Ashley’s Home - Air B&B on Bainbridge Island

My two best friends and I went on my birthday annual retreat to an Air B&B and this time we stayed in someone’s house, Ashley’s house. But As soon as I walked into Ashley’s house, it felt like home.

I never met Ashley, but I felt her energy all throughout this place. It was warm, inviting, and every single piece of furniture and decor spoke to me. From the feel of the textured throw blankets and pillows, to the choice of books that were stacked in every room, to the scent from the cedar wood ceilings, to the view of the Pudget Sound, to the sound of the crackling firewood inside and the Canadian geese honking outside, it all welcomed me. It felt right to me. It felt like the home I always dreamt I may one day get to have.

And not only did it feel perfect to me, but perfect to my two girlfriends too. We were honestly tired, working moms with two young ones and had been non stop busy barely having any time to check in on one another. And we would have never had made time for ourselves if we hadn’t planned this about one year ago. And this Air B&B that we saw online and all agreed on, was an image on our laptops that we looked at again and again for months to get us through the grind. We were hoping the real thing was as beautiful as the photos.

And it was.

In fact, it feels surreal to sit here as I type this and know that something you dreamt about and looked at, is real and in your real life.

While here, by chance we met Becky, Ashley’s good friend, and she asked if we were doing a home exchange. A home exchange? I never even thought about that as something I would do until that moment! But after being here, Ashley, I am so inspired to make my home a place not only to open to others, but to exchange with others to give them a place of rest and restoration for their souls like I feel sitting in your home. Nestled right on the edge of the water and sitting among the tall trees, this place is an oasis to me as I’m sure my home could feel like an oasis to someone else dying to come to Hawai`i.

I feel like I am Cameron Dias’s character in one of my favorite movies, “The Holiday” and I am enjoying the simple, slow, and small town life of a cottage/cabin home in the cold weather and will become such dear friends with Kate Winslet’s character and this will become an annual tradition to swap homes. From one working woman and mom to another, we can refresh each other by simply trading spaces and “lives” for a quick holiday.

The time and space in a new place gives me a chance to look at life from a different perspective. And that’s what this place does. When every detail is to my liking, not only do I feel like I’m hanging out and kicking back in some soul sister’s house, but I am inspired to create this as my own reality for myself and my family one day.

Thank you Ashley. For opening your home on Bainbridge Island so that I could imagine an even more beautiful future for myself in a time my friends and I really needed it.

Lots of love,

erin

Finding peace by piece:

Find your Air B&B or home swap place that is calling you to come and stay a while. And while you’re there, you may just find the inspiration and rest that your soul has been trying to give you.