Do you think that travelling the world is a pipe dream and that the exorbitant cost puts you off? Well, think again.
A New York waitress has revealed how she has managed to travel the world over the past three years, visiting 10 countries, despite earning a low wage and working only part-time.
Celeste Cox, 26, reveals in one of her TikTok The secret behind their budget-friendly travels, in the form of volunteering.
Filming from Brazil, she explains: “I volunteer in different places. It’s a work exchange and I usually volunteer in hostels because it’s a great way to meet people.”
The avid traveler says she typically works “five to eight hours a day, depending on the location” at hostels, and that it’s generally five days a week with two days off to explore.
Celeste Cox, 26, from New York, recently revealed the secret behind her budget-friendly travel, in the form of volunteering.
Describing some of the advantages of the arrangement, Celeste says: “Then you get room and board and if you’re lucky, you get meals too.”
In addition to working in hostels, her TikToks show her volunteering in other places abroad, including a farm and vineyard during a recent trip to Italy.
The American says she books all her volunteer positions through an organization called Packers of the world.
As for the concept, he explains: “You can sign up for a year and it costs $49. Every place involves different things, depending on the location.”
‘I’ve done cleaning jobs sometimes, cleaning rooms, sometimes I’ve looked after children, other times I’ve been at the reception desk of hostels… checking in guests, registering them… things like that. It’s not that difficult.’
Besides Italy, some of the other countries Celeste has visited include Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Panama, Colombia and Brazil.
She said Business Insider who only intended to travel for a short period after finishing university in 2021, but quickly got the travel bug.
So far, he has made all his trips with less than $10,000 in his bank account and working part-time for $25 an hour at a Brooklyn restaurant when he returns to the United States.
The avid traveler says she typically works “five to eight hours a day, depending on the location” at hostels, and it’s usually five days a week with two days off.
To save money on rent when he is at home, he lives with his father.
The content creator says that signing up for Worldpackers is a “very easy” and “very cheap” way to travel, and it’s a good way to meet people.
On the financial side, he says that sometimes the only thing you have to pay for is the flights, because food and accommodation will be covered.
Worldpackers was founded in 2013 by friends Eric Faria and Ricardo De Lima.
The website describes it as a “platform for travelers and hosts, created by those who live and love to travel.”
For those considering following in her footsteps, Celeste notes that there have been some tough times along the way.
“I’ve been robbed before, I’ve had bedbugs many times, I’ve slept on the floor,” she told the outlet.
One of her latest TikToks, filmed in Sardinia, also shows her volunteering on a farm, where she worries about the health of the animals and the difficult interactions with their host.
Despite some setbacks, he says the overall experience has been worth it.
She concludes: “These trips have taught me a lot about life and have really given me a lot of life experience.”