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

Hi Pearl, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
TravelingwithPearl was a passion project that birthed during the pandemic in order to reflect back on the past trips I have taken as I was thankful for the opportunity to travel at a young age into adulthood. To keep current with the times, I pivoted to a Lifestyle page early on in order to showcase the growth I have taken since starting in order to fit who I am today. My Instagram page is a direct reflection of who I am as I continue to grow in my twenties. Showcasing my travels, my balanced and wellness lifestyle, as well as the local San Diego home gems have been pivotal in what this page has become and I am thankful to call it my own business.

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 work a full time 9-5 corporate job in San Diego which I started before I even graduated from college. I work in Commercial Real Estate on the Asset Management team. It has been an incredible journey to be able to have my professional career and also be able to fuel my creative side outside of my job. Though maintaining both aspects of work have been challenging in recent years, I am grateful to have a job where I get to network constantly while having fun in addition to having a professional office desk job as my main role. My brand is my life. It is a direct reflection of who I am as a person as I continue to grow. Travelingwithpearl two years ago has grown into so much more. It is my journey of healing, living my best life, and living a healthy balanced one. Both physically and mentally. This is seen directly through my page as I navigate my twenties.

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?
I would say that being in San Diego means being outside – and to stay true to that here is what I would do:

VIEWS
– Mount Soledad for ocean wide and city views
– Windansea for the sunset

ACTIVITIES
– Paddleboarding at Fiesta Island
– walk around Portside Pier and Seaport Village
– sunset sail on a Catamaran boat
– gym at Hardcore Fitness Downtown

FOOD
– Italian food at Cesarina in Point Loma
– Hot Chicken Sandwiches at The Red Chickz in Carlsbad
– Thai Food at Supannee Thai Food in Shelter Island

DANCE
– bar hop in Gaslamp: my favorites are The Tipsy Crow, NOVA, Trailer Park After Dark

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Hardcore Fitness Downtown is my favorite gym and my home away from home. It is where I have built to become a stronger person mentally and physically. Through the community and the trainers, this gym is like no other!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/travelingwithpearl/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/travelingwithpearl/

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutSoCal is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.