Music Drives Me

Music is a constant in our lives. We have Amazon Echo speakers in nearly every room and they’re usually blaring one of our playlists or a Sirius XM channel. A recent selection was 80s hits, so when The Go-Go’s Vacation came on, it sparked my thinking about favorite songs that put me in the traveling mood.  Here’s my top five in no particular order…

1. Far Side of the World by Jimmy Buffet. Jimmy once said, “I write the soundtrack for their lives” and this song speaks to my wanderlust in every lyric about an epic trip to Africa. Besides, quoting Saint-Exupéry always wins points with me.
2. Vacation by The Go-Go’s. Upbeat and bouncy, I choose to ignore the song’s more depressing side about love lost. “Vacation, all I ever wanted” gets me in the mood to travel every time.
3. Holiday Road by Lindsey Buckingham. Always a Fleetwood Mac fan, I was instantly drawn to Lindsey Buckingham’s upbeat anthem from National Lampoon’s Vacation. It makes me want to hit the road and flirt with Christie Brinkley in a red Ferrari … even though my wife is way hotter!
4. Pirate Flag by Kenny Chesney. Like Jimmy Buffett before him, the country star has hit a strong chord playing songs that make you want to head to the beach, put on some shorts and a tank top, and sit at a bar with a cold drink in your hand and a beautiful woman at your side. That Judy is my “island girl” in these scenarios makes this song that much more appealing.
5. Leaving on a Jet Plane by John Denver. Harking back to the glory days of jet travel before deregulation, this song helped put John Denver on the map when it became one of Peter, Paul & Mary’s biggest hits. A song of separation and loneliness to be sure, but everytime I hear the opening line, “All my bags are packed, I’m ready to go,” my mind is ready to head out the door on a new adventure!
6. (Bonus!) ATWABA – Around The World And Back Again by Tom Chapin. A Children’s song, it was in some ways Judy’s inspiration for The World A to Z. It mentions so many places that we want to go, keeping them at the forefront of our minds. It is also a reminder that the travel bug can hit at any age!

There’s a whole world out there just waiting to be explored. What playlist inspires your travels?

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