

I interviewed Mandy Rowe about her travel network and here’s how it works:

Listen to Part 1 of our interview:

 

Listen to Part 2 of our interview:

Do you want to travel? Please share with us why and where?

Self-Reflection: Why I Wrote a Novel

“Self-Reflection”
My Gutsy Story® by D. Helene.

 

When I chose to become a journalist, I did so because of my passion for writing, always assuming I’d have enough money to live. I did pretty well living paycheck to paycheck for most of my career until the Great Recession.

After getting laid off from my last full-time writing job in 2008, I was lucky enough to be able to cobble together two part-time jobs. A few years later, I had the courage to quit one of them to focus on my writing. I got laid off from the second one a few months later.

The next few years were tough – working part-time jobs when I could get them, but still focusing on writing, not just out of passion but now also as a coping tool, along with spirituality and yoga, to help me process circumstances beyond my control.

I started writing down some anecdotes about what it’s like to live as one of the 99% – those of us that struggle sometimes to make ends meet. Little did I know that they eventually would be woven together into my first novel.

This book, The Diary of a 99%-er: The Struggle Between Survival and Creative Expression, parallels my own struggle between the primal urge to create and the basic necessity of survival. While it’s a work of fiction, I drew upon my own internal conflict and my coping tools of spirituality and yoga.

While I’ve been a journalist for most of my career, and published my first book (a biography) in 2013, writing a novel was a huge leap that required courage and faith.

It also required discipline and perseverance to see the book through the roller coaster of several moves  — including to Northern California and back to OC; through several jobs; and through a physically-intense, yoga teacher training program.

Through all of this I was struggling with the desire to write and express myself  creatively while trying to pay the rent and stay afloat in OC, which has some of the highest rents in the country. It wasn’t just me. I knew several people who were borderline homeless because of unemployment or chronic underemployment. I knew there was a bigger story to tell.

So, I embraced writing this novel wholeheartedly. I infused it with humor, to mitigate the seriousness of the struggle. I used some real-life facts, like a man who shot his wife and their dog in Laguna Beach a few years back, allegedly due to financial distress.

I continued my spiritual and yoga practices and decided to become a yoga teacher, to deepen my own practice and share my passion with others. I’ve  been teaching yoga since  last June.

Writing this book has been a labor of love and courage and I truly hope it inspires and entertains others and lets people who are experiencing the same struggle know: You are not alone! When you’re going through hell, keep going! Or keep writing, as I like to say!

 

D. Helene states:

“We are the majority of Americans, who have to work for a living, sometimes struggling to just keep a roof over our heads.

If this is you, you can relate to this novel.”

To find out More ABOUT D. Helene.

Join D. Helene on Twitter: @DHelene 42

Join D. Helene on Facebook

Why I’m Celebrating Peace Corps Week

As many of you know, I have a strong desire to serve in the Peace Corps. Things did not go as smoothly as I had hoped, but I am keeping my fingers crossed this time.

My interview finally took pace on February 27th, and lasted almost two hours. I answered all the questions to the best of my ability, and although I had prepared ahead of time, practicing with my RPCV (Returned Peace Corps Volunteer) friends, I found it quite intense.

I was mentally drained after my two-hour phone interview, and longed for a Yes/No answer. It did end on a positive note and I was told to continue learning more about the country of Lesotho, in South Africa.

Who says Twitter and social media is a waste of time?

After tweeting about #Lesotho, I made a connection with a woman who runs an NGO (Non-governmental organization) for children in Lesotho. She’s from Europe and kindly offered to answer any questions I may have about life in that beautiful “Mountain Kingdom.”

As this is Peace Corps week, I decided to share  information about the organization, and in particular, some of the videos showcasing the influential people who work as counterparts with the Peace Corps volunteers in many parts of the world. Please take a look at the specific countries that may be of interest to you.

I was especially moved by some of the teachers in Morocco, and Thailand, and how they have impacted the lives of their students.

 

Peace Corps Week 2015: March 1-7

“Peace Corps Week commemorates President Kennedy’s establishment of the Peace Corps on March 1, 1961. During this annual event, the Peace Corps community celebrates all the ways that Peace Corps makes a difference at home and abroad and renews its commitment to service.

This year, Peace Corps invites current and returned Peace Corps Volunteers to get involved in Peace Corps Week 2015 by participating in our Video Challenge and/or participating in Peace Corps Festivals across the United States. These activities, designed to support Peace Corps’ Third Goal of sharing other cultures with Americans, kick off on January 1 and continue through the end of Peace Corps Week on March 7. Follow the links below to learn how you can participate in one or both of these exciting efforts.”

 

How will YOU celebrate Peace Corps Week?

