Husband-wife duo Jessica Serna and Ismail Mpiana need their affect to increase past social media to actuality. At Casa Kumwesu, their Waco, Texas-based trip dwelling that’s accessible for lease, the couple desires to share their love for the Lone Star State—particularly their love of Texas ice cream—with guests from varied elements of the world.

Vacationers visiting Waco can e-book a keep at their whimsical ice cream-themed Airbnb, which accommodates eight friends, options vibrant ice cream-inspired decor at each flip and is bedecked with cozy and colourful furnishings all through. The house is right for adults needing an escape and for folks who wish to give their children a “candy retreat.” 

Casa Kumwesu opened April 2023 on 5 acres of property in Waco. The retreat’s identify comes from phrases for “dwelling” and “group,” combining Serna’s Latina tradition and Mpiana’s Zambian tradition. 

“We all the time needed a home to start out with,” Serna says. “We journey a lot that once we had an residence, we had been simply paying to lease out a spot we had been by no means at. We knew we all the time needed a spot that was ours, however that we may lease out once we weren’t on the town.”

My Curly Adventures creator, Jessica Serna, and her husband be a part of forces

Earlier than Serna and her husband started influencing full-time by way of their respective Instagram handles, My Curly Adventures and My Culinary Adventures, Jessica labored a nine-to-five job however maintained a burning want to journey the world. Since work saved her tied down, she and Mpiana opted to take quick weekend journeys.

Although most of their posts had been natural, with out the expectation of reaching a big viewers, the couple’s weekend journeys grew to become a part of their model. 

“We had been courting, and we’d simply take these enjoyable weekend journeys,” Serna says. “We simply appeared round, and we had been like, ‘Oh, there’s this place to go sand browsing in Monahans,’ or ‘Let’s make a bit weekend getaway out in Fredericksburg or these English gardens… .’ I had a pictures background, so I used to be posting on social media simply because that’s what individuals do. After which my mates began asking about all these locations we had been visiting, and on the time, there wasn’t actually a social media presence for issues to do in Texas, so individuals had been simply coming to us for what we had been sharing.”

Right this moment, the couple has greater than 300,000 followers mixed on Instagram, the place they share reels and images of enjoyable locations to journey and dine close to the Dallas-Fort Value space. 

Casa Kumwesu celebrates native taste as the world’s first ice cream-themed Airbnb

Serna and Mpiana are conscious that Waco is synonymous with beloved Texans Chip and Joanna Gaines and Magnolia Market—an enormous draw for vacationers that has doubtless introduced a very good portion of tourists to Casa Kumwesu. The 2 have equally been intentional about incorporating Texan tradition and artwork inside the home, with a lot of the furnishings designed by native artists.

The home itself is minutes away from a river, the place guests can discover ways to kayak. Company also can decide to go to an indoor surf park, Cameron Park Zoo and several other regionally owned companies. Although there are not any ice cream machines inside the home, friends usually buy ice cream from native companies to go away within the freezer for the following vacationers. 

Casa Kumwesu isn’t only a backdrop—it’s a dream come true

Serna and Mpiana need Casa Kumwesu to be greater than only a picture op.

“I feel individuals consider it lots as an Instagram home, and sure, it’s nice for footage,” Serna says. “However children adore it. We hear from friends on a regular basis that their children wish to transfer there. They’re speaking about it for months to come back. It’s a colourful wonderland. I feel as adults, we consider it as this Instagram factor. However as children, they’re simply dwelling their dream.”

The important thing to longevity is a capability to evolve and adapt

Having been within the influencer realm for nearly seven years, the couple have seen social platforms evolve. From attention-grabbing picture posts to charming reels, they’ve maintained their footprint within the digital world and say the important thing to longevity is to have the ability to transfer in tandem with every platform.

“At any level, one thing that labored yesterday might not work in the present day,” Mpiana says. “There’s a problem in that, however we’re open to adapting. When movies got here on board, we pivoted, and that’s now turn into a part of what we do. You simply must be keen to adapt.”

Images by Jessica Serna.