Woman Leaves High-Paying Engineering Job for $96-a-Month Cabin in Yellowstone

Zoe De La Paz, a 26-year-old who once held a lucrative mechanical design position with a top engineering firm, has exchanged her corporate life for a drastically different existence in a remote cabin within Yellowstone National Park. Earning $75,000 annually and residing in a Chicago apartment, De La Paz found her work unfulfilling. She has since transitioned to a career as a seamstress, with her rent in Yellowstone costing a mere $96 per month.

Her daily routine now involves hiking, observing wildlife, and exploring the natural beauty of the park. "Living and working in a national park is honestly sometimes emotionally overwhelming for me just because it's just so indescribably beautiful," De La Paz told CNBC Make It. "This is truly one of the most beautiful, unreal places in the world. Just like being here has changed my life."

De La Paz explained that her previous role involved extensive desk work and computer-based tasks, which lacked emotional engagement. "I didn't have any sort of emotional connection or tie to the work that I was doing, which made it so hard to be fulfilled by it," she shared. Approaching burnout, she felt compelled to make a change.

Initially, De La Paz aspired to work in the art scene but hesitated to leave her stable job. She took on a second role as a caterer at a Chicago music venue. Her transition into wardrobe work occurred unexpectedly when The Weeknd's team required immediate assistance with an outfit during a performance at the venue. De La Paz, who had been sewing since she was 14, offered her skills.

"I started sewing when I was 14 years old," she recalled. "Growing up in a really small town with not much to do, I was just left to my own devices in my basement and with my grandmother's old sewing machine."

After this encounter, De La Paz felt invigorated and decided to leave her corporate position. She sold her apartment and moved into a small dorm room in Mammoth Village, located within Yellowstone National Park. She now works as a seamstress in the uniform department for a company that manages park businesses, earning $19.25 per hour. Her responsibilities include mending and tailoring uniforms for concession employees, often involving repairs to numerous pairs of pants daily.

Despite earning less income, De La Paz reports being significantly happier. "Sewing can be quite meditative for me. I love how technical it is. I love that I get to use not just my hands, but also my brain," she stated. "I truly love my job here. The trade off is really worth it to me because I get to live in one of the most beautiful places in the world."

Her living expenses are minimal, with rent at $96 per month and a $359 monthly meal plan offered to park employees. "I realized that I wanted this life more than I wanted the comfortability that a corporate job gave me," she concluded. She referenced a quote that resonated with her: "Leap and the net will appear." Feeling she had reached a precipice, she took the leap, and found her net appeared.