The Gee family, known online as The Bucket List Family, has traveled the world since about 2015 after Garrett Gee sold his scanning app to Snapchat for $54 million, and they say sponsorships and social media income have since covered the trips. They are now based in Hawaii, according to a recent profile.
Who is the Bucket List Family
Garrett and Jessica Gee met while serving missions for their church in Vladivostok, Russia. They were already dating when the missions finished, and married while attending BYU.
In 2014, Snapchat bought Scan, the mobile scanning app Garrett co-owned, for $54 million.
How did they pay for the travels
Garrett quit working and the family sold their belongings, raising roughly $45,000 from a yard sale, to visit the places on their bucket list.
“We feel like we still have so much to learn about life and happiness before we can set up our future life and home,” says the Gee family on their blog. “That’s why we started our family bucket list. We decided as a young family that now was the time to form healthy habits and create traditions that will hopefully shape us into better people the rest of our lives.”
Just before the $45,000 ran out, they started getting sponsors, because they shared their travels on Instagram and YouTube.
“Fortunately, about this same time, our social media began gaining enough traction that hotels, airlines, and other brands began working with us,” Garret told reporters. “At first they were just offering us accommodations or flights in exchange for marketing exposure through our social media. But then, as our community continued to grow, they began paying us as well.
Right before we had spent through our initial $45,000, we turned the corner and became profitable.”
What is the family doing in 2026
A recent profile reports the family is based in Hawaii with their three children, Dorothy, Manilla and Calihan. It also reports about 1.5 million YouTube subscribers, trips to 100 countries over 11 years, a travel guide for families, an app and a children’s book that tells their story. A Disney Hyperion children’s book about their first trip was published in October 2025. Reports also say they bought private islands in British Columbia and Tonga, which we could not independently confirm.
Do they give back
The Gees have shared their good fortune, reportedly giving free LASIK surgeries to some in need and a free trip to Disneyland for a family going through difficult times.
“The feeling Garrett and I received afterwards ensured us that we had to continue this type of service throughout our lives,” Jessica said. “We try and share and give gifts that we feel have greatly benefited our own lives.”
Their blog says they “definitely have major goals behind [their] bucket list and travels.”
Takeaway: is traveling for free realistic
The Gees did not start from zero. A $54 million exit like Scan’s gave them savings they chose not to touch, and it took an audience of years to turn sponsorship offers into income. For most people, the realistic version is travel partly funded by remote work or content, not free travel.
Keep reading
- 15 powerful mindsets that travel builds: what long-term travel changes about how you think
FAQ
Who are the Bucket List Family?
Garrett and Jessica Gee and their children, a family that documents its worldwide travels on social media. They are based in Hawaii, per a recent profile.
How did Garrett Gee make his money?
He co-owned Scan, a mobile scanning app that Snapchat bought in 2014 for $54 million.
How did they fund their travels?
They started with about $45,000 from selling their belongings, then brands began providing, and later paying for, trips in exchange for marketing.
How many countries have they visited?
A recent profile says about 100 countries over 11 years.
Can you travel the world for free?
Rarely. Sponsorships require a large audience, and the Gees also had savings from the sale of their app.
Last updated: October 2026.
