Daily Inspiration: Meet Yulan Holtz

Today we’d like to introduce you to Yulan Holtz.

Yulan, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve always had a desire to travel, and growing up as an only child, I’ve been fairly independent for as long as I can remember. Whether it’s a baseball game, a concert or an entirely new country, I’ve always loved going on solo adventures and exploring unfamiliar places.

In May 2021, I went to Costa Rica for the first time and worked remotely for three weeks while visiting Quepos and Tamarindo. I realized that I didn’t want to sit behind a computer screen in a studio apartment week after week when there’s so much world to explore. But I loved my Los Angeles life, so I needed to find a happy medium between traveling and living in LA.

I decided to work remotely for almost three months while traveling around to seven different European countries in January 2022. I visited Italy, Croatia, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Paris, and Monaco while working from 11pm to 7am every evening and exploring each city during the afternoon.

From there, traveling while working remotely became a huge part of my life, and I began to invest more time into my travel blog and creating content while abroad.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Traveling while working remotely definitely has its challenges, but all of the positives completely outweigh any issue that may arise.

The basic obstacles that anyone may face include things like wi-fi and time differences.

I mentioned working remotely from various European countries at wild hours, but I now have a different work schedule, which makes it a lot easier. Earlier this year, I spent time in Spain and Portugal and worked from 3pm to midnight — just in time to go out in the evening if I wanted.

Wi-fi is definitely something to be cognizant of. Whenever I’m traveling, I make sure to book places to stay that list the wi-fi speed. Even better if someone mentions the wi-fi in their review.

As a solo traveler and especially as a woman, you need to be aware of your surroundings. I’ve personally never felt unsafe while solo traveling and have been lucky enough to meet tons of people along the way who have been nothing but kind to me.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I work in sports and have been given some great opportunities throughout my career in sports, music, and entertainment, but I’m most proud of the content I’m able to create independently. This year, I’ve been focused on growing my blog and recently launched a new travel-specific site.

Since I have photo, video, and editing experience, I’m able to capture and edit all of my travel content myself and even went on a sponsored trip to Seattle with an airline who wanted to help me reach my goal of visiting all 30 MLB ballparks.

I’ve had people tell me that they’ve read my blog and used my itineraries for their own trips or that my budgeting videos have helped them account for their own travel expenses. I’ve given solo travel tips to many people and encouraged them to step outside of their comfort zone and explore. It’s that type of feedback that brings me joy, knowing that I’ve been able to help people do something that I love.

How do you think about happiness?
Getting on an airplane and knowing that I’m about to experience an entirely new country. I love exploring new cities, meeting new people, and familiarizing myself with new cultures. I now have friends from all around the world and continue to create new connections with people that I otherwise would never meet.

Outside of travel, I love going to concerts. There was a stretch of time where I was averaging 1-3 concerts per week. I also love photographing concerts and regularly bring my point-and-shoot camera with me when I know I’m going to have a good view. I recently brought it to the Eras Tour and captured some great photos. I also have a DSLR that I used to bring to festivals and shows when I worked in music.

The last thing that makes me happy is baseball. I’ve always been a huge baseball fan and the San Francisco Giants dynasty began when I was in middle school, so I was fortunate enough to watch all of those ‘10, ‘12 and ‘14 postseason runs in some of my most formative years.

Contact Info:

• Website: travelwithyulan.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/travelwithyulan
• Other: shotbyyulan.myportfolio.com