5 Awesomely Awesome Things: Travel Songs Edition

I love making playlists.  I love trying to find perfect songs to fit certain moods, and I love a good theme.  A goodbye party, a mix for flying back home from Korea, or even a ‘6-am during a Chicago Winter and I have to go to work pump up’ mix, I will gladly craft a playlist to help enhance any occasion or mood (or at least I’ll try my hardest to do so). So I wanted to share some of my favorite travel songs that are almost always on any travel themed playlist I make.

 

1. “California”- Joni Mitchell:

This and “River” are my two all time favorite Joni Mitchell songs and this one just so aptly captures the adoration as well as disdain that traveling can create.   I’ve always loved how she asks California “will you take me as I am, strung out on another man”.  Places leave their impact on you like people so the eloquent way she talks of returning home has me coming back to it so many times.

 

2.  “Road to Nowhere” – Talking Heads:

I think it would be an understatement if I said that the Talking Heads are a big part of this year’s soundtrack.  It would be like saying I’ve heard that “Gangnam Style” song once or twice. In a country full of vagabons, travelers, and those vagrants we call educators, who wouldn’t want to proclaim that ‘We’re on a road to Nowhere.’ at the top of their lungs? I’ve been know to do it once or twice.

 

3. “Let’s Get Out of This Country”- Camera Obscura:


I could have easily made this a list full of songs from before 1990, or even the opposite, but that didn’t seem fair (maybe another time).  I love starting a roadtrip mix with this song, regardless if I’m going to be crossing a border or not.  It’s just such a great song to kick things off without being overpoweringly peppy, and just makes me feel ready to go conquer whatever I’m setting off to do.

 

4. “We’re Setting Sail!”- Andrew Dost:

This song might be the least well known of the five, but the whole “Columbus” album by Dost is a great travel companion.  Who better to accompany you across the ocean or any other journey than a slightly anachronistic Christopher Columbus?  I was listening to this album over Chuseok while on a boat in the late afternoon and I won’t lie, it was kind of perfect.

 

5. “Atlantic City”- Bruce Springsteen:

Now picking a Springsteen song to talk about travel is so hard for me to narrow down. Summer nights call out for “Thunder Road” and sunny road trips make me want to play “Born to Run”, but it seems as of late day or night, “Atlantic City” has been on heavy rotation here at my lovely homestead.  The Boss knows how to write about being on the move.  End. of. Story.

 

With all this talk of travel and awesome music, I figure now is a good time to say that for my winter vacation, my backpack, my iPod, and I will be heading to CAMBODIA!!!  I am so excited and can’t wait to explore Angkor Wat!  Any and all recommendations and advice are completely appreciated!


Bring on more Tuk Tuks!

 

From Busan with Travel Music Love,
Jenna


Filed under: awesome, Busan, music, South Korea, teaching, travel Tagged: cambodia, entertainment, music, travel, vacation

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