Headphones, take me away
I suppose at this point it is pretty well established among my friends that I love to travel. Well addicted might be a more accurate description. As a frequent traveler I do get to experience the joys of First/Business Class travel. While I'm no longer awestruck to find myself there, the richness of my memories still surprise me. This is most visible (or I guess audible) to me in the strange connection of certain songs to specific trips. As much as I struggle with remembering things, I'm always a little astonished at how strongly a specific song can place me in an exact point in time. The most vivid of all of these memories seem to take place in a first class cabin. Maybe it's because I can totally relax, while not actually able to 'go' anywhere, that allows my mind to fully absorb these memories. It's strange, because often these songs that end up holding such a special place in my heart are not songs I would normally include in my favorites.
The most recent, and motivation to write all this down, is John Mayer's Heartbreak Warfare
. Every time I hear that song I am instantly transported on board Delta Flight 283, a 747-400 flight from LAX (Los Angeles) to NAR (Tokyo). I'm sitting in seat 74K on the upper deck, sipping a glass of orange juice (although if I had known my brain would choose this moment to record a permanent picture I would have taken the champagne). We are 15 minutes from pushing back, and I'm just in the process of changing my mental focus from grind to relax. The reason for this is I had no idea I was going to be upgraded, the gate agent looked at my name when I was boarding and told me I had been upgraded.
I can remember with such vividness the baseline feeling of excitement I get when starting a journey that is more adventure than trip. Wondering if Hong Kong was going to have the same incredible energy it did as last time. Looking forward to seeing my friends from England that I had not seen in several years. A great place and a great feeling and over the general loudspeaker Delta was playing Heartbreak Warfare. So just like that, a song I would have never given an extra thought about will always hold a special place in my life.
This has gone on longer than I planned (might have to edit this back later) but I wanted to put down at least one other. Deep Blue Something (had to look the name up) Breakfast At Tiffany's
. Every time I hear that song I'm instantly transported to a Delta MD-11 flight bound to PDX (Portland) out of ATL (Atlanta). We're less than an hour from landing, we can see the mountains of California and Oregon out the window. We are in a plane that will refuel in Portland and then head off to Asia but I will be changing flights, bound for Vancouver for work. I'm listening to this song on the inflight entertainment system while watching the map detail our progress. I'm happy to be bound for Vancouver, I love the city, enjoy the people I'm working for there and am excited about the job I'll be doing there. Getting to fly in a Business Class seat feels like I've somehow been able to game the system because it is so much nicer than a normal domestic first class seat.
I guess putting this down in words has brought forth something in common. At the point in time these memories live I'm happy and content. That constant restless feeling I live with daily - I'm not moving enough (on all levels) - my job is not progressing, I'm not making progress in my personal life, I'm missing out on fantastic adventures. I live with a constant ache that a brighter, richer, fuller life lives just beyond the horizon if I could just get in motion to get there. That constant sense is gone in those moments. I can relax because in those moments I'm addressing that urge and I am heading to a bright, rich life over the horizon. For hours at a time I have a quiet peace that I'm doing exactly what I want to be doing. Then back home to my ordinary life months or years later and a single song comes on the radio that, while bringing closer to the surface that ache of restlessness, at least for 4 minutes and 30 seconds I know the feeling of being free of the ache. Of being on a track, headed to a bright, shiny future.
The most recent, and motivation to write all this down, is John Mayer's Heartbreak Warfare
. Every time I hear that song I am instantly transported on board Delta Flight 283, a 747-400 flight from LAX (Los Angeles) to NAR (Tokyo). I'm sitting in seat 74K on the upper deck, sipping a glass of orange juice (although if I had known my brain would choose this moment to record a permanent picture I would have taken the champagne). We are 15 minutes from pushing back, and I'm just in the process of changing my mental focus from grind to relax. The reason for this is I had no idea I was going to be upgraded, the gate agent looked at my name when I was boarding and told me I had been upgraded. I can remember with such vividness the baseline feeling of excitement I get when starting a journey that is more adventure than trip. Wondering if Hong Kong was going to have the same incredible energy it did as last time. Looking forward to seeing my friends from England that I had not seen in several years. A great place and a great feeling and over the general loudspeaker Delta was playing Heartbreak Warfare. So just like that, a song I would have never given an extra thought about will always hold a special place in my life.
This has gone on longer than I planned (might have to edit this back later) but I wanted to put down at least one other. Deep Blue Something (had to look the name up) Breakfast At Tiffany's
. Every time I hear that song I'm instantly transported to a Delta MD-11 flight bound to PDX (Portland) out of ATL (Atlanta). We're less than an hour from landing, we can see the mountains of California and Oregon out the window. We are in a plane that will refuel in Portland and then head off to Asia but I will be changing flights, bound for Vancouver for work. I'm listening to this song on the inflight entertainment system while watching the map detail our progress. I'm happy to be bound for Vancouver, I love the city, enjoy the people I'm working for there and am excited about the job I'll be doing there. Getting to fly in a Business Class seat feels like I've somehow been able to game the system because it is so much nicer than a normal domestic first class seat.I guess putting this down in words has brought forth something in common. At the point in time these memories live I'm happy and content. That constant restless feeling I live with daily - I'm not moving enough (on all levels) - my job is not progressing, I'm not making progress in my personal life, I'm missing out on fantastic adventures. I live with a constant ache that a brighter, richer, fuller life lives just beyond the horizon if I could just get in motion to get there. That constant sense is gone in those moments. I can relax because in those moments I'm addressing that urge and I am heading to a bright, rich life over the horizon. For hours at a time I have a quiet peace that I'm doing exactly what I want to be doing. Then back home to my ordinary life months or years later and a single song comes on the radio that, while bringing closer to the surface that ache of restlessness, at least for 4 minutes and 30 seconds I know the feeling of being free of the ache. Of being on a track, headed to a bright, shiny future.
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