How to Actually Afford That Dream Trip (And Lifestyle) While You’re Young
Gen-Z travelers share how they turned side hustles into global adventures.
EF Ultimate Break partnered with Alexandra Toto to highlight off-the-beaten-path destinations and travel trends. Find her work in Condé Nast Traveler and Forbes.
So many of us want to travel, but not all of us actually do. The usual blockers? Not enough time, money, or know-how. Good news: those hurdles aren’t as big as they seem. With the right mix of strategy, hustle, and creativity, travel can be as big a part of your life as you want it to be. We talked to a few Gen-Zers who’ve figured it out. Grace set out to visit every continent before 25 (and did). Simon launched companies that take him around the world (including one that’s changing the future of film). Zoe built out a van and can live and work anywhere. All of them found ways to live their travel goals—through Depop sales, dog walking, content creation, and more. Here’s how they made it happen—and how you can, too.
Grace Valadka
Account Manager, dog walker, house sitter, clothing reseller, Brand Ambassador
“I made it my goal to go to all seven continents before I turned 25, and I completed it with Antarctica last March,” says Grace (26), a seasoned EF Ultimate Breaker who has been on 10 trips (with another one coming up soon). Now, her goal is to visit every country.
To fund her travels, she picks up side hustles she enjoys: dog-sitting on Rover ($5K/year), and selling clothes on Poshmark, Mercari, and Depop ($6K/year). Combined, she generally spends less than eight hours a week on both outside of her full-time remote job as an account manager.
At first, a $10K trip to Antarctica seemed impossible. Then she broke it down.
“I realized five dog-sitting clients for two weeks could get me there,” she says. “Then it felt doable.”
Her mindset is: work hard, play hard. “Maybe your friends are having a party the weekend [you’re working]. But if you do it, you can go party across the world. Which one would you rather?”
Grace’s advice? Think about your strengths, passions, and transferable skills.
“Like animals? Walk dogs. Like fashion? Sell clothes. The internet lets you monetize literally anything.”
She also encourages trying multiple things.
“If you try something and hate it, just stop and try something else. You'll find something that works.”
And if you’re budgeting ahead, with EF trips, there are payment plans that can work with whatever hustle you’re juggling.
Grace especially loves traveling with EF Ultimate Break to visit countries that are harder to navigate solo, like exploring India or South Africa, or island hopping through Greece. “It’s nice to turn your mental energy away from the logistics and just enjoy it.”
She also believes the media can make the world feel scarier than it is.
“And you go there and realize ‘oh, we're all the same.’ We all want to be happy...and live a joyful life.”
Her biggest takeaway from travel? Perspective.
“You learn who you are when no one knows you.”
Simon Kim
Founder, advisor, creator, partner
Simon (23) is the Co-Founder & CMO of Creator Camp, an ecosystem for internet-born filmmakers. He also advises SunnyDay Coffee and is a serial traveler. A former full-time YouTuber, he averaged 5K–$10K/month creating content on travel, nature, and entrepreneurship.
“A lot of it started with my personal videos. Now I do that a little less, more for passion.”
His goal now? To help other creators grow and build sustainable businesses.
A big part of Simon’s early success came from cold outreach—DMing creators, emailing brands, and reaching out to his college alumni network. Even if it means doing free work at first, Simon says it’s all about building momentum and connections.
One breakthrough moment: during COVID, Simon posted a TikTok raising $100 for a food bank. Then he went bigger—he crowdfunded $30K to build a school in Malawi through donations. That video went viral and eventually brought him to Africa. A later video about his gap year also took off, and continues to receive feedback from viewers inspired to plan trips of their own.
Simon’s advice? You don’t need a huge audience to start. Just creativity and persistence. The experiences gained are worth the effort.
“There’s a book called Die With Zero about how money spent in your 20s gives you more value than saving it for later,” he says. “Travel has helped me figure out who I am outside of what I’ve been told I should be.”
Travel has impacted him hugely. So much so that he’s turned his passions into both lifestyle and business, not without recognition of the incredible community he has formed along the way.
“You meet people and it's, like, instantly you're friends...that happens when you're doing something new or you're in a state of play.”
Zoe Kerens
Events & Digital Marketing Coordinator, freelance creative, personal trainer, van builder
After her study abroad trip to Australia was cut short by COVID, Zoe (26) was inspired to figure out how to travel long-term. She built out a van in 2022, taught herself marketing and content creation, and now makes $6K–$8K/month through a mix of digital freelance work, photo/video gigs, and personal training.
“At first, I did anything—babysitting, house cleaning, housesitting. But I realized I’d burn out,” she says.
So she pivoted. With her biomedical degree, she landed a remote role in customer experience at a metabolic health company. That was one game-changing life move, along with some event planning and content creation, that opened the door to digital marketing and freelance freedom.
Camera work, marketing, pitching clients, social media management, and more were all self-taught for Zoe. Her schedule now is flexible: a few hours of work in the morning, time to surf, ski, or get out in the community midday, then work again at night.
Her secret? Diversify your skillset and shift your mindset.
“Take something that you love to do that doesn’t have to do with money in any way, figure out how to turn it into a career, and utilize social media to market yourself. Be confident in what you bring to the table.” Why travel now? Zoe, who is particularly into adventure travel, puts it simply.
“We’re not promised tomorrow. I would hate to get 20 years from now and not have done anything or not have the time to do it.”
She also swears by group trips for building community and mental health.
“Having a community around you is a big part of maintaining a positive mental state. [Group trips] bring together people who prioritize travel and life experiences over material things. I think a lot of people don't realize they're lacking connection.”
There are so many ways to build a life that lets you travel while you’re young. You don’t need to have it all figured out. Start with what feels fun. Follow what feels true. Money comes and goes—but your 20s? They’re once-in-a-lifetime. Book that trip!
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