”Meet Julia, an inspiring entrepreneur and the first StayingBee host in Barcelona! Discover how opening her home transformed her life through cultural exchange, deep connections, and unforgettable experiences. From sharing traditional meals to navigating life as an immigrant in Europe, Julia's journey reveals the true essence of community-driven travel. Ready to explore what hosting can give back to you?”
Meet Julia, an AIESEC alumna, entrepreneur, startup consultant, and the first StayingBee host in Barcelona.
We spoke with Julia about what “home” means to her, why she decided to open her doors to the StayingBee community, and what she gained from her first hosting experience. From sharing traditional meals with her guests to deep conversations about career and identity while living abroad, her story shows how community-driven travel isn’t just about giving — it’s about reciprocity, connection, and meaningful experiences.
I’m Julia, an AIESEC alumna (2014–2017), entrepreneur, and startup consultant based in Barcelona. During my time in AIESEC, I facilitated professional internships in Salvador, Brazil, and later served at the national level. Helping people start their professional journeys abroad shaped how I connect with others.
Currently, I run a consultancy helping startups and scaleups with go-to-market strategies and client acquisition. Friends would describe me as loyal, driven, curious, and highly selective with my relationships. I value depth, learning, and meaningful connections.
Home is much more than a physical space. It’s a place that makes you feel calm, safe, and grounded. It’s somewhere I can build routines, feel supported by people around me, and envision myself staying for a comfortable period of time.
Home means peace. It means flow. And it means having people you can count on — and who can count on you.
I joined StayingBee after Kelvin reached out on LinkedIn. What immediately resonated with me was our shared AIESEC background. It’s a community I trust deeply.
Even if you don’t know someone personally, if they’re from AIESEC, you know there’s something that connects you.
The onboarding experience was smooth, intuitive, and safe. While I had minor concerns around privacy, I never worried about safety. StayingBee’s community-first approach built trust from the beginning.
My first guests were two Ghanaian sisters who now live in France and Belgium, and stayed for seven days. Initially, I worried about disruption to my routine and potential awkwardness. But I was pleasantly surprised.
The guests were polite, respectful, and considerate. They spent most of the daytime sightseeing, so my routine wasn’t disrupted at all.
During the evenings, they told me all about their day and everything they saw. Listening to them felt like reliving my first days in Barcelona. We also had deep conversations about our career paths and bonded over our shared experiences of being immigrants from developing countries living in Europe: the challenges, benefits and everything in between.
One highlight of the stay was when they cooked and shared traditional African dishes with me — food I had never tried before. That cultural exchange across my dining table was unforgettable.
I still check in with them on social media and plan to meet up again.
Reciprocity. You need to give something in order to get something in return. By opening my home to the AIESEC community on StayingBee, I’m able to provide guests an opportunity to explore the city during the day, and a safe, supportive place to sleep at night. In return, I experience deep, fulfilling conversations, positive energy, new perspectives, and delicious foods.
The simple act of listing my apartment on StayingBee led me to an incredible, fulfilling experience.
A typical weekend at my place would include a morning workout, followed by good food and cava, and a walk along the beach (weather permitting). My apartment is near the sea, so it’s perfect for anyone who enjoys the water. If it’s too cold out, I’d suggest staying in and eating even more!
For first-time visitors to Barcelona, I’d recommend La Sagrada Familia, Gaudi’s houses, and if it’s warm, the Costa Brava beaches. Local seafood is a must, along with croquetas, jamón, quesos, and pan con tomate. If you stay with me, I can help you navigate public transport, which can be confusing for newcomers.
Hosting works best if you’re open to new experiences and interested in cultural exchange. My advice for hesitant hosts:
Allow yourself to try new things and expand your identity — repeating the same cycles can limit personal growth.
Learn more about becoming a host on StayingBee ******and explore whether hosting is right for you.
Staying in the same routines with the same people can lead to repeating life cycles. If you’re looking for a way to invite change into your life, consider hosting:
Open up. Meet new people. Expand your world. That’s what StayingBee is really about.
By welcoming new guests into her home and city, Julia has experienced firsthand how community-driven travel creates mutual value — proving that hosting is not just about giving, but also about receiving richness, perspective, and connection in return.
Julia is an AIESEC alumna, entrepreneur, and startup consultant based in Barcelona.
