Badass Beats: Surf City Edition

Between having my mom as a roommate and saying goodbye to my year round tan, transition from mermaid to mainlander has been a far cry from your typical “happily ever after.” I'm not going to lie, I slipped into a low-key depression after letting go of life in Hawaii. I mean think about it, people dread facing the real world after spending a week away in paradise. Now imagine coming back to “reality” after a casual 4 year vay-cay?!

My world lost a bit of magic when I moved back to California, so naturally, I couldn’t help but feel I lost a little bit of magic in myself.

As my island glow began to fade, it was almost as if the life was being sucked right out of me. I was spending less time under the warm sunshine and more time in the comfort of my own bed, until one day once upon a time…I decided to get my ass out of the house and go for a run.

The moment I laced up my shoes and started to pick up the pace, the weirdest thing happened— my heart began to beat again. Every deep breath brought a feeling of life back into my body, and I felt more in my element than ever before.

These runs along the California Coast have helped me discover— happiness isn’t about where you are, it’s about what you do.

So in attempt to do more of what makes me happy, I signed up for the Surf City Half-Marathon this Sunday and I’m stoked! Partially because my runs in Huntington Beach have helped bring that spark of magic back into my life again, but mainly because it’s the perfect excuse to stuff my face with pasta and make the most epic playlist (a pre-race tradition).

Like every other person in the world, music is what keeps me focused during my runs. So I wanted to create a badass playlist that is guaranteed to pump me up, but still get lost in those gnarly Surf City views.

Here are some sick beats I plan on blasting this Sunday to push me all the way through my first California finish line.

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Listen to the full playlist on Spotify here.

As for a PR, I’m not putting the pressure of expectation on myself by setting a certain goal time. My only wish is to enjoy every mile and appreciate where I am right now in my life (even if that means having my mom as a roommate).

Here's to doing more of what makes us happy!

Fins & Kisses,

The Mermaid