Most people spend an entire lifetime looking for that one job that they would passionately go to every morning. The thing is, it shouldn't be as elusive as it should soon. Finding the perfect job means you know yourself well enough--your strengths, your weaknesses, and ultimately the things that passionately drive you to wake up every morning--and having enough courage and conviction to pursue a career that seamlessly aligns all of those things, despite all odds. That's why we look up to Elaine Abonal, owner and founder of Surfista Travels. This feisty gal pursued her love for surfing, which led her to leave the comforts of a so-called "stable job" to establish her own company.

The sun, sand and surf had always had a powerful effect on this language instructor ever since she was exposed to the surfing culture in the US as a teenager. That's why it didn't come as a surprise that Elaine eventually built her own business that's grounded on her interests. In 2011, she established Surfista Travels, a surf tour company that arranges accommodation, transportation and surfing lessons for groups. Although she was initially anxious about how the business might change her love for surfing, she eventually found herself all the more deeply enamored with it.

Yep--you read that right. Establishing your own business takes a lot of guts, and probbaly much more to see it through. But one thing we love about Elaine is that she never let the challenges and other people's opinions get to her. Instead, she focused on the things that she's passionate about, which helped her push to grow her business further.

“I love the beach, being in the water, and being able to ‘play’ with the waves. I loved traveling; getting to meet different kinds of people from different walks of life, nationalities and ages; going on the road trips; experiencing new and different cultures,” she says.

Are you currently planning to finally pursue your passion? Don't let your fears get to you! Stick to what you believe in. After all, what really matters is that you went out of your comfort zone to pursue what you really want.

“Being a woman shouldn’t limit anyone from trying something in a male-dominated sport. Don’t be scared to take the risk. If it doesn’t work out, then at least you say you tried. And if it does, then that's awesome!”

(Photos courtesy of Elaine Abonal)