Out of 314,000 Participants, One M’sian Won a 1-Year Rent Free Airbnb Contest & Gets To Travel Globally

By Karissa Lund  •  23 Aug 2021 in JUICE ♥

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Back in June 2021, Airbnb unveiled its “Live Anywhere on Airbnb” contest, inviting up to 12 people to bounce between Airbnb listings across the globe for a whole year. To top it off, winners can even bring three additional companions – sounds like a dream, right?

Well, the 12 individuals have been chosen recently from a pool of over 314,000 applicants globally and one of the lucky participants hails from Malaysia! According to The Star, creative director and songwriter from Sabah, Colin Ross Mukri said that it was an opportunity he would not waste.

Colin, who is currently based in South Carolina in the United States for the past 11 years, will be sharing this experience with his wife Meg and their daughters Charlotte and Liv.

“It took me a few days to really understand how big a deal this was and I think I’m still wrapping my mind around it. My wife and I do, however, believe that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that we cannot pass upon,” he told The Star.

After taking into account the travel bans practised by many countries during the pandemic, Colin and his family is planning to stay in Alaska, Scotland, Denmark, Germany, Malta, Bali, Australia and New Zealand.

“These plans are held loosely as we have to be flexible and vigilant on various travel restrictions in each place but you can follow along on our YouTube Channel to find out where we actually end up,” Colin said.

FYI, Airbnb not only bears the cost of accommodation but also provides transportation for the duration of it.

While this is definitely a unique experience, this isn’t the first time Colin’s family will be living nomadically. In 2017, they have lived a nomadic life in Iceland, Italy, Egypt, Kenya, Thailand and of course Sabah, Malaysia where he was born and raised.

Speaking of Colin’s hometown, he is also taking the opportunity to return to Tawau if travel restrictions have eased. He said that he is looking forward to spending precious time with family and friends in Malaysia.

“Growing up in Sabah made me a lot of who I am today. We were a middle-class family that enjoyed simple pleasures like gathering in big groups to share a meal which I still do here in the US, pre-Covid-19 days of course,” he said.

 

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A post shared by Colin Mukri (@colinmukri)

Colin, who is the youngest of three siblings, relocated to the US to further his studies when he was 19 but he stresses that his roots are still firmly planted in Sabah.

Looking back, Colin credits his adventurous streak to spending time in the great Malaysian outdoors during his formative years.

“We were an adventurous family – I hiked up to Laban Rata at Mount Kinabalu when I was nine, and snorkelled in Sipadan and Kapalai (islands) many times as a kid,” he said.

The family will be documenting their Airbnb experience through their YouTube channel, Colin and Meg.

“I’m looking forward to building a lifetime of memories with my family. As a creative, I’m excited to document it through photo and film which I hope will inspire my family for generations to come,” he said.

We at JUICE wish them luck on their adventure and yes – we are very, very jealous!