Absolutely nothing can cure homesickness like the sound of familiar music, for me, that is my travel playlist. Ok, food comes in a close second. Being an expat in Goa, I am surrounded by trance and techno, which is okay sometimes, but other times I need to blare country music to remember how much I love home. All songs you listen to while you travel don’t have to be about travel, you simply want them to make you smile. When I am on a train ride I put on my “Faves” playlist and stare out the window. Nothing makes me happier, nothing makes me feel less alone, and nothing makes the other passengers more uncomfortable as I have a hard time holding in the lyrics. They say music is the cure for everything (except for the nerdiness in the photo below, that I almost couldn’t bring myself to post, but I know I need fantastic media like this to keep you all intrigued.)
It’s the only one I had with headphones in on a train… the fact that I took a selfie is almost inexcusable, the headlamp is so I can read, and the scarf is because the headlamp leaves a big red mark on my head. OK, moving on.
Below are some songs from my playlist that make me insanely happy when they come on. They are in alphabetical order not because I’m OCD (I’m just type A), but because I scrolled through my playlist. Just so you know which ones are THE BEST at improving my day, I will put them in bold because I’m OCD like that.
I swear I regularly update my iTunes with good new music, yet all my “Faves” tend to be old, I think because they remind me of home. I recommend everyone take an iPod or their iPhone. Make playlists of different genres, so that you aren’t constantly skipping songs on Shuffle.
Include a playlist for Relaxing/Zen music because many massage “parlors” (in someone’s basement in India) won’t have massage oil & music to offer, just cooking oil & awkward silence.
These songs are NOT my guilty pleasures, they are masterpieces you cannot help but belt out!
Disclaimer: all of these are null and void post Thanksgiving-through the New Year. Country Christmas Radio on Pandora/ Mariah Carey Christmas on Pandora is all anyone around me gets to hear.
My Travel Playlist
- Always Be My Baby- Mariah Carey
- Anything Could Happen- Ellie Goulding
- Blowin’ in the Wind- Bob Dylan
- Both Sides Now- Joni Mitchell
- Bridge Over Troubled Water- Simon & Garfunkel
- Budapest- George Ezra
- California- Joni Mitchell
- Carolina on my Mind- James Taylor
- Change the World- Eric Clapton
- Chicken Fried- Zak Brown band
- Cleaning Out my Closet- Eminem (don’t judge me), it reminds me of mowing the lawn in jr. high school
- Colors of the Wind- Ashanti
- Dark Horse- Katy Perry
- Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes- Paul Simon
- Fancy- Reba McEntire
- Flowers in Your Hair- The Lumineers
- Gin & Juice- Snoop Dog
- Gunpowder & Lead- Miranda Lambert
- Fancy- Iggy Izalea
- Hell on Heels- Pistol Annies reminds me of Charlotte, NC
- Home- Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes
- How to Love- Lil’ Wayne
- I will Always Love You- Dolly Parton
- I’m Yours- Jason Mraz
- It Feels like Home to Me- Chantal Kreviazuk
- Let it Be- Beatles cover from Across the Universe
- Listen to Her Heart- Tom Petty
- Madness- Muse
- Man in the Mirror- Michael Jackson
- Mercy- Kanye & all those other people
- Numb- Rihanna & Eminem
- Only You- Ellie Goulding
- Push and Shove- No Doubt
- Put Your Records On- Corrine Bailey Rae
- Red Dirt Road- Brookes and Dunn
- Rich Girl- Hall and Oates
- Roar- Katy Perry
- Roll Another Joint- Tom Petty
- Silver Springs- Fleetwood Mac
- Stay- Rihanna
- Stay with Me- Sam Smith
- Waka Waka- Shakira
- Waterfalls- TLC
- What Now- Rihanna
- Wide Open Spaces- Dixie Chicks I take this song more seriously than anyone should.
- Wildflowers- Tom Petty (fave of all time)
- The World’s Greatest- R. Kelly
- Your Song- Elton John
What are some of your favorite songs to listen to when you travel?
“You belong among the wildflowers, you belong somewhere you feel free”
Music is the best way to cure homesickness. But it also makes me super nostalgic! Also, I’d need a break from all that trance every once in a while as well ;)
I have a friend who is also living in Goa. I assume the expat community is pretty tight knit right? Any chance you know an Irish girl names Clodagh?
There aren’t that many real expats in Goa, although there are a lot of old hippies lol I don’t know her- I really don’t get out as much as i should though. If she has an email or twitter i’d love to be linked up with her though! thanks!
hi rachel,
hmmm.there’s a few challenges there but overall not as bad as i was thinking from your opening remarks.music is food for the soul and i love soul music.
Haha, a few challenges- that’s a nice way to put it!