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Remote working can suck sometimes. There’s the endless 'you’re on mute!' debacles. The awkward interruptions from your housemates shuffling into the kitchen to make a sandwich or grab their laundry. And the important business updates you miss because you’re too busy staring at your own face in the corner of the screen trying to work out if your left eyebrow looks weird today.
But for all the negatives, our new Zoom-based reality has had one major upside: the advent of the digital nomad. No longer chained to their daily commute, remote workers have embraced the opportunity to travel the globe without leaving their desk, turning Parisian cafés, Greek beaches and Swiss Alpine cottages into their offices for days or weeks at a time.
It’s something that Airbnb is expecting to see a lot more of in the next few years, as workplaces continue to offer flexible working opportunities beyond the pandemic. And to help accommodate the growing number of customers who live nomadically, the company is offering 12 incredibly lucky adventurers a genuinely once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend a whole year staying in Airbnb properties across the globe for free.
The home rental company is seeking English-speaking remote workers, creatives, empty nesters and young families to be part of the programme for 12 consecutive months from July 2021 to July 2022 – ten of which will include travelling to and living in listings around the globe on Airbnb. Each lucky individual accepted on to the programme will receive credit for accommodation, a transport allowance, listing suggestions and access to local experiences as they travel the world with up to three companions.
In exchange, the chosen participants will provide the company with regular updates and reports on their experiences while travelling, helping to ‘improve the long-term living experiences and help shape the future of flexible living on Airbnb’. That sounds like a pretty sweet deal to us.
Already hunting down your passport? Head over to the Airbnb website for more details and to apply to the programme. But be quick about it – applications close on June 30!
And then head over to our roundup of the best Airbnbs in the UK and the US for some holiday inspo.
Plus: Manchester is offering free hotel nights to visitors this summer!