 

http://www.peacecorps.gov/resources/returned/thirdgoal/pcweek/

 

26+ videos from PC volunteers around the world.

 

A Memoir Can be Hard to Write—But You Can Do It!

Denis Ledoux

A Memoir Can be Hard to Write—But You Can Do It!

(I am hosting Denis Ledoux on my blog to share his e-books: How to Start to Write Your Memoir which is Book One in the seven-part Memoir Network Writing Series.)

Sometimes at the beginning of a workshop or of coaching relationship, people ask whether writing a memoir going to be hard.

The short—but possibly intimidating—answer is: yes! The longer and more encouraging answer is: Yes, but you can do it!

Writing any long piece requires discipline and hours of commitment to the task. A memoir is no exception. You may have to learn skills you do not now possess. You may have to face a past you would rather not face. While your lifewriting may have these hard moments and others, it is important not to dwell on these when they occur.

“There is no birth of consciousness without pain.”

—C.G. Jung

As with parenting and all long-term projects, it is more constructive to focus on writing’s pleasures and satisfactions than on its difficulties.

Many writers have felt that the benefits they derive from writing has made the effort of creating a memoir worthwhile.

You will find lifewriting brings you many rewards that will encourage you to continue writing.

The many compensations of memoir writing:

Here are some of the benefits you can look forward to:

1. Writing a memoir can be like going to a reunion.

As you write your story, you will meet once again—if only on the page—many of the people who have been important to you in your life. Perhaps you will see your grandmother, smiling at you as she often did, about to tell you how pleased she is that you have stopped at her house on your way back from school, or your Uncle Joe’s voice will boom in the background as you glimpse your little sister zooming down a slide into a pool of water!

Enjoy the vicarious visit! Everyone is still with you—if only in your memory.

2. Lifewriting can renew the relationship you have with your former, younger selves.

That, too, is a sort of reunion as you focus on the relationship you have, and have had, with yourself and your life. Perhaps you will want to hold the child you were and comfort him or her by saying, “You will be all right. See who you have become.” Or, perhaps it is the adolescent you need to reassure. Or, all of these.

Other writers enjoy the realization that they once were courageous or how noble in the face of adversity a younger self was—or younger selves were.

3. Memoir writing is likely to be cathartic.

Over time, your memoir will also provide you with a catharsis, a healing of past resentments and pain. Too often, we hold on to the memory of a feeling long after the time when we actually still feel the way we once felt. That is, we confuse the way we remember we once felt with the way we now feel.

Memoir writing is not therapy but it offers you many of the same benefits.

Writing set healing in motion.

—Carolyn Roy-Bornstein

Crash: A Mother, a Son, and the Journey from Grief to Gratitude

And perhaps, too, the manuscript you are undertaking to write will reach out to others and speak to them about the life you have lived and the truth you have experienced. Your story can be more than an individual’s tale: it can be the story of an Everyman or an Everywoman wandering through the twentieth and twenty-first centuries on the way to the present.

You are a hero who has adapted, survived, and perhaps even flourished in the world as we know it, and it is time to celebrate that.

Action Steps

1. Write about your courage to face difficult memories. Do you have enough to face any difficulty you may encounter? (This exercise is not for everyone. Some people have few difficult moments to write about. While they may have experienced sorrow and loss, these are now in the past and are not weighted with pain. Do not feel you are remiss—or shallow, or unfeeling—if you do not have difficult memories to work through.)

2. Write about the emotional benefits you expect to derive from writing, from the process.

3. If you expect there to be difficult moments, write about these, too, and record how you might deal with them as they arise. This exercise is more in the nature of a rehearsal rather than a prescription. Frankly, you don’t know how you will react.)

4. What have your writing successes been? Congratulate yourself and let your successes encourage you if you should ever feel like giving up.

5. Beside the notebook in which you keep these exercises, do you keep a journal? Many people use their journals to explore meaning in their lives. Many writers have kept journals. Some, like Anaïs Nin, have made journal-writing their focus. Think of your journal as a laboratory.

BIO: Denis Ledoux is the author, most recently, of How to Start to Write Your Memoir which is Book One in the seven-part Memoir Network Writing Series. This post is adapted from that e-book. Also in publication is Don’t Let Writer’s Block Stop You. A complete list of publications is available. To be placed on an alert list, send an email.

How to Start to Write Your Memoir: Click here to go to Amazon.

Click on Book Cover to go to Amazon

 

 

MemoirWriting Series: http://thememoirnetwork.com/memoir-writing-books-series

Don’t Let Writer’s Block Stop You: Click here to go to Amazon

Contact Denis Ledoux via his e-mail : Denis@thememoirnetwork.com

Follow Denis on Twitter:@Denis Ledoux

Follow Denis on FaceBook

Does it Take Guts to Leave a Marriage?

