“Everyone needs a place to sleep. Let’s make sure our doors are open”.

Asher Hunt said that to me when we were discussing doing a promotion around Pride for Overnight. It makes sense, because being open to all people and lifestyles is a core tenant for us. Our company was literally founded on the idea that people will open their doors to new people, and accept them with open arms.

The simple act of opening a door to a new person, idea, or movement is critical not only for our business, but also in the grand scheme of being open to all things.

Opening a door to your comfort zone.

Opening a door to your newest friend.

Opening a door to simply be open about who you are.

Opening a door to falling in love.

So I wrote a guide about Pride in Los Angeles and San Francisco on The Daily Duffel. But we didn’t stop there — during Pride in Los Angeles (June 9th — 13th) and Pride in San Francisco (June 23rd — 27th), we’ll be donating all of our profits during Pride to local LGBTQ organizations when a guest books a room under our ‘Pride’ option.

Through my research, I became aware of how deeply Pride has become part of Los Angeles’s heritage. The first official Pride Parade happened in Los Angeles. I learned about the iconic and groundbreaking gay bars in the Bay area and Los Angeles which thrived on a spirit of openness, running counter to the culture of indifference (The Black Cat, which had riots that occurred two years before Stonewall, is one of my favorite watering holes). I also learned that gay bars are becoming a thing of the past, due to the open acceptance of all lifestyles in most bars around the US. These bars opened their doors when most others were closed.

That same ideology of being ‘open’ is one of the reasons I’m so proud to be working at Overnight. From the very beginning our mission has been to expose people to different cultures, lifestyles and landscapes. From our Mission Statement:

We believe that by visiting other places, cultures, and meeting new people, the world can be a better, friendlier, and closer place.

As we’ve continued on our journey from inception, to launch, to now being live in three cities and having hosts opening their doors in over 40 countries, it’s always been so incredibly important to us to not lose that sense of community and being open. Having a safe place or home to sleep in isn’t simply a need for members of the LGBTQ community when they travel. It’s a need for everyone.

Being open to all is our biggest source of Pride at Overnight. By connecting travelers with safe and open hosts all across the world, we’re doing our tiny part in helping communities meet one another.

Read our guide to Pride in Los Angeles and San Francisco here.

Like this? I would love if you joined my tiny community by clicking the green heart below!

It All Starts With Being Open was originally published in Daily Duffel on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

We want more people to see more of the world
We’re explorers who are obsessed with building the next evolution of travel. We want to make it easier for more people to see the world because we believe the culture, perspective and the tolerance afforded by travel is the one thing that everyone should be able to afford.

Get out there and do something
Take a moment. Think about your favorite stories from your life. The ones that can blow away a crowd of new friends. The ones that are almost too good to be true… but you know they are. There’s a high probability that these stories revolve around unexpected circumstances, taking chances, or an unplanned event that turned into something incredible.

@OvernightWorking from the living room.

Make a “Just Go” lifestyle an every day thing
Overnight is here to help create more of those moments. Travel, no matter the distance, be it a short ride across town to an unexplored neighborhood, or a flight across the world, allows us to experience some of the best that this crazy and often times silly trip around the sun can offer. Plans are great, but there’s something magical about living in the moment, just surrendering to life and accepting it with a smile on your face.

@Overnight

Travel in the moment
By focusing on same-day stays, we give you the freedom to throw away that calendar and see where your night goes. That moment could turns into one of the best stories of your life. Live in the moment. Say yes. Stay Overnight.

Cheers from our living room to yours,

Asher + The Overnight Team

Overnight: Who We Are was originally published in Daily Duffel on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.