American man spends a year living in one Hong Kong stranger's home after another

Kevin Lynch has spent the past year and a half living in Airbnb rentals in Hong Kong.

That's 88 rentals in 75 different neighborhoods and nine different islands, to be exact. He's stayed in rooms where the bed descends from the ceiling, and rooms where he has sweeping views of Hong Kong. He's also stayed in places where cockroaches crawl across his pillow and the shower is in the kitchen.

Lynch, 49, originally from Chicago but based out of Shanghai, took a job in Hong Kong as an executive creative director at ad agency BBDO. Since a two-hour flight to and from the office wasn't very feasible, he opted to use Airbnb for a year—and document it on Tumblr and Instagram.

"This was a way to keep me busy and out of trouble," he says. "Meeting new people and exploring new places every week is really a wonderful way to go through life."

He had just one rule: to stay in some place different every time—the quirkier, the better. (Click here or on a photo for a slideshow.)

"Is the bed surrounded by neon lights? Is it in a converted cowshed? Or a teepee? Does the host sound like a character? Anything for a good story to tell," he says.

The average stay is about two or three days, and he tries to get a good mix of hosted vs. solo visits.  Lynch says he's had roommates about a third of the time.

"One time, I stayed in a host's one-bedroom apartment, thinking I had it to myself," he says. "Instead, he slept on his couch out in the living room. That one was kinda awkward."

Especially considering the sizes of most of the places he has stayed. Hong Kong is renowned for its teeny tiny living spaces: 40-square-foot apartments crammed together in massive residential towers aren't unheard of.

"It's one thing to look at pictures. It's quite another to have to figure out how to brush your teeth when there's no room to move your arm," says Lynch, who's 6-foot-2.

We asked him about how Hong Kong life differs from American living conditions. One quality unique to Hong Kong: Ovens aren't really a thing, at least where he's stayed. Most have a microwave or hot plate. So he heads down to the street vendors for meals. People use what little space they have wisely, turning window ledges into closets and combining the toilet and sink into the shower stall. (Buddhist items are an exception, he says; most places have them, making the spaces more peaceful, if a little cramped.)

"Coming from America, where I owned a huge Ford Expedition that was primarily used for football tailgates and going to Costco to stock up on vats of mayonnaise, life in Hong Kong is a shock to the system," Lynch says. "But it's a good shock. As small as most apartments are, they don't feel that small. If you don't have that much space, you just don't buy that much stuff. Simple. Though I have to admit, I'm really craving mayonnaise."

That vat will have to wait. He originally planned to do this for just a year, but "it's really become my oxygen," he says. He's well into his second year.

"I can't imagine experiencing Hong Kong any other way," he says.

As a seasoned couch surfer, he has a few recommendations for Airbnbers.

"You've already taken a big step by deciding that you don't want a tourist experience curated by a hotel concierge; you want a more authentic local experience informed by people who live the neighborhood year-round," he says. "The Airbnb community is usually anxious to show off some of their favorite local spots. If they don't, be sure to ask."

He also suggested approaching the stay as if you're staying at a friend's house, so you don't get frustrated by little things like adjusting the shower or figuring out which key is for which door.

"The reward of seeing the world through someone else's life for a few days is well worth the minor inconveniences," he says.

Click here or on a photo for a slideshow of Kevin Lynch's year-plus of Airbnb life in Hong Kong.

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