Outsite
Sharing my experience staying in Oaxaca, Mexico at an Outsite, a co-living community of remote workers and creatives living and working all over the world.
One of the things I love the most about being self-employed is the ability to shape my work lifestyle to allow room for other important values of mine like wellness, community, and travel. I recently discovered Outsite, a curated co-living / co-working spaces around the globe. It’s basically like Airbnb meets Soho House for those who can work remotely.
This past January, I stayed in the Oaxaca, Mexico Outsite location for a week with my partner. We planned to stay a week but ended up extending an extra day because we liked it so much. I would definitely go back, not just to this one but I’m also eager to explore other Outsite locations in the US and abroad.
We had a private room within a co-working house, which allowed me to experience co-living while still having comfort and privacy of one’s own space. The house provided high-speed internet, workstations, and a shared kitchen/living area for making new friends.
Each Outsite location is supported by a knowledgeable community guide offering local restaurant and activity recommendations (ours shared a google map of her favorite locations which was incredibly helpful!), fostering a sense of community among the temporary residents.
The experience was perfect for remote work and exploration of a new place. If you can work from anywhere, why not take some time to explore a new city in your evenings and on the weekends without having to take vacation time?
Membership to Outsite costs $150/year, and then you pay for whatever rooms you book. The week in Oaxaca was around $500, which was less than many of the other AirBnB and hotel options we found. Rates for rooms vary depending on location of course, spots like LA and NYC are more. If you’re interested in signing up, you can access my referral link and get $50 off your first trip.
If you're someone who values the fresh perspectives that travel provides and recognizes the creativity-boosting potential of breaking away from your daily routine, Outsite might be a fun discovery for you, as it was for me. If anyone has any questions about my experience with Outsite, feel free to drop me a line.
Home Exchange
Home Exchange is a digital platform through which you can simultaneously swap stays with other verified homeowners across the planet, or exchange for Guest Points to build up credit for another time.
When chatting with a colleague, I discovered a new website Home Exchange, which is basically a platform through which you can swap houses with other verified members across the planet. Ever seen the movie “The Holiday” in which Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz swap houses across the globe? Well, Home Exchange is like that, minus Matthew McConaughey.
I started to google for other’s experiences and liked what I read. Home Exchange is a way to save money by leveraging your existing living space to stay elsewhere, giving you a chance to experience new environments and explore the world without missing your (remote) work days.
With this platform, you can swap homes worldwide in real-time or accumulate "guest points" for future use. For other entrepreneurs who can work remotely from other places - even if only for a week - this is a game changer. Imagine working remotely from a charming cottage in the French countryside or a modern downtown Manhattan apartment.
One of the best aspects of Home Exchange is the reviews members post about other members and houses - before you accept letting someone stay at your house (or put in a request to stay elsewhere) you can read reviews from past guests/hosts which helps you select the right experience and gain confidence in your selection.
Membership costs $220/year, but if you use my affiliate link you can earn 250 points just by signing up which is equivalent to 1-2 nights making it immediately worthwhile. And by the time I went through all of Home Exchange’s “welcome activities” like filling out your profile, uploading photos of your home etc. I had 1100 points without having anyone stay at my house.
If you are looking to leverage your existing resources to embark on unique travel experiences, I highly recommend trying Home Exchange. If anyone has any questions about my experience, feel free to drop me a line.
