Thank You For The Music

If you know me even a little bit, you  know about my love affair with music. Every journey I have and person I know, I have associated a song to it/them. The very first song I heard in Australia was fresh off the plane in the airport. It was "Voulez Vous" by ABBA, which happened to be one of my childhood songs that my mom and I would blast in the Camry that I now drive. I immediately felt comfortable, even though I was thousands of miles away from home, in an unfamiliar airport and unsure if my luggage had safely followed me across the globe. I took it as a positive sign, that this journey was about to be exactly what I needed and I stopped being nervous and became excited.

While this is just a little thing, I find any kind of musical connection to a moment, no matter how simple, makes the moment that much more magical. Especially when the songs are already songs that have your heart and you’re consistently trying not to meltdown because of homesickness. The little flickers of familiarity are saviors. Here are a few of my favorite magical musical moments thus far:

• The coffee shop by my internship that only plays Stevie Wonder and you get serenaded by the lovely hippie barista while he makes you a flat white.
• Thank you to whoever was playing “The Circle of Life” and “Claire de Lune” on the piano at St. Andrews Cathedral that almost drove me to tears.
• “Africa” by Toto playing before the epic bridge climb, I really needed that encouragement. 
• Every song played in The Soda Factory. There is just something about dark rooms, Quentin Tarantino artwork and jukebox music. 
• “The Motown Song” by Rod Stewart in Coles to settle a frantic and stressful shopping adventure.
• Game of Thrones theme song at THREE STORY BAR. Need I say more?
• “The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers playing in-between tries at the rugby 7’s. The most random song to play that reminds me of home. 
• Sitting in the Harbor next to the Opera House listening to the Finding Nemo soundtrack and watching the sunset.
• Walking through the Royal Botanical Gardens to “People Get Ready” by The Impressions and The Love Theme from Superman.
• And of course, the most anticipated song I had prayed and prayed that I would hear here, “Down Under” by Men at Work, in the Star Bar on Australia Day. WHAT?!

There have been many more discoveries of new music as well such as Tash Sultana, Sticky Fingers, and Meg Mac thanks to our Aussie friend, Sarah. Every time I hear one of these songs now, I will be taken back to the exact moment I heard it while living in Australia and I’ll feel the same nostalgia towards Sydney I felt then towards Franklin. Whether, it was getting up the nerves to climb 440 ft above the ocean, enjoying an Al Capone gourmet hot dog while simultaneously attempting to sing Marvin Gaye, or walking through a gorgeous cathedral and hearing my favorite classical song. What are the odds that I share an already amazing experience with an incredible playlist as well, just by chance? It just further proves that I was meant to come on this trip and live it up and that is exactly what I am going to do. There has already been so many amazing things that have happened since I have been here and my Australia playlist is already very long. I cannot wait to hear what other magical experiences are in my future while down under.