I have the tendency to lose myself in elaborate daydreams, often sparked by hearing a familiar song or two. The following ten songs, make me want to lose myself in adventure. The artists listed are not necessarily the originals, they merely sing the versions that speak to me. 1. Mozambique by: Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan's classic ode to the beautiful people and beaches of Mozambique resonates. My time in Inhambane, Mozambique was pure magic (well, most of the time) and this song stirs a longing in me. The Indian Ocean from the shores of Mozambique was so placid and warm.
2. You Belong to Me by: Carla Bruni
This romantic little song makes me want to set out solo and explore the world (cue my husband, singing the lyrics to me in deep mournful tones). In my fantasy, I don't stay away for too long and return home with souvenirs and postcards (don't ask why I don't send those, in my fantasy they peek out of the top of a brown paper bag) to a beautiful and happy reunion.
3. Africa by: Toto
This song reminds me of so many moments I've experienced beneath the dark starry southern African sky. It makes me want to return and relive those experiences over and over. There is nothing like the soft (and often-times not so soft) rains down in Africa.
4. Aux Champs-Elysees by: The Gilles David Orchestra
Who doesn't want to stroll merrily along the Champs-Elysees, baguette and brie in a bag slung over their shoulder? I do! I experienced Paris once and I have memories of my friend Freddy and I singing the song excitedly as we took it all in. I also remember an argument regarding who sang the correct lyrics and who had the better accent but whatever. It was mostly a beautiful moment, one that I long to experience again.
5. Country Roads by: John Denver
This song reminds me of driving down the dirt roads in Brandywine, Maryland. It reminds me of the beautiful landscape of New England in the Autumn (don't ask) and of the often overlooked beauty of the Mid-Atlantic in the Summer. It also makes me want to embark on a road-trip, something I've fantasized about, but have never managed to experience.
6. Leaving on a Jet Plane by: Peter, Paul and Mary
This song stirs in me the excitement of a new journey; of leaving things behind, notes of uncertainty and even melancholy in order to pursue the unknown.
7. Changes by: Seu Jorge
This song takes me to the idyllic Brazil that I only know from my imagination, from my longing. Forever on my list of places to experience, Seu Jorge's version of Changes stirs the romance, the grit and the free-spirited movement that I know awaits me when I finally make it to Bahia and Rio.
8. Girl from Ipanema by: Pery Ribeiro
This song evokes the sultry, rhythmic, salty essence of that undulating ocean water on Ipanema Beach in Rio, where I've never actually been except in my imagination. I want to go. Pery Ribeiro makes me want to grab a caipirinha, throw on a sarong, put a flower in my hair and dance on the beach as ocean water laps at my ankles. In another life, I swear I've been there.
9. Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans by: Billy Holiday
New Orleans is a magical exotic place, one of the most mysterious and culturally unique cities in the United States (in my opinion). This song makes me want to visit the Louisiana Bayous, taking in their lush and murky beauty. It makes me want to go back in time and stroll the French Quarter with its cobblestone streets, towering French architecture and Jazz.
10. Sail Away by: Enya
With a voice as etherial as ocean mist, Enya makes me want to set sail from the foggy shores of the British Isles on a slow and dewy morning. This song makes me want to go to Ireland and watch the sun set from the vantage point of a rolling green cliff, a misty breeze ruffling my hair. Freeing and meditative, Sail Away, invites me to do just that, to sail away and lose myself.