Lucia, Milan
Lucia remembers her first host experience as a sign of fate. Last February she started using Airbnb and the first guests to her house, in lively Milan district Porta Romana, were a young couple who embodied some of her strongest passions: they came from France, they loved mountain hiking, and, of course, they were tireless travelers. They thoroughly enjoyed the company of Uma, Lucia’s beloved dog. It was a fresh start for her, which has led her way to Open, where we met her, for the first time. Having spent her working life on one hand dealing with books in the publishing sector and on the other managing some hostels around Italy, she really likes hearing about good stories and meeting enthusiastic globetrotters. Home sharing is having a positive impact on her life and she thinks it can have positive effects in neighborhoods and cities, too. Even her 90 years old mum has been won over by home sharing and enjoys chatting with guests eager to hear some anecdotes about Milan.
“I rediscovered my passions with home sharing. It was love at first sight. I like hosting because it generates an exchange of life experiences. And since I worked in the travel industry before, I really enjoy living this new tourism era and using technology to connect with the home sharers’ movement. Of course it’s not all about technology. The home sharing culture is about meeting a community who lives, works and travels as millennials, using the net as a resource to empower progress. You always need to show kindness when you welcome someone in your house. I would like to work with my neighbors to build places around Milan where citizens and visitors can meet up, know each other and feel they are always welcomed”.
