Her Family Thought She Was Traveling In Asia, Until They Discovered Her Secret

Setting Off

In her many enviable social media posts, Zilla van den Born looks like your typical gap-year backpacker. For weeks and weeks, her close friends and family followed her social media updates, watching as she travelled from one idyllic destination to another. But was Zilla’s adventure really what it appeared to be?

Exploring The World

While previous generations had to be content with travelling within their country’s borders and the occasional trip abroad, today’s young explorers are spoiled for choice. It’s now common for many privileged young people to visit exotic corners of the globe before pursuing their studies or chosen careers.

Living Through Social Media

Backpacker hotspots like South-East Asia and India have become more and more popular in recent years. In the age of social media, these exotic experiences are often reduced to filter-heavy Instagram shots of white sand beaches, extravagant meals and unknowing grinning locals. But do these pristine images really reflect these people’s experiences? Or does something darker lurk beneath?

Thrown Into The False World Of Modeling

Zilla grew up in Amsterdam in the Netherlands, a popular touristic city that has spawned its fair share of much-loved photo opportunities. When Zilla was just 16, she entered the world of modeling. She became fascinated with photo editing, discovering how photographers would distort an image of reality.