Meet Paola Angelina | Travel & Adventure Content Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Paola Angelina and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Paola, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I’m originally from Lima, Peru, raised in Orange County & currently live in Los Angeles. Although I’ve lived in the States for most of my life, I’m still very much in touch with my Peruvian culture. Being a first-generation immigrant who moved here in the mid-90s, globalization wasn’t what it is now. It was hard to navigate the feeling of being far away from my loved ones & my land. Luckily I had a close-knit family who did their best in making sure the transition from South to North America was as smooth as possible. The upbringing I had thanks to my parents & grandparents included them going above & beyond in everything they did; this reinforced perseveration & simply put, taught me that hard work pays off. This has had an everlasting impact in my day-to-day as I go through the highs & lows of adulthood.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have been working in education for over a decade. From daycares to summer camps to school psychology, you can say I’ve done quite a bit in the field. I’m currently the Special Education Coordinator for a middle & high school in the South LA area. I’m excited & proud to have taken on this role over the last year as it’s helped bring out skills I’ve learned in previous roles & put them to use in a different capacity. There have always been many roadblocks in public education but the pandemic exacerbated & amplified every challenge, especially for our kids. The resiliency they showed was unbelievable & admirable. Many times it’s the kids that teach us adults invaluable lessons.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

This is a tough one! With so much to do in Los Angeles, visitors really only scratch the surface but let’s see.. I would start off with the Griffith Observatory so they can get the best views of the City of Angels. Next would be lunch at Beachwood Cafe while exploring the birth place of Hollywood. Then you wanna cruise over to Beverly Hills for the glamorous side of the city & end in West Hollywood for some dinner at Bottega Louie.

Another day would be the Beach Cities tour, kicking it off in Venice to stroll the boardwalk before checking out the pier in Santa Monica. A quick brunch stop just up the way at The Draycott in Pacific Palisades should ensue. You can’t forget about good old Malibu. The Getty Villa is a must when in the area as is a walk on the pier along with some food & drinks from Malibu Farm.

No trip to LA is complete without a visit to The Grove, which is a good place to spot a celebrity or two. The Farmers Market is perfect to grab a bite & buy some souvenirs. Afterwards, you could check out one of the many museums at the Miracle Mile, possibly the LACMA or the new Academy Museum. Then cap off the night by dining at Republique before heading over to All Season Brewing for some drinks & games.

Although downtown is not typically high on the list for tourists to visit, I would say show them around DTLA for part of the time. Starting off with brunch at Perch rooftop, walking over to Grand Central Market & catching a Lakers game at Crypto Arena. Again, this doesn’t cover it all but it’s a brief intro to LA 101.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Aside from shouting out my family & friends for the never-ending support, I’d like to dedicate this feature to a special group of fellow content creators who have become a solid support system. When the pandemic hit & I began exploring & exposing Los Angeles, I came in contact with a group of LA content creators who are as talented as they are inspiring. I’m grateful to be part of this community & call them my friends, LA Hackers- thank you for being such an amazing bunch!

Instagram: paospostcards