Today we’d like to introduce you to Shanelle Sherlin.
Shanelle, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley (Encino), went to college in San Diego, then make it back up the coast to LA for grad school and work. I still live in the valley but have made it all the way to the Eastside of the valley, in Toluca Lake.
Upon returning to LA in 2011, I moved to downtown LA to be closer to USC for grad school… an area I very rarely frequented growing up there. At this time, the economy was slowly on the rise and I was amazed to see how the downtown area was quickly developing and evolving. The Arts District? Koreatown? Boyle Heights? What were these areas I had never even heard of? I started to realize how sheltered I had been as a child, never being introduced to the 100’s of neighborhoods the make LA such a unique melting pot of cultures.
Culture. Art. Cuisine. Each suburb of LA county has its own history and flare and I am setting out to discover all that LA has to offer. Every week, I make a goal to explore something new about LA. Some highlights so far have been Kenneth Hahn State Park, Wende Cold War Museum in Culver City, STAR Eco Station, El Mercado, and the Frogtown Bike Path. On my blog, I showcase these various suburbs of LA by giving a detailed description of all the sights to see and foods to try in each location.
Has it been a smooth road?
For a couple of years, I had thought about starting a blog, but with my work and training schedule, I just never had the time. After hitting a HUGE milestone in December of 2017 (I finished my first Ironman Triathlon), I finally had free time to focus on new aspirations. January 2018, I started my blog. I had NO idea what I was doing. I had never built a website or scripted code. I just watched a lot of online tutorials and figured things out along the way, as any blogger really does.
It has been an ongoing struggle to continue to develop weekly content, refresh old content, and find my audience in this overly saturated market. One thing that I’m sure about, is that I am extremely passionate about blogging and would love to make this a full-time career down the road. Currently, I still work a 9-6 job to pay the bills.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
As I mentioned before, my passion is exploring and sharing all that the off-beat neighborhoods of Los Angeles have to offer. I want to interview locals and review all the lesser-known areas that make LA a uniquely-special cultural melting pot.
I think many LA locals and transplants alike, are like I used to be…having no idea of all the cool areas that make up LA county. I also think there are many like-minded curious individuals who want to explore more of LA but don’t know what is out there. I was extra proud of my latest post about the Crenshaw/Baldwin Hills areas, areas I have never explored in my 28 years of living in SoCal. When doing research on what to see, it was surprisingly hard to find any information about sights in the area. This proved to me that there is DEFINITELY a need to explore Crenshaw, as well as areas like it. I was pleased to try one of the hands-down BEST sandwiches ever at the Brooklyn Deli in the area.My blog is a travel blog, as traveling is my true passion in life. Because I can’t be on the road all the time, I try to switch off between writing an LA-based post and a global travel post.
Do you think there are structural or other barriers impeding the emergence of more female leaders?
I am pleased to see how media and publications are giving more and more voices to female leaders in their communities. It’s unfortunate that it has taken us two centuries, baneful defamation, and unfair bigotry to get us here, but I truly believe we will continue to see more women in positions of leadership and power.
In the travel industry, we’re seeing a lot more solo women travelers. I feel like this used to be condemned by society, and to an extent, I think it still is. People think women aren’t strong or brave enough to travel on their own, but we’re seeing how confidence and acumen don’t let anything stand in the way of women accomplishing their aspirations.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://shanelle-jarrel.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @shanelle.jarrel
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/shanellejarrel/
- Blog: https://gonearfar.travel
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
