Is A Journey Without Music Like Oz Without a Yellow Brick Road?

Summer’s winding down and I have been away from my blog and most electronics for the majority of my vacation. No, I didn’t get grounded or take a vow of living like a pilgrim for the summer, I was an ambassador for the People to People program and traveled to Australia: the land of Koalas, the Great Barrier Reef, didgeridoos, vegemite, and for anyone who traveled in my delegation, no electronics. It was sad saying farewell to my iPod for three weeks, but I was willing to do just about anything to make this trip work. It started out okay until the first plane took off. The man sitting next to me, his headphones in his ears for the entire plane ride to Los Angeles, was listening to my favorite band. Other than the occasional chorus I happened to catch when he turned the volume up too much, I spent the hours reading and taking in the constant roar of the engines, the ding of the seat belt sign going on and off, and the chatter of the other passengers.  I had a feeling that this was going to be the longest 19 days of my life.

Now, I am outgoing when it comes to talking to people I know or when I speak to a group of people about my organization, but socially I’m not normally one to seek out new friends or even strike up a conversation. Since I couldn’t hide in a corner with my headphones in my ears, I thought I’d might as well find a few allies.  I started to make a few friends and we happened to like the same music (which they missed as much as I did). We talked about it during the next 14 hour flight, that and anything else we could think of to pass the time (there are only so many movies you can watch in a row).Once we landed in Cairns, the void of my music didn’t concern me as much. As we walked through the airport, I could hear the sounds of hurrying families trying to lead along their little ones, old friends greeting each other after years of being apart and family members reuniting after being separated. The sounds of so many people talking in a language that was my own but in a way that was so new to me made the music I longed for fade into the background a bit.  I was beginning to want to hear more of what was around me and less of the songs I left behind.

Over the next 18 days, not only did I not miss my iPod, I didn’t have time to think about it. I was busy experiencing life in an amazing country. I made lots of new friends from around the world. I had the chance to spend time with koalas and kangaroos, snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef, and experience what life was like living with an Australian family. I tested my strengths and challenged myself by repelling off of a 90-foot cliff face and by sledding down a 240 foot sand dune.   I realized if I take some time, even if it’s just a moment or two, to simply experience things without a constant drumbeat in my ear, I can learn so much about myself and the world around me. Of course, I’m not saying that iPods are evil, I still love mine, and I still love music. (Actually, while writing parts of this blog post I listened to one of my favorite band’s new albums.) I do know that music will always be a big part of my life, but I also know now that some things are better experienced with their own soundtrack.