I could not resist the blue/turquoise background on this photo. Just noticed a parasailer to the right of the arrow. Is that me flying?

 

I was talking to Donna, an author and a life coach, about ideas for my next blog post.

Donna knows my theme is “Gutsy Living” and she texted me,

“It takes guts to leave a marriage… Did u write on that?”

My answer is “No,” and although I agree there are many women who stay stuck in a marriage because it’s easier to do that, than to get unstuck, I still don’t view my own situation as gutsy.

Now what I’m planning for the rest of my life, I would call Gutsy, in the sense that I am not one of those women who likes to stay in my house, and certainly don’t thrive on the same routine. Besides, I no longer own a house, nor do I have a home to celebrate the holidays with my three sons. (That part I do regret.)

My life right now is a period of major transition. It has been quite liberating to rid myself of possessions, take charge of my own finances, get organized, and move forward with my next adventure.

Apart from my clothes, photos and files, all I own is the furniture below, and my small blue Kia Rio. Quite surprising that at age 57, I’m back to what I owned as a 25-year-old, and the strange thing is I now feel free to pack up and move to another country.

My only possessions are: the inspirational painting that led to my love of tropical islands, two antique chairs I embroidered with my mother in Denmark when I was fifteen years old, and my parents’ Chinese chest, which has followed me since 1983.

Red embroidered armchair. I have two of those, and my favorite Barton painting and frame

I inherited my parents’ Chinese chest and the paintings behind are the ones I painted. Always turquoise!

I  applied and was rejected by the Peace Corps, but that didn’t stop me from changing my resume, and reapplying. I’m thrilled to announce that I finally had my 2-hour interview and shall keep you posted on what happens with that.

As a back-up, I decided to get a (TESOL) certificate, Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, an intense 4-week course, supposedly with no breaks on weekends. The problem is I have at least six people whom I’d like to visit in the UK, including author Ian Mathie,  and my French/British blogger friend Muriel Demarcus, who wrote a  My Gutsy Story® published in the Anthologies, and other friends from my days studying in the UK.

So for me, the answer has been, and shall always remain, to keep busy with plans and projects, and to keep networking, as you never know what the future holds. When you’re open to change, there are so many possibilities.

Don’t focus on the “what if’s” of your divorce, but on the “what if’s of your life.”

Please share anything you wish to in the comments section below, especially if you have gone through a divorce, or a separation.

“Choosing One’s Battles Wisely”

Donna Friess and her dogs

“Choosing One’s Battles Wisely”

“My Gutsy Story®” Donna L. Friess

“Choosing one’s battles” that’s good advice as it illustrates another way to live a gutsy life. It takes guts to hold back one’s emotions and not jump eagerly into a negative situation.  I want to share a moment around our home which illustrates my point. My husband and I are caring for our grand dog Buddy while our youngest son and his family are skiing. Recently, I let Buddy and our three dogs out one last time before bed.  For a moment all four dogs seemed to disappear into the inky darkness. Suddenly there was a noisy scuffle. I turned on the powerful outdoor light and saw that Buddy had caught a skunk; a very big black and white skunk! Quickly, realizing what he had caught, he released it, and in that instant it turned its huge and fluffy tail toward him and let loose!  Horrified by what he had done and the stickiness of the odorific spray on his face, he rushed into the garage and frantically rubbed himself on his bedding in a vain attempt to rectify his condition. Tessie, his co-conspirator, did the same. Lacey and Zoe stood off to the side watching all the commotion, shaking their heads in wonder.

Shamed by their new smell, Buddy and Tessie lurked in the corners of the garage.  I tended to them as best I could with a concoction of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. But the hour was late and the odor was seeping into my home. I bid them goodnight as they slinked into the shadows of the garage.

The next morning I went to let them out. Buddy shamefacedly hung his head, contrite over his foolishness. I had texted our son to share the late night excitement. His response was, “Buddy tangles with skunks about twice a month, he knows all about them, but never seems to learn!”  So his surprised innocence was no longer working on me as I understood that it was the thrill of the confrontation that Buddy enjoyed.

Out in the big yard the next morning, he and Tessie went looking for more trouble hoping, I am sure, for a rematch with their worthy opponent.  As I sat drinking my coffee, it occurred to me that sometimes humans do the same thing; engage in a conflict with an opponent, perhaps over the smallest thing, for the excitement of the exchange. It is true, the adrenaline flows, the heart pounds, and the muscles constrict and we’re ready for action. Only to find that later, when reason prevails, one feels foolish for the silliness of the altercation. Often the motivation is the thrill of the exchange, not the actually winning of the argument, and to make it worse,  one never knows when they might get “skunked!”

