Living in Portland has its perks – within an hour, you can be dipping your toes in the refreshing Pacific Ocean, sipping the finest Pinot Noir in the Willamette Valley, or tipping your skies down the north face of Mt. Hood. In far less than an hour, you can be dining at one of the most coveted foodie spots on the west coast or taking back a pint of a frothy, award-winning local brew.

It is perhaps for all of these reasons and many more that Portland has become a beacon of Airbnb destinations (and I tapped into the hustle!). We live within walking distance to SE Division Street in Portland, which boasts Pok Pok, Ava Gene’s, Cibo, and many more hotly desired eateries. We’re also a brief walk to several world-famous food carts and family-friendly favorite Hopworks Urban Brewery.

I am grateful for the opportunity to meet new people through the Airbnb community and boost our family income through the platform, but the hustle is not without serious demands! To capitalize most effectively, I do the cleaning and house preparations myself, which means many loads of laundry (OxiClean and bleach are necessary companions to white sheets and towels) and hours of scrubbing, sweeping, and swiffering. (Cue the music!)

I am proud of the quaint guest space we’ve cultivated and happy to have hosted over 40 parties the past couple years. I have even managed to maintain a Super Host rating for the last six consecutive quarters – (bring on the bonuses!) and we’re still going strong!