Christine Smith, Short-Term Rental Consultant in Asheville, North Carolina
My life is a constant adventure. I’m either seeking large-scale adventures - wanting to go on vacation to places I’ve never seen before. Or, I’m seeking on a smaller scale - living my life, experiencing the things I desire, whether that’s a new career, or simply experiencing a different lifestyle.
To be an adventurer, I believe you must be open-minded. Within that world of “open-mindedness”, you allow yourself to let your guard down. You don’t let fear interrupt your experiences. You live in the moment, trusting that life will provide you with everything you need. It’s a beautiful way of exploring. And, quite honestly, it’s a beautiful way to live.
If you were to ask me, “Who is Christine Smith? Who are you to your core?” My answer would be simple, “Christine Smith is someone who is passionate about life. She understands that human connection and experiences are what make the world go round.” That really and truly is who I am. I’m a wanderer, an explorer, an adventurer. I’m in love with my life and the adventures I’ve been blessed to embark on.
Tiny House Living
Speaking of adventure, let’s talk about tiny house living.
At the beginning of 2023, I moved into a tiny house - just me and my cat. It was an exciting opportunity for me to dive deeply into a new life experience. To instill a bit of adventure into my life.
But what does it mean to live minimally? I gave that question a thought, then said, “Why not. Let’s experience this.”
I downsized my belongings, packed up my cat, and set off to live in a tiny house for one month. During that time, I realized it wasn’t for me. But, I came to appreciate why some people would enjoy that type of lifestyle.
Since moving back to the city into a more spacious apartment, I’ve had a major reality check. I realized that I don’t need all of this space. And, so a great lesson surfaced for me through this:
Sometimes, the things we think we want, are actually the things we need.
I wanted to experience tiny house living. After briefly living there, and then moving out into a more spacious apartment, I found that the space wasn’t what I needed to feel fulfilled. It was the experience, the adventure of life. I was seeking adventure, and I received it so deeply. The adventure, not the physical living space, was what I needed.
I’m incredibly grateful for the tiny house.
Backpacking Central America - A Life-Changing Adventure
In 2016, my then-partner and I took a backpacking trip through Central America. At the time, we were live-in hosts, which provided us with the income we needed to set out and travel together.
We only had the backpacks on our backs, packed with very little, for a three months exploration. During that time, we visited six different countries, living very minimalistic. We met our needs, then would go and explore. We took adventure on top of adventure, on top of adventure. It was magical.
Being in a new country, we didn’t know the language, the culture, or the people. We were forced to immerse ourselves into it all and figure it all out.
To say that trip changed my life is an understatement.
I was forced to humble myself. To be grateful for what I have here in the United States. My eyes were opened to things I had never seen before. Being in a place where you are completely out of your normal routine, having to learn to go with the flow, all while being in a third-world country - it was absolutely humbling.
Making connections with the native people and living life with them, even if only for a brief amount of time, made the trip incredibly memorable.
While taking a ferry, my partner and I met a family with small children. They were traveling from Costa Rica, and spoke very minimal English. A wonderful family full of life and joy. We had a great time together on the ferry. Because of that interaction, we agreed to swap phone numbers, but we didn’t think much of it. We figured we would never hear from this family again.
But we saw them again! What are the odds? In another country, after time traveled, our paths crossed again on a beautiful beach. That second interaction turned into spending the entire day with the small family. They took us all over the town, sharing their culture and insight knowledge of the area. It was special, and something I will always remember.
Oh, the magic of adventures. It’s how I come alive.
Adventure makes me feel…alive.
To the Traveller - Believe in Yourself
There is a much bigger collective mindset happening within the world of travel. It’s how we leave our carbon footprint, so to speak. Overall, it always comes back to creating the memories and the experience that you desire every moment of every day. Life, business, travel, adventures - everything.
If I could give a piece of advice to anyone out there seeking adventure, it would be to believe in yourself. Trust your instincts. Our intuition ultimately knows. Be optimistic and open-minded. And, if you need to, ask the questions. You are in control of the wandering process, but if you need to know some sort of information to create the experience you desire, it’s ok to ask.
Believe in yourself, that’s the key to it all.
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Connect Deeper with Christine Smith:
This journey of self-discovery of becoming a Short Term Rental Consultant stems from a natural passion for helping others and being an empath. Making connections, exploring the unknown, and being optimistic is the name of my game. My history of endeavors revolves around hospitality. Those experiences lead me to property management where I began as a live-in host. After time spent traveling the world and noticing my passion growing deeper than just placing heads in beds, I now consult with others creating their own passion for the tourism industry.
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/csconsulting101
Website/Blog: https://csmithphilosophy.com/
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