Who is Lala the Mermaid?

Hey there Readers!

I feel like I'm always getting questions about why I named my Instagram @lalas_mermaid_lyfe. So I thought I would dive in to some old photo albums and give you a look into the backstory that is Lala the Mermaid.

My favorite memories growing up were made at the beach with my family. It was the thing I looked forward to most every year. Not just because it was a break from school and homework, but also because of the amazingly fun times we had. I would walk along the shore looking for seashells with my mom. Swim out to the second sandbar with my dad. And even be thrown up into the air by my siblings and cousins, making a successful splash into the deep end of the pool. (The very same pool that I learned to swim in at 2 years old!)

One particularly amazing day was when I was 4 years old. We went out on a pontoon boat to a nearby island. On the way, a small pod of dolphins were jumping in and out of the water at our wake. I remember being scared at first, 'cause I didn't know the difference between sharks and dolphins. Once my Mom explained that dolphins don't hurt people, (neither do sharks, but that's another story), I was watching with wonder. I remember looking at these beautiful creatures and instantly falling in love with them. We were within a few feet of these wild Bottlenose Dolphins for only few minutes, but from that point on they were my favorite animal. I began reading books about dolphins and their oceanic habitat, even did a bunch of school projects on them over the years. Eventually, I got into watching documentaries about the ocean. Some of my faves include Mission Blue, The Blue Planet, and Chasing Coral.

When I was 10, we moved to a different house that had a pool in the backyard, so I was able to swim in the summertime everyday if I wanted to. I started getting very comfortable in the water, and would time how long I could go without touching the walls or bottom of the pool. I practiced every chance I got. So that when it came time to our beach vacations, I could swim from the shore 'til past the 3rd sandbar with no problem. By the end of my teenage years I began to coin the phrase:

"If I had gills I'd never leave the water."

A statement I still believe in today.

This is also when I found out that the Hawaiian version of my name Laura, is Lala. So I tried to get people to call me that. Not only because of where it's from, but I also thought it matched my personality. In school I would frequently day dream about being at the beach, and whenever my friends in school would notice, they'd say I was in Lala Land.

Fast forward a few years to my 20's, and I discovered my love for photography. I decided to combine my love for the beach, tropical plants, and a newly found hobby of photography to change my Instagram name to @lalas_mermaid_lyfe. Now, I post on there daily, along with a quote or caption that goes with my photo.

Fortunately nowadays, I get to spend more time visiting different beaches allover South Florida. (I've been to so many I started compiling them into a list to keep track!) But I'm always open to suggestions from followers about any hidden beach gems I should visit. (So if you have any feel free to comment here or contact me on IG!)

So, that's my story. Though, it's still being written. I've only just begun living out my Mermaid Lyfe, and have no plans to slow down. Be sure to keep up with me, both on this Blog and on my Instagram, to stay up to date on all the spectacular things my life has to offer.

xx

-Lala