Born and raised in South Africa, Zia Suarez currently lives in Barcelona where she loves to explore, travel, hike, surf and of course, skate the streets on her Penny board.

Get to know Zia

So stoked to chat with you Zia, can you start by telling us a little bit about where you’re from and where you live now?

I’m South African, I was born and raised in a small town called Port Elizabeth on the East Coast of South Africa. I also have Spanish heritage which is where my surname comes. Thanks to my heritage I have citizenship in Spain which is where I have chosen to base myself for now, I’ve been in Barcelona for 1 year now. I have family members here too which made the transition really easy for me to settle in and eventually find my own feet.

Barcelona looks like such a beautiful place to live, your Instagram is full of some amazing outdoor shots! Can you tell us what you love to do in your spare time?

Living in Barcelona has made travelling really easy, it’s very connected to most parts of the world, its also filled with beautiful local areas such as the Pyrenees Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea. In my spare time I love to travel, explore new places, go on hikes, skating and surfing.

What does a typical work day look like for you?

My work is pretty flexible in terms of location as I work as a freelancer and I’m able to work anywhere in the world as long as I have internet connection. I work as many things; social media manager for International companies, content creator for brands, my online presets business, modelling for campaigns and I also organise and host trips/ volunteering trips and educational retreats. A typical “office day” when I’m not travelling would be working from home, answering emails and having meetings with clients in the morning. The afternoons I spend editing photos or videos or planning the social media schedule for my clients. A typical travel day would be scouting locations to shoot or record for content material from sunrise to sunset, same thing with the modelling for campaigns but usually it’s less work for me as I operate solely as a model and not the entire production company in this case.

If you could change one thing about the world, what would that be?

One thing I would want to change is how people treat the environment and each other. If there was more kindness and compassion in the world (and even online) I think it would look like a very different place. 

What do you love most about your High Vibe Penny board?

I love the colour, it’s super vibrant which adds to the fun! I also love the size because it’s easy to carry around and to pack and take anywhere with me.

To keep up with Zia’s adventures, be sure to follow her on Instagram!