For most young adults in America, pulling in $75,000 year while living in Chicago would be a dream.
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Making five figures while living in one of the country's most vibrant sports towns would be an appetizing slice of life.
For Zoe De La Paz, however, such a lifestyle left her yearning for more.
De La Paz earned a salary worth $75,000 as a mechanical engineer for an engineering firm in the Windy City. While there, she split her apartment rent with a roommate.
On the surface, she had it made. However, a trip to the wild side to Yellowstone National Park made her realize she wasn't cut out for the concrete jungle.
In 2024, De La Paz took a trip to Yellowstone with a friend. Ultimately, she decided she wanted to do more than vacation there.
"It was what made me realize that life was too short and that I was very unhappy at my corporate job," the 26-year-old told CNBC Make It.
Former Engineer Moves to Yellowstone National Park
After her trip, De La Paz looked for a career transition. Her search led her to become a seamstress at Xanterra Parks & Resorts, located at Yellowstone.
Although the $19.25 hourly wage wasn't as lucrative as her former salary in Chicago, De La Paz pockets the majority of her earnings thanks to her dirt-cheap rent.
The former Chicago resident pays just $96 per month for rent, which also includes Wi-Fi and utilities. She also pays $359 a month for her dining hall pass at the resort.
She lives in a dorm-style room in Yellowstone's Mammoth Village with a roommate.
"From a young age, I had been told that work must be work and play must be play. That there isn't necessarily a world that allows both to coexist with one another," De La Paz said. "I never thought that my hobby could become my career."
Despite making less money, De La Paz is satisfied with her new life at Yellowstone.
"The trade-off is really worth it to me because I get to live in one of the most beautiful places in the world," she said.
