gottacaseofwanderlust

The Class of 2020 had just graduated. Because they were fresh out of high school and because it was amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, many students were lost and nervous for the future. A high school graduate from Arlington, Virginia was in this very position; but instead of following a more traditional route upon graduation, Zoe Cachion ventured to the Hawaiian Islands alone to meet up with a group of strangers, where she spent the following two years adventuring and learning lessons that a subsequent college education could have never provided. 

Cachion is now one-hundred percent living her best life. She just celebrated one year of her podcast, Hostels in Hawaii, and is eager to begin studying film at San Diego State University this fall. 

Though if it wasn’t for her gap years in Hawaii, she would one-hundred percent not be who she is today. 

“It totally changed the trajectory of my life,” Cachion affirmed without hesitation. 

She predicted that if she never went to Hawaii when she was eighteen, she would currently be a student at Arizona State University, believing that she could never major in something that she loves, like videography. 

This was obviously problematic, the now nineteen year old recognizes. 

“Anything that you want to do in your life,” Cachion urged, “You one-hundred percent have to go for it.”

In addition to breaking through limiting beliefs during her gap years, she also learned to embrace how her brain works as someone who has multiple learning disabilities (which she now refers to as “superpowers”), such as ADHD and dyslexia.

“Being different is beautiful,” Cachion gushed. 

Because of the self-transformation that her gap years catalyzed, she now is passionate about normalizing gap years for young students.

No seventeen or eighteen year old really knows what they want to do with their lives, Cachion stated.

She firmly believes that there is a problem within the educational system that highly encourages, and sometimes creates no choice, for teenagers to pursue a college degree directly after high school— despite not knowing what they want to do professionally, as well as not fully knowing who they are. 

“I feel like we’re setting up kids for failure,” said Cachion. 

While some may think of gap years as a negative thing that can reduce the drive in young people to return back to school, Cachion testified for all of the benefits gap years provided her. 

Not only did she determine a major that she is certain of, she learned invaluable lessons such an unshakable self-love for herself, the importance of perseverance towards things that you love, and the realization that she doesn’t have to commit to a single career throughout her entire life. 

“We should focus on getting as many experiences as we can,” Cachion expressed. 

And at only nineteen years old, she has definitely embraced this philosophy. 

Cachion knew that going to college upon graduating high school wouldn’t be making the most of her circumstances, and she feels grateful that her parents were supportive of her last minute decision to take a gap year.

She recalled her intuition signaling that there was a bigger opportunity waiting for her.

Cachion reminisced on her podcast about the moment that she first stepped off of the plane on Maui: “This is where I’m supposed to be,” she remembered thinking. 

After island hopping for sixty days throughout Maui, the Big Island, Oahu, and Kauai, she stayed with various friends on the islands to extend her stay longer than she had initially planned. 

During the span of the first sixty days turning into two years, Cachion worked for a few hostels where she received free accommodation and eventually became a manager for one. She was also inspired to begin Hostels in Hawaii, because of all of the interesting individuals that she met during her hostel stays. 

Cachion’s number one piece of advice for individuals looking to save money while traveling is to stay in hostels. 

Not only do you meet all kinds of people, she said, you’ll find yourself part of a whole community that is fun and makes you feel safer, especially as a solo traveler. 

For those unfamiliar with hostels, they are generally a cheaper option for accommodation when traveling because instead of paying for a room per night, you pay for a bed per night in a room that is shared between other travelers. 

Cachion credits hostels for one of the reasons that she was able to afford to live in Hawaii, notorious for higher living expenses, for as long as she did. 

“I actually spent more money on food than rent in Hawaii,” she laughed. 

All good things must come to an end however, and Cachion recently moved back in with her parents near Washington D.C. before heading to San Diego for college. 

Strangely, Cachion didn’t feel as sad as she thought she would about leaving the islands, she expressed in Hostels in Hawaii. 

She spoke with animated hands about her excitement for the next chapter. 

Cachion credits her gap years once more for her revived love for learning, which she will carry into her upcoming fall studies. 

Even if she doesn’t become a successful professional in film, at the end of the day, she’s striving towards her passions for her loved ones so that they can enjoy her original videos. 

Failure no longer scares the young Hawaiian adventurer. 

She believes in the wisdom: “Do what makes you happy, and you will be successful.”

Although it’s been a mere two years since Cachion graduated from high school, anyone can sense a newfound energy in her presence that can be compared to a completely new version of herself. 

The light in her blue eyes and unwavering grin that animates her persona is proof; however, one thing that has never changed is her infectious positivity and ability to make light of any situation.

“Anytime something negative happens, you can always find the silver lining to a dark cloud,” Cachion acknowledged. “And sometimes, the silver living will shine very bright and turn into a new direction.”

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Follow Zoe here: @zoecachion and her podcast Hostels in Hawaii on streaming platforms.