Elena Taber is a student in Southern California who enjoys skating with her friends and traveling the world! She’s also a Youtuber who hopes to create a docu-series in countries around the world. In between coming home from Europe and going to S. Korea she sat down with us to talk about her ambitions and living the “California Dream”.
Hey Elena! So you live in San Diego, can you tell us what it’s like being a student there?
Being a student in San Diego basically equates to getting to live out that cliché “California Dream” all year round. I attend a small university right on the ocean and my life pretty much seems to revolve around the beach and just being outside in the sun with friends.
Living here is a total cliche haha but that must be why so many people love it! What are some of your favorite things to do around here?
Jumping in the ocean for a quick dip or surfing after class is a definite go-to. I also love skating to my local farmer’s market or cute coffee shops in my local town. When not in San Diego, my friends and I enjoying cruising up the coast or camping in different spots around the state. I also love creating videos about fashion, music, travel, and my life in general.
How’d you start skating?
I started back in high school with my little sister. I grew up about 30 minutes inland from the shore and always wanted to surf but never had the means to do so when I was a teen without a driver’s license. So, we eventually decided to save up and buy ourselves longboards and mess around together after class got out.
Can you tell us about your Youtube channel? You’re pretty popular on there and make a lot of rad videos, how’d you get started doing all of that?
I started my YouTube channel awhile back with one of my best friends to fulfill a need for a creative outlet that we felt we were lacking. With time and lots of hours of filming and editing, I mean a lot, it has grown to what it has become today and I am eternally grateful for all the doors it has opened for me. I love creating content about things I am passionate about and the life I get to live. It’s got a touch of funk and grunge as I love 70’s beach culture as well as the lifestyle that surrounded the surf and garage rock bands I grew up listening to in Orange County.
I ultimately hope to create a docu-series in different third-world countries highlighting artisan women. I aspire to tell their story in a way that breaks down cultural barriers and use my platform as a marketing tool to further the reach of their craftsmanship. For me, it is the ideal combination of travelling and my love of fashion and female empowerment in a meaningful way around the world.
You just went on a pretty big trip to Europe, what’d you do there? It looked pretty serious!
I did! I went to work as a media consultant for a United Nations peacemaking conference on the prevention of genocide. The content was as gnarly as it sounds but it was an amazing opportunity to listen to some of the most influential religious and political actors of our day. Since I already made the trek to a different continent once the conference ended I promptly boarded a bus and backpacked around Europe for a bit which was definitely a plus.
That sounds awesome, what an amazing opportunity! Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with us for a little bit, good luck with finals and safe travels Elena!
Thank you!
You can follow Elena on Instagram and Youtube to keep up with all of her adventures, and as always follow us to keep up with all of our Penny Adventures.
All photos shot by Easton Kawawaki.