I think it takes guts to take a hard look at one’s own interpersonal motivations and to hold back from the “thrill” of perhaps a dysfunctional argument.  I love Jack Canfield’s formula.  We can apply this to many situations. In fact, it can be empowering. It is EVENT + OUR RESPONSE = OUTCOME.   We have the power to choose our response, which will affect the outcome. For now, the old saying, “One must choose one’s battles wisely” may apply here.  I have to go,  the thrill-seeker named Buddy is casing my yard for more excitement!

Donna L. Friess, Ph.D., author, psychologist and grief counselor has written a debut novel, The Unraveling of Shelby Forrest  available  at: www.amazon.com.  She is an advocate for children’s rights, currently serving on a U.S. Justice Department Office for Victims of Crime Consortium. Her best selling, award-winning autobiography, Cry the Darkness, has been published in seven languages.

Get your copy of Unraveling here.


Join Donna on Facebook here.
Check out Donna’s website: www.drdonnafriess.com
Join Donna on Twitter 
Donna on LinkedIn

 

How I’m Saving Money With Airbnb

Photo credit Airb&b site

 

 

Have you ever thought of renting a castle, a houseboat at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, or a cute, inexpensive apartment in your favorite city?

If so, airbnb might be the community you’re looking for.

What is airbnb?

“Founded in August of 2008 and based in San Francisco, California, Airbnb is a trusted community marketplace for people to list, discover, and book unique accommodations around the world — online or from a mobile phone… Airbnb helps make sharing easy, enjoyable, and safe. We verify personal profiles and listings, maintain a smart messaging system so hosts and guests can communicate with certainty, and manage a trusted platform to collect and transfer payments.”– Airbnb website

In order to save money, I decided to try airbnb for the first time during my upcoming trip to Europe. I shall be staying in 4 different locations, in Athens, London and two in Madrid.

I haven’t had much luck with inexpensive hotels in Europe–check out my last experience with a youth hostel in Amsterdam. Besides, most of the hotels I find are not in a convenient location, and lack space. It’s nice to have a small kitchen to make coffee, and cook meals, especially when you’re on a tight budget.

When I first discovered the airbnb website, I spent quite a few hours reading the reviews, just like Amazon reviews for books, and looking at photos of various studio apartments in Athens, London and Madrid. What shocked me more than anything, was the low price/night to rent an apartment that looks nice, is centrally located, and has great reviews. Of course, I have not experienced any of these places yet, but I shall be sure to let you know when I’m in Europe in April, May and June, for my TESOL Certificate in London, and volunteering for Vaughan Town in Spain.

I was fortunate to find the perfect location for one night in Madrid, with excellent reviews for only $37.00. ( I shall update you on my experience in May, 2015.) Another bonus with airbnb, is the relationship with the local owner of the apartment. As you can see from some of the reviews, some hosts go out of their way to greet you when you arrive, and to point out local restaurants and cafes, as well as museums to visit close by.

How do you book a room with airbnb?

Here’s how airbnb works. You type in the city you’re interested in, your dates, and then check the box for an entire home or apartment, a private room, or a shared room.  Just for fun, I punched in some dates from March 17th-18th in Madrid, and here’s one that came up.  The example below is simply to show you what you will find on the airbnb website. The price, $27/night, 36 photos, a map to the right with location, the 77 reviews which you can read, and have them translated into English, if they are in a foreign language, and then you can request to book the place if it’s what you’re looking for.

Check inCheck outGuests

12345678910111213141516

Room type Entire home/apt Private room Shared room

 

Example of one place in Madrid. I have not stayed here, I’m just sharing a screenshot capture of what the airbnb website is like..

 

“Airbnb connects people to unique travel experiences, at any price point, in more than 34,000 cities and 190 countries. And with world-class customer service and a growing community of users, Airbnb is the easiest way for people to monetize their extra space and showcase it to an audience of millions.” – Airbnb website

Houseboat by the foot of the Eiffel Tower. Click here to see costs etc.

 Stay on a houseboat at the foot of the Eiffel Tower in Paris for only $129/night. This place has 127 4.5 ****+1/2 star reviews out of 5. I haven’t stayed on this, but this would appeal to me more than staying in a hotel in Paris.

Here’s another inexpensive place I found in the Latin Quarter of Paris, not that I’m staying there. Only $41/night in the Latin Quarter of Paris 

So I look forward to sharing my own experiences with airbnb.

Do you have a story to share about your own airbnb experience? Please e-mail me: sonia@soniamarsh.com, and I’m happy to share it on my blog, and link back to your site.

If you missed my  post on how “I Discovered a Way to Pay Less on Airfares,” please check it out.