🎶 The Soundtrack of My Life 🎶

(aka: A musical rollercoaster with no genre loyalty but a whole lot of feels)

Some people have photo albums. I have playlists.

Every chapter of my life has had a soundtrack—sometimes dramatic, sometimes ridiculous, and sometimes so raw it still stings a little. There are songs that pull me back to childhood living rooms with tiled floors and cassette tapes. Songs that remind me of late-night heartbreak journaling (you know the kind), and songs that gave me strength when words failed. Music has always been my way of making sense of things. My therapy. My celebration. My secret language with myself.

While other people mark time with calendars or milestones, I mark mine with tracks:

The first time I fell in love? Definitely had a dramatic indie ballad on repeat.

My burnout phase? The silence between songs was louder than anything I could handle.

Motherhood? A full-blown pop concert in the kitchen with a toddler backup dancer.

This isn’t just a list of favorites. It’s a messy, heartfelt mixtape of becoming. A playlist of phases, feelings, and the kind of memories that don’t fade—they echo.

So if you’ve ever clung to a song like a lifeline, or made eye contact with a stranger at a concert and thought “same soul, different body”, this post is for you.

Grab your headphones. Let’s rewind.

🎀 Childhood: Bubblegum Pop & Bilingual Beats

Ah yes, the glorious days when I was belting out Luis Miguel with my hairbrush in hand like a diva-in-training. Mexico in the 80s and 90s was basically ruled by Timbiriche, Flans, and Lucerito, and let me tell you—I lived for it. You weren't cool unless you had a Flans cassette and knew every step of the Timbiriche choreography.

But in the background, I remember English music sneaking in thanks to my dad—The Beatles, The Beach Boys… total 60s rock-n-roll dad vibes. I still associate that sound with his energy. My mom’s influence? Total Rocío Dúrcal queen. That voice, those tears, the drama—IYKYK. 💃🎸

🎧 Teen Years: Angst, Posters, & Guilty Pleasures

Things got deep in high school. Suddenly, I was in my room journaling while Radiohead's Creep played dramatically in the background like I was the star of a sad indie film. 🎭

My holy playlist:

• REM

• Nirvana

• Lisa Loeb (because feelings)

• Alanis Morissette (because rage)

• Radiohead

• The Verve

• Red Hot Chili Peppers

• Madonna

• Oasis (Wonderwall was basically my love language)

• U2 (they were already climbing the “favorite band of all time” list)

I also had a serious secret love for New Kids On The Block. Yes, I had the poster. No, I will not apologize. 🤷‍♀️💁‍♀️🎤

🧘‍♀️ Twenties: Love, Lyrics & Indie Vibes

In my 20s, I was deep into U2 (still am 💘), Radiohead, and a soft obsession with Incubus. I started to explore more Spanish-language artists:

• Pedro Guerra (ugh, those lyrics)

• Presuntos Implicados

• Shakira (before the hips didn’t lie, they wrote poetry)

• Juanes

• Julieta Venegas

Then love showed up. My husband and I had wildly different music tastes, but somehow “If We Ever Meet Again” by Timbaland and Katy Perry became our song. I still don’t know how it happened, but every time I hear it, I smile like a teenager. 😍🎶

👶 Motherhood: From Rocking to Bang Bang

When my daughter was born, I thought I’d be playing lullabies and Mozart... hahahaha no. 😅 This child would only fall asleep to loud pop songs like:

• Bitch I’m Madonna

• Bad Blood by Taylor Swift

• Bang Bang by Ariana, Jessie J, and Nicki Minaj

Our speakers were booming and our lives became an ongoing music video. Also, our totally random family anthem became “Video Killed the Radio Star.” Don’t ask me how—it just happened during a road trip. We played it on repeat for the entire ride. It’s tradition now. Sorry. 😂🚗📻

🔥 Burnout Era: Clay and Friends & the Sudden Silence

Before burnout kicked my emotional butt, I was deep into Clay and Friends. Like, not just "oh I like their music" deep, but “let’s follow them to three different cities and scream like we’re at a boyband concert circa 1998” kind of deep. 💃🎤 Every song felt like a little party for my soul. Their rhythm? Addictive. Their energy? Contagious. We were blasting their songs during dinner, during commutes, probably even during grocery hauls. I was vibing. HARD.

But then… it all just stopped. 💔

When burnout hit, it didn’t come in like a wrecking ball—it came in like someone slowly turning down the volume on my life. First, I noticed I was skipping songs. Then, I wasn’t even playing music. I’d hit “play” and feel... nothing. Nada. I could hear the songs, but I couldn’t feel them. It was like watching fireworks with sunglasses on and earplugs in—technically there, but totally missing the magic.

And listen, for someone like me who lives for music—who attaches songs to every memory, every heartbreak, every road trip snack break—losing that connection? That was the biggest red flag waving in the wind like a Taylor Swift scarf. 🎤🚩

No more dancing in the kitchen with my daughter. No more singing off-key in the car like I was auditioning for The Voice. No more playlists for running, cooking, crying, or dreaming. It was just... silence. And that silence was so loud it echoed.

It felt like my inner world had gone grayscale. Like I had misplaced the soundtrack of my life and didn’t know where to find it. That was the moment I knew—this wasn’t just exhaustion. This was soul-level burnout.

Music had always been my therapy, my celebration, my release. And suddenly, it was just background noise. And honestly? That broke my heart in a way I didn’t expect.

🏃‍♀️ Post-Burnout: Reclaiming My Groove

Now? I’m rebuilding my running playlist and let me tell you—it’s an electric bop buffet. ⚡️💃

• Cooler Than Me

• Speed Drive

• Used to Be in Love

• Satisfied by Galantis

• Lil Boo Thang

• Peanut Butter Jelly

• APT

• Lovin On Me

• The Beginning by Snow Patrol

• ... and basically ALL of Snow Patrol because I just saw them live and cried like a teenager again.

There’s something about moving your body to good music that makes you feel alive again. I’m reclaiming joy, one beat at a time.

🎤 Final Notes: U2, Always.

U2 is still the king of my heart. If I had to pick one band to listen to for the rest of my life, it’s them. Bono, if you're reading this… I love you. That’s it. That’s the message. 💌

Music has been the background to every version of me—awkward teen, broke student, exhausted mom, burnout survivor, runner, romantic, cook, artist, overthinker, and woman trying to feel everything again. 🎶❤️

In fact… I even wrote a whole manuscript inspired by music. It’s called "Playlist"—20 short stories, each one titled after a song. Some are fictional, some are real, and all of them are little love stories (with a few spicy secrets in between 😉).

Music hasn’t just shaped my life—it’s shaped my art.

So now I want to know—What songs are the soundtrack of your life?

🎧Are you more “Wonderwall” or “Hollaback Girl”? Be honest 😏👇 -Fabi