LIVE ALIVE PLAYLIST: VIVIR MI VIDA

Authored by Jamie Lim
April 1, 2019

Vivir mi vida. Live my life.

I mainly travel for 2 reasons: 1) to get to know and better understand myself and; 2) to live my life fully and authentically.

So, where does a playlist filled with Hispanic and Latino songs come into play? And Panama! Oh yes, Panama. How does Panama come into play? Keep reading.

Getting to know and better understand myself.

As I’ve entered adulthood, I started this journey searching for who I am (says every millenial). I’ve become fascinated with where my ancestors are from (yes, I took a 23andMe Ancestry Test), and the countries I desire to travel to next are the countries where my family originates from.  

Here’s a fun fact about me, a quarter of me is equal parts Mexican and Spanish. For me, it’s crazy to think that in my DNA this only represents a quarter of me. My mother’s first language was Spanish and didn’t know English until late childhood. I grew up in a predominantly Hispanic household ran by an independent and una pocquita loca (love you, mom) Hispanic woman.

Reflecting back on my childhood, I vividly recall the moments spent watching telenovelas like Yo Soy, Betty La Fea. On Saturdays I remember waking up to the smell of jalapeños, tomatoes and onions being roasted for homemade salsa, and on Sundays waking up to the smell of Fabuloso (a cleaning staple in every Hispanic household).

What I remember the most is the music. The sounds of Selena, Luis Miguel, Gloria Estefan, and Marc Anthony blasting on the stereo. The memories of the music is so vivid that iIf I close my eyes I can I hear my mother singing “El Reloj” by Luis Miguel to me and see her dancing to “Oye Como Va” by Carlos Santana in my childhood home.

My mom and I have only been out of the US once and it was to Mexico in 2015. Four years ago it didn’t seem like a big deal. Now, four years older (and wiser) I realize how special that moment was. Mexico is where our ancestors came from. Being able to be there with her is one of my favorite travelling moments. Next destination: España.

Living my life fully and authentically.

My mother instilled in me to put myself and my career first before doing all the “other” things you’re supposed to do in life -like getting married, having children, etc. To this day, she reminds me and encourages me to live my life fully and authentically.

Whenever I tell my mom I’m about to venture off to another country her response is typically, “wow, you go baby,” and then she immediately finds a relative, a family friend, or a friend of a friend of a friend that lives in that country and sends me their contact information in case I need a ride from the airport. True story, this happened for Live Alive Panama 2019.

It’s true that a majority of my travels are for myself (I’m a millennial and selfish like that #selfcare), but a minority of my travels are for my mom. I travel for me and I travel for her, too.

 

With Live Alive Panama coming up (join us in 2020), I can’t help but tap into my roots. While I’m not Panamanian, there’s some comfort knowing that I’ll be eating comida similar to the food I grew up on, hearing the language my mother and Abuelita Valentina spoke to each other in, and listening to la musica that I was raised with.

If you’re wondering, it’s the music.

No matter where I am, it’s the music that always brings me back home.

What I’ve curated for you is an ode to my Mother Country. A playlist influenced by my Mexican and Spanish roots. Some classics and some newer songs, pero todos son ricos. This playlist is for me, for you, for mi gente, but most importantly for my mom. Gracias por todo.

Blogging Adventurer: Jamie Lim

Instagram: @jamielim_

Jamie Lim is a certified 200-hour yoga teacher and avid adventurer. Her love for adventure began in 2016, with Live Alive Adventures (at the time, BIG Retreats), in Cambutal, Panama. It was the decision of choosing to go on this adventure that Jamie experienced her first true sense of adventure -exploration of unknown territory with the world, with others and with herself.

Since Panama, she continues to explore the unknown with Live Alive and on her own. She’s ventured off to Venice and Rome where she ate gelato every single day, Munich where she experienced the tradition of Oktoberfest, Zion National Park where she completed her very first hike, Dublin where she drank her first pint of Guinness at the Guinness Storehouse, and many other places.

A creative and visionary at heart, Jamie can easily be dubbed as the hype girl within our Live Alive family. She always know which song to play (shoutout DJ Lim Lim), captures priceless moments with her camera and is able to connect with others in her own unique way.