I Spent a Year Living in Airbnbs Across America

After living in a shoebox apartment in Manhattan for several years, I developed an itch for a break from city life (and the expensive rent). So, in September of 2024, my partner and I decided to take a wild leap of faith and hit the road. Our plan was to spend the next 365 days living out of Airbnbs around the country, seeing cities and towns we hadn't had the opportunity to explore before. With barely a second thought, I sold most of my furniture, packed my life into a Samsonite suitcase, and began creating a wishlist on Airbnb titled “The Next Adventure.” Out of all the rental platforms, Airbnb gave us the most freedom, flexibility, and creative control—encouraging us to get innovative in planning our route. Over the course of a year, we drove over 16,000 miles and visited 30 states and cities. We stayed in Gatlinburg, Tennessee; Destin, Florida; New Orleans, Louisiana; Lexington, Kentucky; Austin, Texas; Santa Fe, New Mexico; and Los Angeles, California, to name a few. As a poet and writer, it felt fitting to have my own Kerouac-inspired On the Road experience. Yet, what I did not expect was to learn so much about the natural American landscape, domestic travel, and how much went in to picking the perfect Airbnb. More so, I did not expect this road trip to become a lifestyle that continues to inspire me, enough to encourage me to take to the road next month and do it all over again. This time, eager to be more creative and wondrous with my Airbnb selections. (Perhaps a glass dome in the mountains.) We were challenged, excited, amazed, and inspired during our unforgettable experiences around the country. One of my favorite memories was traveling to Flagstaff during International Dark Sky Week, where I learned that Flagstaff was the world’s first recognizable dark sky city. As a city girl, I had never seen the constellations so clearly. We picked our Airbnb in Flagstaff based on the location's local events that we had researched before our trip—showing how important it was to know an area before booking our stay. Now armed with the knowledge and experience to pick the perfect stays around the country, I've compiled a list of everything I've learned over the past year. What to look for when booking After spending hours scrolling on Airbnb, my biggest recommendation is to take full advantage of the filters. A dishwasher was a non-negotiable for me to avoid any chore-based arguments, and having laundry was a great perk for month-long stays to save money on laundromat trips. Once we had our “musts” filtered through, we could take a peek at more fun amenities that would be the cherry on top of a perfect stay, whether that be a bathtub, pool, or waterfront location. I also recommend toggling on the “Guest Favorite” features to find distinctive, unique, and well-reviewed properties. It’s also worth keeping an eye on the accessibility features, which are particularly helpful for those in need or traveling with older folks: You can toggle on a variety of specific accessible features like shower grab bars and step-free entrances. If you know a bit about the area you're traveling to, you can also toggle on popular neighborhoods, like River North or Wrigleyville in Chicago, depending on what you plan to do or see once you get there. It also became routine to diligently check the reviews and read about other Airbnb users’ experiences before I hit “book.” This lets you know helpful information like whether or not the hot tub you were eyeing was secretly out of commission, or if the first-floor bedroom you thought was perfect for your baby would actually have too much street noise filtering in. Another great tip is to click “flexible dates” if you can, because it opens up so many other options within that city for neighborhoods you previously may not have considered (or at price points that better fit your budget). How to pay less by staying for longer My partner and I chose Airbnb because they had the greatest variety of listings, and their platform was exceptionally easy to use and compare different properties on. The planner in me was as excited to search for the right Airbnbs as to stay in them; there were so many options to browse through, from farmhouses and A-frames to riverfront condos and tree houses. While doing our initial research on Airbnb, it felt a bit overwhelming, but we discovered it was easier to plan for weekly or monthly stays rather than shorter bursts, both to maximize our budget and our sanity. On Airbnb, stays of 28 or more nights automatically earn a monthly-stay discount; it’s put in place to encourage guests to stay longer and was a total lifesaver on our trip. With the monthly-stay savings, we saved a minimum of 15% across all cities—New Orleans and Austin properties offered us closer to 25% in savings. To see the total savings (including taxes and fees) upfront, click “Reserve Now” when you're considering booking to get the whole picture. Some properties also offer long-term stay discounts when you book for a week or longer. Another helpful tip that I found was reaching out directly to Airbnb hosts to see if they have any pricing flexibility. This way you can be sure to get the best absolute price no matter how long you stay. Get to know the city and your host Long before we hit the road, my partner and I thought of how we could be intentional in our travel and go the extra mile by connecting with our hosts. We crafted personalized templates to introduce ourselves, understand hosts' pricing flexibility, and learn about the local area. This approach was invaluable to us as we learned the best recommendations for neighborhood bars, restaurants, and activities. Our interaction with Airbnb hosts was what set the tone of each destination. We did this with all of the Airbnbs we considered throughout our trip, even the ones we ended up not staying in. This allowed us to make sure the property was a fit for everyone involved. Even if we chose against staying at a specific property, our extensive introduction garnered us excellent support for our trip, extra recommendations, and great conversations with people around the country we otherwise would never have interacted with. It was a great first step to get us excited about the new cities we were about to visit and give us the opportunity to experience the area like a local. Plus, if you’re staying in each rental for as long as we are, you want to know your hosts before you get there, as well as any quirks of the property or anything that may not have made it into the listing. That way, when you show up, there won’t be any surprises. Do your research Before we selected our destinations or Airbnbs, we spent hours researching different neighborhoods, seasonal offerings, and local events. One of the best stays we had was in New Orleans for all of January, driving in on New Year’s Eve, celebrating at R Bar and ringing in 2025 in style. We stayed at a classic shotgun style home in the Irish Channel, where our host had lived with their family for many years. We wanted to experience the Mardi Gras excitement as locals, and shortly after we secured a ticket with the Space Vikings, and walked with Chewbacchus, and got access to parties throughout the month. In addition to researching locations and exciting happenings around the country to help you decide where to book your stay, I also recommend keeping an eye on seasonal changes (like weather patterns) to help you prepare for each destination, as well as any location specifics or Airbnb quirks. For example, you'll want to know if you're headed to a destination that has difficult street parking, or if the Airbnb you're interested in booking only allows adults over age 21. We also always kept an eye on the reviews. This gives us a clearer picture of what our stay may look like and helps us plan accordingly. I suggest looking at the reviews starting from the lowest to highest to save time while sifting through dozens of properties, and taking note of any negative (or positive) attributes that are frequently mentioned by reviewers. How to pack Living on the road for an entire year was exhilarating. With that came a great deal of Airbnb research—but also packing Tetris. I couldn’t go anywhere without my personalized toiletries bag carrying my makeup and skincare, though I did opt for a more bare-faced look on most drives. One of my all-time favorite items that I carried with me on this trip was my ever-reliable Dagne Dover tote bag that’s designed to keep all your belongings organized in their individual pockets. As someone who works remotely, this bag was essential in bringing my setup to work in cafés and shops during my stay when I wanted a change in scenery. In there, I also stored my Owala travel mug, which was a great early morning drive (and drive-thru) accessory. When your Airbnb becomes home as it did for us, you’ll want to bring a few small luxuries to elevate any experience. My Bombas slippers were the perfect indoor accessory to add a cozy, homey element to properties I just stepped foot in. And when checking out, I liked to write a handwritten thank you note on my Papier stationery for each host to thank them for our experience. As a writer, I also couldn’t be without my personalized travel journal that was pocket-size and perfect for documenting our grand adventures.