It's Sunday Reader, so you know what that means: New Paid Travel Opportunities.

And welcome to any brand-new Seekers!

So happy to have you in this community of 8 years.

We're not new to this, we're true to this. And we live to make travel accessible for all by sharing these opportunities every Sunday.

Okay, something happened this week that I haven't stopped thinking about, so let me just tell you about it:

I spoke at a Meta event recently. Afterward, someone came up and told me they'd followed my work for years.

Cool, I thought. Then, immediately: if you've been in rooms with actual decision-making power this whole time, why didn't you ever put me forward for anything?

I stood there holding my little name badge, genuinely annoyed at a stranger for a second. 😅

Then it hit me, and it stung a little. I never made it easy for them to help.

People see the travel, the stages, the "she’s doing well" energy, and assume I’m fully plugged in, that I don’t need anything from anyone.

Admiration and opportunity are two different things, and nobody hands you one just because they like your Instagram.

So I stopped waiting to be found. Started actually asking. Forwarding the PTO. Making the intro. Saying the quiet part out loud: I am applying to things, please send me more things to apply to.

I get more funded opportunities now than I ever did waiting politely in the corner, badge and all!

So forward this week's drop to a friend. Tell your group chat which PTO you're applying to. Be the person who hands someone the opportunity, badge or no badge. It comes back around, sometimes literally, in the form of a fully-funded flight.

This week, we found 15 new ways you can be paid to travel ✈️

Fellowships, scholarships, remote roles, sweepstakes, and other funded programs. All vetted, all legit, all waiting for someone like you to apply. Ordered by deadline, closest first.

Only for our paid members of SeekPTO.

But here's your Sunday Snippet for being on our free list:

11+ countries across 4 continents, from Tokyo 🇯🇵 to Rome 🇮🇹 to Sydney 🇦🇺
Funded picks worth $87,500 (a year at Harvard), $30,000 (a year in Rome), and HK$344,400/year (~$44,150 USD) for a PhD in Hong Kong
The soonest dated deadline is October 31, just over two weeks away ⚠️ (several others are rolling — apply ASAP)

A fully-funded year in Rome: $30,000 stipend, private room, your own studio

Picture a year with your own workspace and bedroom in Rome, lunch and dinner handled on weekdays, and nothing to do but make your next body of work.

Who: Mostly US citizens (some categories open to foreign nationals who've lived in the US 3+ years); artists, designers, architects, humanities scholars
Deadline: Early: November 1, 2026; Final: November 15, 2026
Destination: Italy 🇮🇹
🔗 Link: Paid Members Only

🔵✈️

A fully-funded summer abroad to learn a critical language

Picture eight weeks of total language immersion in one of nine countries, funded start to finish by the State Department.

Who: US citizens/nationals, 18+ by May 15, 2027, enrolled in an accredited US undergraduate or graduate degree program
Deadline: November 17, 2026
Destination: 9 possible countries depending on language studied 🌍
🔗 Link: Paid Members Only

🔵✈️

Teach English in France for 7 months, no teaching experience required

Picture a school year assisting English classes across France, paid monthly, with 30,000+ alumni before you.

Who: US citizens or permanent residents, aged 20–35, 3+ years of higher education, native English speaker with at least B1 French
Deadline: February 15, 2027 (applications opened October 15, 2026)
Destination: France 🇫🇷
🔗 Link: Paid Members Only

Paid Seekers get all 15 opportunities every week, full links, earlier access, the PTO Tip of the Week playbook, additional PTO resources, and the full newsletter archive.

This week alone, that's $240,000+ in travel funding – just one membership away. Plus, the insider tips to help you win them.

What are you waiting for?

UPGRADE TODAY

🔵✈️

🌟 Seeker of the Week: Bernadette, 25

"I subscribed to SeekPTO's PTO email list and saw a volunteer program based in Angloville. I ended up applying, and they accepted me! They look legitimate and came from your recommendation, which is why I trusted the opportunity. I am so excited to go to Poland! Thank you so much!"

🔵✈️